Skip to content

Looking ahead while reflecting on the past

Michelle Mungall, the NDP MLA for Nelson-Creston and Opposition Critic for Social Development, will be seeking her third term.
57074creston13MungallFB
Michelle Mungall

“It’s tough to put into words.  It’s such an amazing feeling to be able to stand up in the legislature and provide a voice for the people that call the Kootenays home.  I really love the work – I honestly do,” said Michelle Mungall, the NDP MLA for Nelson-Creston and Opposition Critic for Social Development.  “Even though I have to leave my home and my family and fly out – or not, sometimes – from the Castlegar airport, I get to fight for people and the environment.  I get to fight against poverty.  I’m proud of the work I’ve done, but we also have a long way to go.”

While Mungall admits that life as a rural MLA is not easy, she speaks passionately about the past eight years – the battles and the victories – and looks towards a better future where Jumbo remains wild, where poverty is less of an issue, where farmers in the Kootenays gain they respect they deserve, and where teachers are treated fairly.  “There have been some highlights, for sure, but one that really stands out is that Jumbo is still wild.  Though the battle is far from over, it has been so encouraging to see people in the Kootenays, and on an international stage, stand up to what could be an environmental disaster.”

Over 61,000 signatures calling for the permanent protection of the Jumbo Valley was presented earlier this month.  For the Ktunaxa, Jumbo (or Qat’muk) is important on a spiritual and cultural level, as well as being recognized internationally as an important wildlife corridor.

“I’m so proud of our region.  I’ve never seen so many signatures for something like this,” said Mungall.  “This fake town, which is actually just a slab of concrete buried in an avalanche path, serves no one.  This is so important to me on a personal level, and I think it’s time to put our energy into real projects that benefit real people in the Kootenays.”

When questioned as to what it would take to keep Jumbo wild, Mungall replies, “It won’t take much if the NDP becomes the provincial government.  Unfortunately, if the Liberals are re-elected, it’ll continue to be an ongoing struggle.  But, if that’s the case, then I will continue to go to battle.  In the end, we need to be on the right side of history with this issue.  We need to keep Jumbo wild forever, encourage reconciliation, and give the First Nations people a place to practice their spirituality.”

Over the past eight years, Mungall has also fought against issues of poverty, directly affecting not only children in the Kootenays but across British Columbia.  “The child support clawback took $13 million away from 6000 of BC’s poorest kids every year under the BC Liberals simply because their single parents received income assistance or disability.  If it wasn’t for families stepping forward to share their struggles publicly, the Liberals would have continued taking child support money that rightfully belonged to kids,” said Mungall.  “That money can now go towards putting food on the table and buying school supplies, or helping children join sports teams that weren’t able to afford sports equipment before.  We have a social responsibility to make sure we are meeting the needs of our children.”

Under intense pressure by Mungall and social activists, the BC government ended the clawback of child-support payments to single parents on social assistance last year.  Mungall says parents with disabilities that collected maternal or paternal leave benefits had to declare them to the provincial government through the ministry of social development.  She says the ministry then deducted that amount from the monthly disability check.  “Christy Clark was taking from our children, and driving families into poverty.  For over a decade, BC had one of the worst rates of poverty in Canada,” said Mungall.  “Only when Christy Clark and her government were being taken to court, and they knew they would lose, did they eventually change their mind.  This was a huge win for families.  All those that hired lawyers, wrote letters, and signed petitions made this happen and they changed the future for the better.”

Mungall is hopeful that the result of this year’s election will bring in an NDP provincial government.  “If that happens, then we can create a serious poverty reduction plan.  The Nelson-Creston riding has the lowest average income of all other districts.  That obviously needs to change,” said Mungall.  “I would like to see a community revamping of the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area.  This diverse wetland supports biodiversity at all levels and is internationally important.  I’m interested in strengthening the potential that exists there, and I think it can be so beneficial for Creston’s economy.”

Mungall continues to take the concerns of Kootenay residents and farmers opposed to the breakup of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to the Minister of Agriculture and hopes the government will go through a comprehensive consultation process before making any changes.  “Ideally we would see the repeal of the two ALR zones.  We need to not only protect the land, but also take serious inventory of it.  The farmers understand the ALC has weakened over the years, and they would like a greater say in how to balance the different views,” said Mungall.  “I will keep supporting the local food production that really defines this region as a whole.  When Bill Bennett stood up and said that the 100-mile diet was a great idea if only he could eat hay, I felt such a sense of pride in being able to correct him.  This area has such an amazing food system, and it’s only going to grow and flourish.”

When the topic turns to education, Mungall lets out an audible groan.  “What on earth has been going on for the past 16 years?  Christy Clark has de-prioritized education.  She has tore up contracts.  Thank goodness the Supreme Court decision went the way it did.  Though public education may not be good enough for her son, it needs to be for the rest of us.  We need to seriously invest in our kids.  I’m so thankful that the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) didn’t give up, and they fought tooth and nail.  I feel so bad for those students that have had to go through the system without the electives and programs they deserve.  What Christy Clark did was wrong, and she should be ashamed.”

Staying connected to all the towns and villages within the riding is important for Mungall, and she is looking forward to returning to Creston over the next few months.  “I’ll admit it isn’t always easy to be a rural MLA.  Never mind all the traveling to Victoria, but the mountain passes in the wintertime – especially this winter – has made it difficult as well.  But I love spending time in the different communities,” said Mungall.  “I don’t have my full schedule mapped out yet, but I know I’ll be coming to Creston two or three times in early April for different events.”

Mungall’s annual Bend the MLA’s Ear Tour is a chance to connect with people who live in the remote regions of the constituency.  “I really enjoy hearing from those I represent and spending time appreciating the beauty of the Kootenays.  I get the chance to hear about various concerns, and I get to better understand the values and the way of life here,” said Mungall.  “Luckily modern technology has also helped and I spent a lot of time on social media – maybe too much time.  But the one thing I tell my colleagues when I’m in Victoria is that they can’t mess with people from the Kootenays.  They’ll fight back.  You better watch out.”