Premier Gordon Campbell released the following statement in tribute to former MLA Val Anderson, who passed away today.
March 30, 2006
VICTORIA – Premier Gordon Campbell released the following statement in tribute to former MLA Val Anderson, who passed away today.
“It is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of our friend and colleague, Val Anderson, and extend the heartfelt thoughts and prayers of a grateful province to his wife Joyce and their children and grandchildren.
“For three terms, Val served our province and his community with all the integrity, humility and passion that British Columbians deserve and expect from their Member of the Legislature. He was a public servant in the truest and best sense, and the contribution he made to our society will remain an example for those of us honoured to follow in his footsteps.
“I came to know Val when I became leader of the B.C. Liberal Party and he was a first-term MLA for the Vancouver-Langara riding. As we worked together, I came to know him as a dedicated public servant whose life’s work as a colleague, as a Member of the Legislature, as a United Church Minister, and as a community leader was dedicated to strengthening families, strengthening communities, and building a better future for individuals.
“But Val’s greatest legacy lives not in his place in B.C.’s history, but in the place he occupies in all our hearts. He was a man of faith and family, honour and honesty, integrity and ideas. We are stronger as a province for his service, and all those who were so fortunate to know him are better as people for his friendship.”
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A statement from Val Anderson was read out in the B.C. Legislature last week by BC Liberal MLA Dan Jarvis. A copy of Val's statement can be found below.
Official Report of
DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
(Hansard)
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2006
Afternoon Sitting
Volume 8, Number 2
D. Jarvis: I'd like to talk about a friend of mine, Val Anderson, who is also an old friend of this Legislature after having served almost 14 years here. Val has just had recent surgery, and it was not successful, unfortunately. He is moving to palliative care soon.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, Val is a very kind and gentle man. On research of Hansard, it shows that in his 14 years he spoke on 3,316 specific subjects.
I want to put on record a letter that Val has written to the MLAs of this province, and I hope you will bear with me. An open letter to all British Columbia MLAs.
“Greetings, and thanks for your many letters and messages of personal support. They mean a lot.
I have had much time to reflect, and so I would like to share what I believe are two of the most important principles of government that are often taken for granted and overlooked.
The first principle is the need for governments to encompass an appreciation of family relationships. Every person, whether or not they consider themselves currently part of a family union, has or has had the experience of a family relationship. So to care for a person, one must always take into account the nature of that family and its relationship. To do otherwise is to contribute to the problem and to make it unsolvable. This awareness does not seem often to be present in the workings of government agencies.
A second principle is that the legislation must not only be legal, but more importantly, it must be fair. It may indeed be that a number of the legislative acts are unjust to an individual or group of individuals. Many interpretations of legal language create and/or prevent justice in the name of right action. Laws should be made to protect those in need rather than creating more inequities. Concern and compassion must overrule bureaucratic and political persuasions. To do anything less continues to create an unjust society for many.
Laws need to be re-examined continually to see if they protect the individual or groups in our society. Unless we care and are very vigilant, many will suffer every day for being who they are, often because of circumstances beyond their control. Not to treat them with respect and support them in opportunities is to fail in our duties as MLAs. After all, our aim is to affirm them in their recoveries, especially by having faith in them.
Thank you for your patience in reading this letter and perhaps talking to each other about these principles as you work together to do the right thing. After all, our aim is to support those in their recovery by believing that will help and that they can renew their lives.”
Sincerely yours
Val Anderson, MLA
