Pat Pimm has told the Dawson Creek Daily News he "absolutely" will not resign, despite calls from a government watchdog to do so.
Earlier this week, Pimm was criticized by Integrity B.C. over letters sent while he was an MLA and later as the Minister of Agriculture.
One of the letters sent supported the application of a Fort St. John businessman, Terry McLeod, to turn Agricultural Land Commission (ALC)-controlled portions of land near Fort St. John into a rodeo ground.
In their August decision, the ALC said that Pimm's representations "were not appropriate."
However, Pimm said that he felt he was doing his duty as an MLA in supporting McLeod's application.
"I think if you poll most of the people in Fort St. John, they'd like to see a rodeo ground in Fort St. John," he said. "Here's a private businessman who's willing to step up and spend six million of his own dollars to give the community that opportunity."
After he was appointed to become the Minister of Agriculture, an e-mail from Pimm's office said he "would like to know the outcome" of McLeod’s appeal of the original decision.
Pimm’s actions were criticized by NDP Leader Adrian Dix soon after they were first revealed in a report last week.
"Premier Christy Clark selected a minister of agriculture who does not respect the ALC’s independence and mandate to protect agricultural land in the public interest," Dix said.
The move was also criticized by Integrity B.C.: "Ministers don’t interfere in the work of judicial or quasi-judicial tribunals and – if they do – they resign," said Integrity B.C. executive director Dermod Travis.
However, Pimm said he "was not tampering by any stretch of the imagination" in McLeod’s application through his position as minister.
"We get requests from my office, from all MLAs — across all 85 MLAs, whether it's opposition MLAs or independent MLAs – asking to check on the status of the project," he said. "I don't think I should be treated any differently than any other MLA to be able to make a call over and check on the status, on when a decision is going to be delivered."
