The Editor,
Re. "Port Coquitlam mayor should stay out of international affairs" (Letters, tricitynews.com, June 21) and "PoCo's West seeks cancellation of China reception for civic politicians" (News, tricitynews.com, June 18).
I have been following the current mayor of Port Coquitlam since he was a teenager. My first experience was hearing him speak at the Rocky Point Park in Port Moody many years ago. As a teenager, Brad West had something to say about how the government in Victoria was not listening to the residents of the Tri-Cities.
Now, I just read a dumbfounding letter someone wrote to your paper complaining about Mayor West and that he should not speak about international affairs. The writer also made a cockamamie statement about the size of Port Coquitlam, as if only cities like Vancouver might be the ones to speak about international stuff.
Mayor West doesn't abandon the ongoing work of the city he loves and has every right to voice his concerns about the pandering of his colleagues on the UBCM and their efforts to appease one of the sickest governments in existence.
I have never spoken to Mayor West but I hope someday to shake his hand.
Brian Robinson, Coquitlam
