B.C. MLA Pat Pimm charged with assault

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      A former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister is scheduled to appear Dawson Creek Provincial Court on Tuesday (September 13).

      Pat Pimm, the independent MLA for Peace River North, has been charged with one count of assault in connection with an incident on August 13 in Dawson Creek.

      The charge was laid by special prosecutor Michael Klein following a police investigation.

      A statement issued by the criminal justice branch offered no details of the alleged assault.

      On August 14, Pimm left the B.C. Liberal caucus and resigned as deputy chair of the committee of the whole of the legislature.

      In 2011, Pimm resigned from the B.C. Liberal caucus for the first time following what was described as a "domestic incident". No charges were ever laid in that case and he was later welcomed back to caucus by Premier Christy Clark.

      Pimm was appointed as minister of agriculture in 2013. Shortly after joining the cabinet, Pimm sidestepped NDP MLA Nicholas Simons's question over whether he believed that climate change is human caused.

      "I think there are many varying opinions on climate change, and we all have our opinions," Pimm replied in the legislature. "I'm sure you have your opinion, I might have my opinion, and I think we'll leave it at that."

      Simons followed up with this statement: "Let the record show that there seems to be some hesitation on the part of the Minister of Agriculture in British Columbia as to an element of the causes of climate change. I asked if human causes could be part of the reasons for climate change, and the minister didn't answer. However, on that note, whatever note that is…. It's a discordant note. I'm somewhat troubled by that answer, but it does confirm some of the things I thought."

      Pimm resigned his cabinet post the following year after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

      He's also a former Fort St. John city councillor and former president of a construction, maintenance, and electrician services company.

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