I could say more, however a Letter to the Editor in the Langley Advance said it best ...

I noted two news stories of interest in the papers today.  In the Victoria Times Colonist a headline stated, “$782-million sewage fix left in limbo  -- Treatment system falls two years behind as B.C. and Ottawa play waiting game” … while the Vancouver Courier had a headline saying, “Basi - Virk first anniversary renews calls for inquiry -- B.C. Liberal government paid $6 million legal bills”

Two different stories, but both again highlighting the discontent of British Columbians.

In the Times Colonist news story, writers Kim Westad and Rob Shaw, have indicated the sewage treatment system is going to be at least two years behind schedule.  Why???  Apparently the provincial government has not committed in writing to funding the $782-million project that it ordered must be done.  BC Liberal cabinet minister Ida Chong says that the federal government must commit to funding the project before it steps in, which according to the writers is a, ‘…change in policy that worries several members of the Capital Regional District board.’

The story goes on to quote Judy Brownoff, former chairwoman of the region's sewage committee,  as saying, ‘… Chong's comments are a change from what the CRD has been told from the start, and contrary to clear information from the federal government a year ago.’

So what’s the bottom line? 

Again writers Kim Westad and Rob Shaw say that CRD Chairman Geoff Young is concerned that, without the province's written commitment, federal infrastructure funds earmarked for the project will go elsewhere.  That will then mean the one third commitments, by each level government, will end up in serious jeopardy.

BUT … there’s money to hire Pamela Martin for who knows what her job is … there was money for that grandiose tour Premier Christy Clark made a couple of weeks ago to re-announce commitments that Gordon Campbell had already made … and there’s money for a new roof on BC Place. 

What the BC Liberal government however can’t find is the $260 million dollars that it has ALREADY AGREED it would provide to this hugely important capital project – one badly needed just from a pollution standpoint alone. 

This government will never find the money needed for projects, which would greatly help British Columbian’s, until it stops government waste.

Government waste has led to annual government budget deficits – and ever increasing debt – which according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is now costing us 6.3 million dollars each and every day just to pay the interest charges.  That is why the government doesn’t have the money needed for projects like this … as well as for health, education, and more.

Okay … now what about the Basi - Virk story??? 

Well I don’t think anything stirs up the blood of most British Columbians more than that the whole stinking mess about BC Rail -- and possible intervention by Christy Clark and others.  As the story in the Vancouver Courier states … Tuesday is the first anniversary of the halt to the bribery trial of ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk. On Oct. 18, 2010, they copped a surprise guilty plea to breach of trust and fraud, but the B.C. Liberal government paid their $6 million legal bills.

Writer Bill Tieleman is quoted in this story saying, “It's certainly one of the biggest political scandal cases B.C. has ever seen.  We've never seen the Legislature of the province raided by the police before for evidence, we've never seen the finance minister of the province under RCMP videotape surveillance in a fancy downtown Vancouver restaurant before.”

According to Tieleman, Gordon Campbell not only promised he wouldn’t privatize B.C. Rail, but he also promised British Columbians he would explain what happened. Instead, “Gordon Campbell got the Order of B.C., CN Rail is making loads of money off B.C. Rail, and Basi and Virk are under house arrest.”

What this story is about is the continued refusal of the BC Liberals to be accountable to the people of BC.  British Columbians are tired of back-room politics, and want a government that is open and transparent. 

Both the sale of BC Rail, and the Basi - Virk Trial, are continuing irritants to taxpayers because it shows us this government does NOT care!   It’s as if they take delight in thumbing their nose at us, and are a trying to see how much we will take.

Instead of being open and accountable, the BC Liberals feel it is more important to attack John Cummins and the BC Conservatives.  And what did the Globe and Mail have to say about that, just one month ago?  “First, the ads themselves are preposterously two-faced. For instance, they accuse Mr. Cummins of being a politician who says one thing and does another. This from the party that said it wouldn’t sell B.C. Rail and then did, that promised not to bring in the HST and then did. And those are just two of the more glaring examples of how the Liberals ignored promises they made in government.”

And regarding not only BC Rail, but the HST debacle, John Cummins himself has said, "There's a huge amount of discontent out there.  People are looking for a party with a vision for B.C.'s future, and I think the B.C. Conservatives can provide that."

In February the BC Conservatives also stated;

“Those are taxpayer dollars and that money needs to be accounted for! The Basi-Virk trial ended with the defendants pleading guilty after the Province agreed to pay their legal costs, and tens of thousands of British Columbia have smelled a foul odour emanating from the entire process. They want answers.”

This government even has the BC Auditor General decrying the way they account for the use, or rather missuses, of taxpayers money say, "My audit opinion for the 2010/11 fiscal year contains one audit reservation, indicating that the financial statements are not in compliance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).” 

He also stated, “… government has taken it upon itself to define GAAP, rather than following the standards set by the Canadian Accounting Standards Board. It concerns us that government is willing to override the due process that is involved in the setting of Canadian accounting standards …”

This government has taken hypocrisy to new levels.  I could say more, however a Letter to the Editor in the Langley Advance said it best:

“Seems the Liberals have a dubious track record on being "principled" themselves, and are losing credibility fast with their own "trust" issues: i.e. BC Rail they wouldn't sell then did; the Carbon Tax scam; the BC Hydro sell-off fiasco; the run-of-river sell-off and Independent Power Producers (IPP) disaster; now the billion-dollar so-called Smart Meter boondoggle; the HST catastrophe; the enormous $50-billion debt racking up $6 million a day in interest; etc.”

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative; on this round ball we call planet earth.