John Cummins … “We will stand up for children and not the special interests”

In the Victoria Times Colonist this morning was the headline; "Hydro paid bonuses for non-existent profit --- Auditor general's report discovered millions of dollars in deferred debts”

Wonder of wonders ... we have a batch of executives paying themselves big fat bonuses based on non-existent profits.

The practice of pushing billions in debt into the future, instead of counting it on the books each year, means Hydro shows profit where none exists and lacks a plan to pay its future bills, said Doyle.

"I haven't made that correlation yet," Energy and Mines Minister Rich Coleman said when asked if the Hydro executives deserved their bonuses based on the information in Doyle's audit.

Coleman said he's reviewing the auditor general's report. He has defended the use of deferral accounts as a way to prevent rate increases for customers by smoothing out turbulent financial times.

While the BC Liberals plan is to review the report, John Cummins BC Conservatives have come out clearly saying, 'the deferral system is being used to move money around, within the corporation, to make it appear profitable on the books.'  These deferrals have gone from $200 million ... to $2.2 billion … and by 2017 they are predicted to reach $5 billion.

 

Cummins said, “This money is going to have to be paid back. What taxpayers need to ask themselves is how? On the backs of citizens of this province, that is how.”

We keep hearing about one disaster after the other in government ministries --- agencies -- and crown corporations.  WHY? 

First we had bonuses to executives at BC Ferries --- then to executives at Community Living BC ... and now here we go again paying bonuses on NON-EXISTANT profits at BC Hydro.

Meantime in the Vancouver Sun yesterday there was a story about a 19 year old girl, named Elsha, who has Rett syndrome.

She is non-verbal, requires help eating, dressing, going to the bathroom, taking her medication and staying safe.  Locks on the doors and bars on the windows at home are necessary to keep her safe, but without funding for a day program the house has become a prison.

The story goes on to say that …

When she turned 19, like all disabled adults in B.C., Elsha "transitioned" into a new care plan in the Community Living BC agency.  The Pitt Meadows family learned there would be no funding for a day program. There would be no physiotherapy. No speech therapy. There would be no help to get Elsha out to the activities she loved: swimming and therapeutic horseback riding. CLBC allocated $233 a month to MacIntyre for respite.

To have a caregiver to come in and provide Elsha's mother with a few hours of respite costs $25 per hour.  And what was the headline on the Global TV News website on October 20? -- “Bonuses handed out to top executives at CLBC”

The man who was promoted to head the CLBC on an interim basis, after the firing of former boss Rick Mowles, is Doug Woollard.  He along, with two other Vive-Presidents at CLBC were paid bonus incentives in the neighbourhood of $14,000 each.    

That’s a combined total of FORTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS … equal to one thousand, six hundreds, and eighty (1,648) hours of respites care!

Today in the Times Colonist there was another story regarding Community Living BC … “Growing need for CLBC review”.  

A review is not going to happen because this government doesn’t want any more rocks turned over so that we find out about the ugly things crawling around.  Here’s the quick study notes from the story:

…  government's stubborn refusal to accept the need for an independent review of Community Living B.C. is unfair to the agency, those depending on it for services, and their families

… advocates and families have raised serious concerns about inadequate services

… the government's credibility on this file has been compromised

… said people were not being forced from long-time group homes against their will. That was false

… 2,089 people receiving some services from the corporation had identified needs, but weren't getting the required services - about one in six clients

… the corporation faces a budget cut next year as well, despite the wait lists and an expect growth of about five per cent in the number of people needing services

… a review of a company providing homeshare arrangements on the Lower Mainland found significant problems, including a lack of training, poor oversight and failures to provide homeshare operators with needed information on health or behavioural problems

... impossible to determine if basic checks had been done to screen prospective homeshare providers for suitability or competence …  stretched and unable to properly monitor the homeshares

… the worrying homeshare report confirms, once again, that such a review is badly needed

BC Hydro … BC Rail … Community Living BC … we are seeing one scandal after another.  But there's more than these scandals simply reflecting poorly on Christy Clark's BC Liberal government.  

Less than a week ago the leader of the BC Conservatives, John Cummins, stated; “It is becoming abundantly clear that ‘families first’ is simply a slogan to buy votes for Premier Clark.”

Given their track record, ‘Families First’ is indeed a poor slogan for this government to be using.  A track record where scandals, problems and issues at Community Living BC, for example, have directly impacted some of the most helpless people in our society!!

The other day John Cummins said “… we will stand up for children and not the special interests like the Liberals and the NDP.”

When he spoke those words he was referring to the education system and the BC Teachers College … those words however also spoke of a commitment to British Columbians, in all areas that matter.  To our health care system … to our education system … as well as to the emotional and social well-being of people in the care of government ministries and agencies.

This government has to go … this government will go … and this government will be replaced with one that is responsive, and accountable, to the people of British Columbians!

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