It’s Friday … the end of the week … and time to take a look at some of
the stories that made political news in our province.
Let’s see … we have BC's Auditor General going
to court to get documents to investigate the government payout on legal fees for
the Basi / Virk trial … we have changes to the Family law Act … John Cummins
speaking out on compact fluorescent lights and smart meters … the BC Fed calling
for a bigger increase to the minimum wage … the Northern Gateway Pipeline … the BC Conservative candidate selection announcement for Port Moody-Coquitlam ... and
much more.
First though, I’d like to remind you to get out and vote this Saturday. Through-out the province thousands of candidates
are seeking office on municipal councils … as school trustees … and as regional
directors. Your vote DOES count … as
this YouTube
video shows …
Now … here’s the news.
… combined assault on the iconic status of Canada’s police force has
left an indelible stain on the red serge … disillusionment is so great in
British Columbia that there are calls for the province not to renew its
policing contract with the national force.
… given all the untruths voiced at election time, should candidates for
political office be forced to undergo lie-detector tests?
… as promised in the throne speech, the new Family Law Act is an effort
to reduce costly legal battles by encouraging out of court settlements through
mediation or other means. "Family
law is built around a very adversarial mode, and we think there is a better
way, when a family changes or a relationship comes apart - to resolve some of
those issues than rushing off to court immediately," former
attorney-general Mike de Jong said in July when releasing a discussion paper on
the proposed new law …
... Cummins said CFL bulbs are more expensive to purchase, the operational
savings have been exaggerated and the safe disposal of them is a concern to
health authorities … contain a small amount of mercury, a toxic heavy metal,
and are not to be disposed of in household garbage … "This Liberal
initiative is neither green nor common sense" …
Canada has multiple sources of energy, she said, noting that Alberta
has the oil sands, neighbouring British Columbia has vast stores of
hydroelectric power while Ontario is developing renewable energy and
Newfoundland and Labrador have offshore oil production … Ms. Redford also said
the provinces need to work together to develop new markets for Canadian oil and
other energy sources…
… the candidate election for the Port Moody-Coquitlam riding is now
open. Former MLA Iain Black stepped down
from the position after accepting a job as president and CEO of the Vancouver
Board of Trade. John Cummins, leader of
the BC Conservatives, said the party will hold an open nomination for
candidates to prepare for the provincial by-election in Port Moody-Coquitlam …
… for taxpayers scorched by the Basi-Virk case, the inclination is to
turn off the funding taps and let such defendants look after their own bills. But as Toope made clear, it's more
complicated than that. There are important reasons officials need to be protected
from the prospect of paying huge sums of money to defend themselves in civil
suits. They need to do their jobs without facing the chill of being
second-guessed in expensive court proceedings any time they make a decision
that offends someone. …
… is rooting through the government's laundry hamper. He has launched
his own review of the plea bargain, but had to go to court to force the Clark
government to release secret documents about the $6-million deal. By the end of this year Doyle will hopefully
answer the questions Clark was so keen to ask back then, but seems so reluctant
to answer now …
Conservatives
call on province to end 'ill-advised' smart meter program -- Cummins warns
Liberals intend to introduce time-of-use billing
"The smart meter initiative goes beyond simple monitoring of
consumption. It is clearly the intention
of this Liberal government and BC Hydro to announce higher billing charges at
peak periods after the election. People are going to be punished for performing
normal, everyday tasks that they cannot do at other times because they go to
work or school." Time-of-use rate
structures are being implemented in other places where smart meters have been
installed … "And then what?" asks Cummins. "Charge British
Columbian families a premium for power to cook their supper because supper time
is a period of peak energy consumption?"
… government still committed to returning to surpluses by the 2013/14
fiscal year … the provincial government has no credible plan to get there. The
last budget, in February, was a stopgap.
Gordon Campbell had been forced out. The Liberals didn't have a leader.
So the budget plugged in some numbers to let the Liberals claim there was a
plan to eliminate the deficit, even though they made no real sense …
… more than 4,000 groups and individuals have registered to speak at
hearings starting in January that will review Enbridge’s $6.6-billion Northern
Gateway pipeline … Gateway opponents, which include a handful of well-organized
coalitions representing native communities, environmentalists and some
municipalities, are hoping for a new surge in support in light of the Keystone
decision last week…
He wants another increase next fall to $11.25 an hour … what is needed
to keep up with Statistics Canada's "low-income cutoff" (LICO),
Sinclair told reporters. Critics often
use LICO as a measure of poverty, although the federal agency says it is not,
since it is a relative measure that grows along with inflation and economic growth
…
Ski
resort approval poses Jumbo issue for Christy Clark
… if the Jumbo Glacier Resort project gets approval this month, as some anticipate, it could present Premier Christy Clark with something she hasn’t had to deal with yet – an international environmental fight supported by celebrities such as hockey legend Scott Niedermayer and singer Bruce Cockburn. Both of them are part of a campaign to keep the wilderness area undeveloped …
… if the Jumbo Glacier Resort project gets approval this month, as some anticipate, it could present Premier Christy Clark with something she hasn’t had to deal with yet – an international environmental fight supported by celebrities such as hockey legend Scott Niedermayer and singer Bruce Cockburn. Both of them are part of a campaign to keep the wilderness area undeveloped …
… students in the public school system will not be awaiting the arrival
of their report card with the usual trepidation … because most won’t be getting
one … become a victim of the labour dispute between the Teachers’ Federation and the provincial
government … teachers aren’t attending staff meetings, playing host to
parent-teacher nights, ordering supplies, administering standardized tests,
supervising detentions or filling out report cards … until the government comes
to its senses and caves in to union demands, which some have estimated could
cost well north of $2-billion. Good luck with that one.
… next day he wrote back to say “my view is that for criminal
indemnities, conviction — including the case of a guilty plea — should trigger
a claim for full reimbursement.” His argument
… grounded in a provision that the accused employee had been “acting within the
scope of duties or in the course of employment.” … would be trumped by a guilty plea or
conviction. “Guilt in a criminal case
necessarily means that the public servant was not acting within the scope of
his or her duties or in the course of employment … no BC government employment
or duty would require the commission of a criminal offense.
That’s all for this week. I’m
Alan Forseth in Kamloops … have a safe and pleasant weekend … and DON’T FORGET
TO VOTE!
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