This Week In BC Politics ...

Greetings and I hope your weekend is going well.  There’s never a slow day when it comes to politics in BC, and as you will note the BC Conservative Party has received a lot of ink this past week.  Here are a few stories you may have missed and will want to read … or perhaps you have read them already and just want to refresh yourself.  (click the article title to get the full story):

Cummins dismisses BC Liberal leadership race

Cummins support for the fledgling BC Conservative Party which he joined a year ago has ... to people who he believes have given up on the Liberals and NDP ...

BC politics is gearing up for its YouTube moment

On the flip side of the spectrum there is also the potential for a new centre left party should the Liberals implode. British Columbia New Democratic Party ...

Island of Conservatives

Former Reform Party member Randy White speaks during Saturday's business …

BC Liberal leadership race suffering from vision vacuum

Eventually, suggesting to voters that they have a direct say in what happens in a provincial capital catches up to a government, whose political interests …

If we get the government we deserve …

A question has been rolling around in my head for awhile now. and that is, if “we get the government that we deserve”, do we then “deserve the government we get”?

For example if I knowingly decide to vote and support a parties candidate because they promise me everything I want to hear, regardless of whether the taxpayers can afford it, then I guess we do get the government we deserve. 

Using a personal example, I would like to have a new Yamaha Stryker motorcycle but the cost is a little under 15 thousand dollars – so should I go out and “Charge It” and increase my debt load?   That’s exactly what government does when they spend money above what they receive in revenues.  Sometimes that’s good, however when we are being bought off with promises and things we want to hear, well that’s not so good.

Here’s something to consider regarding debt load.  In 2001 when the so-called fiscally responsible BC Liberal Party took over government, the provincial debt amounted to somewhere around 34 billion dollars.

In a News Release from the BC Government’s Ministry of Finance they indicated that the “… total provincial debt is forecast to be $47.8 billion in 2010 -11 …”.

Are you aware what percentage of each dollar in revenue, the government takes in, goes towards tax-payer supported debt service costs?  It’s 4.5%.  And that’s not being used towards payment of the debt itself, that’s just to pay the interest charges on the debt! 

“Promises, promises ... that's all I ever get”

I don't know whether to laugh or cry each day as I listen to the candidates seeking the leadership of the BC Liberal Party.  Family Day ... 16 year old voters ... more consultation with voters ... raising the minimum wage ... family friendly policies … and on and on it goes.

I was going to write something on this; however two great editorials have been written and so instead I would like to direct you to what they have already said this week. First of all, from Gary Mason of the Globe and Mail ...

BC Liberal leadership race suffering from vision vacuum

British Columbians are ecstatic these days. The candidates running for the leadership of the governing Liberal Party are vowing to get rid of hated taxes and add more holidays. They’re vowing to bring the public inside cabinet, consult with it like never before.

Pretty soon, BC truly will be “The best place on Earth,” just like its tourism motto says.

If elected, George Abbott will hold “regional caucus meetings,” “telephone town halls” and regular “accountability sessions” with voters. Mike de Jong has vowed a “leadership roundtable” to solicit the views of municipal and regional district leaders. The maxim of Kevin Falcon’s campaign is “listen, learn, lead.”

Christy Clark has promised to hold 12 town-hall meetings with British Columbians in her first year in office and share information with the public as “soon as problems are identified.” (Love that one). Moira Stillwell, meantime, has also promised to bring British Columbians into the decision-making process and add greater transparency to the workings of government.

It all sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it? And sadly predictable and unoriginal ...................

Then from Brian Hutchison at the National Post comes a response to George Abbotts strange campaign slogan of “The People are coming” ... along with a reminder of the many things that have sent the BC Liberal Party reeling in recent months ...

"... politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians"

Charles de Gaulle once said, "I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians" … and I am inclined to agree.  Given the proliferation of political parties in BC in recent years, here is something else that he said that seems to fit with our provincial politics, “How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?”

Before I continue today though, I have to anonymously give credit to a friend who sparked the idea of finding those quotes.  Thanks “D”

Okay, back to politics is too serious to be left to the politicians; isn’t that the very reason why over a decade and a half ago the provincial and federal Reform Parties said that elected representatives had to actually be accountable to the people that had elected them, or be subject to being fired by the voters.

I want to say that I do not agree with how recall is currently being used in BC given the fact that we are going to have opportunity to vote on whether the HST is going to be dumped -– and also because the BC NDP seem to be heavily involved in the Fight HST process. 

Having the opportunity, and a process in place, to initiate recall however is valuable to voters in BC (and should be available elsewhere) because politicians and political parties are inclined to say almost anything to get elected.  I believe that between elections, and when there is no other way to stop government and MLA actions that the majority of voters disagree with, recall is a valuable tool that should be used.

Leadership of the BC Conservatives and Policy Development

As mentioned on this blog last Thursday, the BC Conservative Party will be holding a leadership race, culminating in a vote by members ending May 28^th.  BC Conservative Party spokesperson Keith Roy of Vancouver had the following announcement which was released to the media:

The BC Conservative Party is holding a convention to elect a new leader on May 28, 2011.  The convention will take place somewhere in the Fraser Valley or Lower mainland at a soon to be determined location.

According to the constitution of the party, the election of a leader will be by universal ballot, with ballots mailed to every member at least 15 days prior to the leadership convention date.  Ballots may be returned by mail or delivered to the convention.

“Our leadership race will be a truly dynamic and democratic race,” says Wayne McGrath, President of the BC Conservative Party.  “Members from all across the province will have an opportunity to select a new leader.”

Democracy, the Grassroots, and the BC Liberals

In reviewing several dictionaries, it seems the most common description(s) for the word “Democracy” would include...

1.        government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

2.        a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.

3.        political or social equality; democratic spirit.

4.        the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power.

So in British Columbia then, democracy would be a government where ultimate power is with the people in that they elect their MLA's – who should then represent each of us in Victoria. It would be a government where each of us have equal rights and privileges ... and where no one person is more important than the other.

My MLA happens to be Kevin Krueger, and he has been elected to represent the voters of Kamloops South Thompson in the legislature in Victoria.  As I understand the definition, he would be there “serving to represent”. Another definition would be that he is “standing for, or representing, others” … “others” being the constituents of Kamloops South Thompson.

Some would say however that the current Liberal government, of which Kevin Krueger is a member, has been anything but representative of the vast majority of people.