Friday, February 17, 2012

BC POLITICS … the week that began Feb 11th


This week’s news wrap is going up this morning, and one item is still to be announced, but that we all know will be coming … relief to BC’s construction industry on the HST.

Court backlogs continued to make the news, but political news this week in BC also included the release of yet another report on seniors care … and concerns by the Auditor General around BC forests. 

Now … here’s just a few of the stories that made the news this week …

Political scientist Hamish Telford is placing his bet — if he were a gambling man — on the BC Conservatives to win the upcoming by-election in Chilliwack-Hope … believes the “odds are stacked” against the BC Liberals holding the riding because of “broad dissatisfaction” among voters with the party’s performance in government …

'My kids don't have a mom,' man says after wife's death ... family of a young mother killed in a hit and run is outraged the case against the alleged driver is among thousands in BC at risk of being thrown out because of a huge court backlog.  “We were told it could possibly get thrown away because of time delay”  … “It’s disgusting. It’s absolutely disgusting.” …

… the Liberals rightly know this by-election will be different … they can’t afford to see a Liberal stronghold slip from their fingers … victory for the BC Conservatives would give the party credibility and possibly its first sitting MLA … win for the NDP would give the New Democrats further motivation as they prepare to ride their current wave of popularity into next year’s general election …

John Martin, the BC Conservative candidate in Chilliwack-Hope, said scare tactics are not going to push the riding’s small-c conservatives into voting for the BC Liberal candidate.  “The BC Liberals are trying to make people feel guilty and scared, that they owe them their vote.  They’re not defending their record, but scaring people that they have to vote Liberal or have this prospect of an NDP government.” …

... point is based on a sharply worded judgment by Judge Daniel Steinberg three weeks ago in which he stayed charges against a suspect as a direct payback to the government for under-funding the justice system … the latest in a series of increasingly bitter complaints from the judiciary about how clogged the courts are … while Clark tried last week to buy time with a study of the underlying problems, judgments like Steinberg's are going to put a lot of pressure on her to do something more, and fast …


Administrator Marg Brown said the hospital is still busy, but patient pressures are slowing down.  Still, there were between 250 and 260 patients admitted to the hospital as she spoke at about noon Wednesday, with some of them on beds in the hallways …

… finally released a massive 400-page tome on Tuesday, three-and-a-half years after it started. … makes no less than 143 findings and contains 176 specific recommendations … astonishingly prescriptive document that recommends how the government should run every single aspect of the care system for seniors …

… experts say it's a clear sign John Cummins' is trying to translate recent gains in the polls into attracting credible candidates.  "It has to be their No. 1 priority to put credible candidates in as many districts as possible." (Norman Ruff, University of Victoria) … will only benefit the party by producing a stronger class of candidates …

Every major development project in British Columbia is subject to an environmental assessment before permits are issued allowing it to proceed … this is as it should be.  Delays and uncertainty are discouraging business investment … depriving Canadians of the jobs and other benefits these projects could provide … it’s time for “one project, one review” to graduate from rhetoric to reality ...

BC government workers are being encouraged to “frequently” give each other presents on the taxpayers’ tab as a way to boost morale … include backpacks and travel bags from Mountain Equipment Co-Op, boxes of Purdy’s and Roger’s chocolates, designer ceramic travel mugs, CamelBak water bottles, government-logo golf balls and pewter business card holders … part of the government’s $1.5-million staff-appreciation program for rewarding workers who do a good job …

John Cummins condemned Premier Christy Clark for "disrespecting the Legislature" in failing to announce a date to elect a new MLA in the riding, as well as in Chilliwack-Hope … Clark, who was in Port Moody earlier this month, was mum about the timing of the by-election when asked  …

… labour dispute will have Premier Christy Clark’s government waging battle outside the legislature this spring as well ... not talking about the fight with public school teachers ... this conflict pits two titans of the justice system: The provincial court judges are taking the attorney general to court for a wage hike, with a court date set down for March ...

Auditor-general says government efforts not enough to halt decline of forests … ministry lacks clearly defined timber objectives … cannot ensure management practices are effective; existing management practices are insufficient to offset the trend of timber supply and declining biodiversity in some areas; monitoring of timber results is insufficient to measure whether existing objectives are being met …

... over the past two years, the provincial government has seen a 22 per cent increase in the number of public sector employees making more than $100,000 a year. Wages are the single largest cost driver in government. That’s almost four times the median income in B.C., and puts them in the top four per cent of provincial income earners ...

Peter Simpson, president of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association, said he’s hoping the budget will include tax relief to help his industry survive what looks like a tough final year of the HST in B.C. “We need clarity right now on the transition rules.” … an individual thinking about buying a condo now that won’t be complete until after the HST is phased out does not know if the HST will be charged. People think if they wait until the HST is gone they’ll get a better deal on a new home or renovations…

Seniors in need of an assessment to determine what kind of subsidized care they require are waiting significantly longer than the two-week guideline established by the province, according to the B.C. ombudsperson’s report on seniors …

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … have a great weekend.

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