RICK PETERSON: "What this sector needs is clarity and decisive action from the government"

Today on the Conservative Thoughts blog, I am posting an update from BC Conservative Party leadership candidate Rick Peterson. 

 

To be clear, I have not yet endorsed either Dan Brooks, or Rick Peterson. I will for the moment however, continue to provide information from both campaigns as they progress.  With that out of the way, here's Rick.

I’m just winding up my third day here in the Peace River Country – which I know very well.

 

BC Conservative Party Leadership candidate
Rick Peterson (L) with Peace River Country
Campaign Chair, Oliver Steward

I was raised in Grande Prairie, just over the border into Alberta, and have spent a lot of time in Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and the whole area with friends, family, business partners and BC Conservatives. 

 

I help finance exploration companies that are active up here in the gas sector, so I know very well the challenges and opportunities in this very dynamic area of BC for businesses – large and small – and families. 

Amazing to see.

This is strong BC Conservative territory, as you know. Kurt Peats ran a strong campaign in Peace River South, and every BC Conservative I talk to says that we will absolutely take this riding in 2017. Peace River North is absolutely winnable, and given the reception I’ve received here from BC Conservatives, they are looking forward to us running a well-financed and well organized campaign under my leadership in four years’ time.

I made it a point to come here on my first visit outside the Lower Mainland after our September 23^rd launch. North-eastern BC is an important region not only for our Party, but for the Province. The energy produced here will power this province and support our health care, education and other areas of our economy for decades to come.

 

Strong, vocal and proud support of the Resource Sector is one of the key themes of my Leadership campaign – and it will become a trademark of the BC Conservatives under my Leadership.

As you may have seen on my Twitter account @RPetersonBCCP, I met with mayors, business leaders and a strong group of BC Conservatives here over the past three days. Our membership sales and fundraising for the campaign are now ahead of plan, because of the strong support I’ve received here. We are really on a roll.

I’m attending the final few sessions of the three-day BC Energy Conference. They key message here from every single one of the companies involved in the sector is this: the LNG window of opportunity will not last forever. Global competition is fierce, nimbler and opportunistic.

 

What this sector needs is clarity and decisive action from the government.

 

Tough to see how that can happen with Christy Clark playing pipeline politics with Alberta, the Legislature closed so there will be no debate on these key issues, and private sector leaders waiting to see the BC Liberal government tax plan for this sector – long overdue.

Promise made, delivery delayed.

There is absolutely need for a New Voice, A New Direction and New Leadership in the Peace River Country. Exciting times for our campaign, and for BC Conservatives up here.

 

Rick Peterson,
BC Conservative Party Leadership Candidate

It may seem mundane, as opposed to the wild flurry of an election campaign, however it is a VERY important step to be ready for 2017

Al Siebring, Chair of the BC Conservative Party Policy Committee, sent an email out the other day.  It began by saying;

 

"Now that the election is out of the way, it's time to move on with more mundane Party business.  We have our Party's AGM coming up in Vernon in September.  Per Article 10 of the Party Bylaws, we are giving each CA an opportunity to provide input and amendments to our Party “Policy Document” in advance of the AGM."

 

I for one found that refreshing, and encouraging -- it also fit with something I had posted on this web-blog as well.  On Monday, I asked the question "Can you please tell me the differences between the Conservatives and the Liberals?", which I was delighted to see generated some conversation and dialogue. 

 

Some of the comments coming back included one from Sean who mentioned:

"... I think the person requesting this info would have liked to see a specific breakdown of the actual differences ... the differences are quite stark when you compare policies versus rhetoric." 

 

Sean is likely right on the mark, that said, I still think everything flows however from the 2 direct points which I made in the original post.  The BC Liberals -- and the NDP for that matter -- can say anything they like, however no elected member of either party is really accountable to the electorate.  They are ONLY accountable to the political party which they represent.

 

For REAL change to actually happen, there is going to have to be an acceptance that at times MLA's will have to vote against party line.  If a way is made available for the to happen, in a way that can be respectful, then this becomes a win-win for everyone ... everyone that is but those manipulating from the backrooms. 

 

Here's another snapshot from a comment made by Bob:

 

" ... we need to aim for a turn as the Opposition in 2017 as a training ground in preparation for governing in 2021 ... we need to compete with the statist party in those areas where they are winning the ideological competition with many citizens if we are to replace them ... we will have to produce some innovative policies using very conservative principles on issues such as poverty, education and health in a way that outshines their central-planning approach ..." 

 

Well indeed the leap for us to go from nowhere as a party, to government, was a hard one for most to swallow -- BUT it has been done elsewhere.  That said, getting MLA's in the legislature is the start needed to season a number of quality government ministers to take reins of government.

 

I like Bob's suggestion of having "innovative policies using very conservative principles" to deal with serious issues. 

 

We were right, in my opinion, to say that getting BC economy running, at full steam, would go a long way towards coming up with solutions to many of the "issues of poverty, education and health".  That said people need, and want, to see the steps that BC Conservatives will take to find them (solutions).

 

I am convinced we have individuals from every background and experience needed to come up with the pieces to connect our broad stroke ideas, with issues and problems we face as a province.  Now leadership at all levels of the party need to be open to hear possible solutions (workable or not) that can lead to real and workable policy.

 

(STAY WITH ME ... I'm headed directly to policy considerations, for the BC Conservative Party, in just a moment)

Are we prepared to give the time needed to see if benchmarks for success can and are being met?

The Guiding Principles of the BC Conservative Party start off by stating the party has:

A belief in clearly defined public policies and programs that are affordable and effective and for which delivery is accountable to all the people of British Columbia.
 

Maybe it's also time for an idea that is LONG over due, and which would be a fit with that statement; long term plans for social programs, health care, and education that look forward over 5 to 10 year terms.

That would allow government, and the people of BC, to see whether programs are indeed effective, and it would show government is willing to be accountable for the resources we entrust to them.

I recall thinking about this idea a number of years ago ... and I was reminded of it again by a political commentator, Alise Mills, this afternoon on CKNW.

We do indeed need to see that there are measurable targets and goals which are being met by government, and government agencies like Community Living BC for example.

Here's the rub though. This needs to be done with the understanding, by each of us, that programs will need time to prove and show they are working.

Sometimes that is NOT going to be seen in a year, 2 years, or even the 4 year cycle of a government.

In today’s society, where instant gratification is expected more and more, this is an idea that may be hard to come to grips with. 

So ... if this makes sense, are we prepared to give government, and agencies, the time needed to see if benchmarks for success can -- and are -- being met?

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative ... care to share your thoughts on this idea?

The education of our children is of paramount importance, and whatever WE decide, it will have to be considered with caution and a lot of thought

A ten year teachers contract? It's an idea that our premier, Christy Clark decided to float this week.

One of the things that I heard Christy point out was that with something like this in place, a child currently in Grade 3, would be able to get through all grades to graduation without a disruption.

Hmmm ... but what about a child that is currently in grade 1 or grade 2?

I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but what I question is the need to have a contract going for this length of time.

If I was a teacher, I would sure question whether to have something like this. After all, who knows what economic conditions will be next year ... never mind 6, 7, or 8 years from now.

And what would the government have to give up to get teachers to agree to a contract of that length?? I find it highly unlikely that teachers will go for anything like this, WITHOUT there being a huge carrot at the end.

ALSO ... on top of questionable economic conditions for everyone ... in terms of inflation, cost of living, etc ... how is the government going to know, with any certainty, what the population growth rates are going to be? Will we end up with the government locked into employing teachers where there are no jobs for them?

I just think the whole thing has far to many questions, and uncertainty, to even be considered.

On the other hand ... perhaps if the two sides sat down to look at better ways of working out wage structures, classroom composition, needs of students, etc ... that would be a far more productive and useful idea worthy of consideration.

Why do both sides need to bring themselves to the precipice of strike action every couple of years?

Meantime ... the other day I asked if people had any suggestions regarding issues of importance ... what was working well ... what wasn't ... what we needed to do better.

One of the suggestions and comments that came back to me was:

Since you have asked I will respond with public education and our society's attitude toward being an educated, healthy, happy citizen to ensure each individual person has success within their potential. 

If we do not ensure our students are educated, and, somewhat competitive with themselves as individual to ensure their own success; the majority will not be successful in their chosen career.

It means a lot to me to see this initiative being taken -- and it shows me that our members know what is important

I'm glad to see the thoughts of Kamloops area BC Conservative Party members is being refocused back where it belongs -- raising the profile of party -- and raising campaign funds.

I've just returned from a coffee meeting this morning with a member looking to see how we can go about making contact with some of the small business people in the area, and if we can form a group to begin doing that work.

It means a lot to me to see this initiative being taken -- and it shows me that our members know what is important to the party -- getting our message of common sense government out to each and every person in BC!

So what is that message? 

Well anyone can read "What We Stand For" in the basic Guiding Principles of the BC Conservative party.

The party is also saying that it plans to; “… focus on the major issues facing citizens today and into the future.”

The party has also acknowledged what we all know to be true and that, simply put, “… the greatest asset is our people.”

If the greatest asset of our province, is its' people, then what can government do to allow that asset (a useful or valuable quality, person, or thing; an advantage or resource) to grow and achieve its' maximum potential?   

Here is what I am personally wondering:

Leave no authority existing, not responsible to the people

Providing quality and affordable health care … education … and social programs, for all British Columbians, must be one of the top priorities of government.

For that to happen, I also believe that government needs to provide us with the opportunity to have real input into the planning and implementation of programs and services.

Further … for government to have the money we need for these programs and services, it must reduce its debt, so we can stop paying millions of dollars, each and every day, just to make the interest payments.

Paying nearly $7 million dollars a day just in interest payments is bad business! 

Plain and simple, this is a waste of the financial resources we have entrusted to the government.  What we need is a smaller, less intrusive, government that lives within its means.

It is apparent to almost everyone, that our current provincial government is indeed living way beyond its means. 

Every new dollar government borrows increases our debt … adds to interest payment to service the debt … and means less money available for education, health care, social services, and other needs of the people of BC.

Their way of making change is through modification and control … social engineering … and social ownership

If the most recent poll by Angus Reid proves anything at all, it is that Christy Clark’s ‘unite the right’ mantra should finally be put to rest and buried.

It also shows that no matter what the BC Liberals decide to call themselves in the future, it will not make one bit of difference.  They will lose the next provincial election in one year from now … as sure as a dark evening sky will follow the sunshine I am enjoying here in Kamloops today.

Here in the Interior of the province, the Angus Reid poll indicates:

“… the New Democrats are first with 48 per cent, while the BC Conservatives are second with 26 per cent. Support for BC Liberals in the Interior has fallen to 18 per cent.”

Details of this survey also show that:

“The BC Liberals are only holding on to roughly half of their voters in the last provincial ballot (48%). Along with the 20 per cent of 2009 BC Liberal voters who are now saying they would vote for the Dix-led NDP, the governing party is losing 30 per cent of its past electors to the BC Conservatives.”

Are you familiar with the phrase, “The King is dead. Long live the King”?  According to Wikipedia, the phrase arose from … the law of le mort saisit le vif—that the transfer of sovereignty occurs instantaneously upon the moment of death of the previous monarch. "The King is dead" is the announcement of a monarch who has just died. "Long live the King!" refers to the heir who immediately succeeds to a throne upon the death of the preceding monarch.

In May 2013, there will be a transfer of power, and at the moment, it appears that this transfer may be going to the BC New Democrats.

BUT … do people know and realize what that transfer of power will mean – or are they simply going back to BC’s age old tradition of kicking out the guys that are in power.

Those swing voters, who are indicating they currently support the NDP, really need to read the following so they are fully aware of what a vote for the NDP will mean.

The “Preamble” in the Constitution of the New Democratic Party of British Columbia states:

The New Democratic Party believes that social, economic and political progress in Canada can only be assured by the application of democratic socialist principles to government and the administration of public affairs.

What they believe, and stand for, are the things that will guide them in government

If you go to the BC Liberal Party you’ll find a section entitled “What We Believe” … the BC Conservative Party website also has a page that gives an overview on what the party stands for, it is entitled “What We Stand For”.

Some in the media and public believe that the BC Conservative Party has viewpoints that would be opposed by the majority of British Columbians, and has no clearly defined plans and ideas.  Given that, I thought that I would do a side by side comparison.

This was an interesting exercise to do, given talk that the BC Liberal Party is willing to take a look at a name change.  That possible name change however would still be over a party that has the same guiding principles and beliefs.

Granted these are not the ‘policies’ of the party; however what they believe and stand for, are the things that will guide them in government.

BC Conservatives:

A belief in the rights and responsibilities of all British Columbians and that Governments at all levels are responsible to serve and respect all individuals and their families, including freedom from unnecessary laws and regulations and excessive government

BC Liberals … not covered

BC Conservatives:

A belief that Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) are primarily responsible to represent the interests of their Constituents

BC Liberals … not covered

BC Conservatives:

Protection of the rights and freedoms of individual British Columbians

BC Liberals … not covered

BC Conservatives:

A belief in smaller government resulting in more liberty and personal property rights, the encouragement of new enterprise and individual achievement striving towards excellence and prosperity

BC Liberals … not covered

BC Conservatives:

A belief in the principle of equality of opportunity for all British Columbians, with special privileges for none. This principle includes the protection of private property, the freedom of the individual, and freedom of speech, worship and lawful assembly

BC Liberals … not covered

I can give you the answer in one word ... NO!

Former MP Chuck Strahl ... a love-in
with Premier Christy Clark?

Former Conservative MP Chuck Strahl provided the Vancouver Sun with an editorial comment yesterday (March 14, 2012), in which part of his comments included the following statement:

"... some of the “heat” about the premier and her government is to be expected, especially from purists who don’t believe in building a free enterprise coalition ..."

I am sure you will know that did not go over well with me.  

That's because one would have to believe the reference (above) is to those of us in the BC Conservative Party.

Well I have news for you Chuck ... many, if not most, people in the BC Conservative Party actually WERE previously part of the so called 'free-enterprise' coalition -- or at least voted for it.

So Chuck, here is the question I would ask you to seriously consider, "Do you think we left on a lark, just for something to do?"

Just give us a simple answer, to those two simple questions

If the government operates it, does that not then speak to the need for the service to be designated as essential to the well-being of British Columbians? 

The health of British Columbians is essential to the well-being of all

The maintenance of roads in BC is essential to our safety as we travel

The availability of policing services is essential for our protection and safety

BCTF President - Susan Lambert

IS THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN ANY LESS IMPORTANT?

I refuse to pick a side in the current education disaster now before us ... that's because I believe both sides have been dismal failures.

Education Minister George Abbott

NEITHER SIDE has truly had the best interests of OUR children as their MAIN focus.

The government is looking to gain political points to try and undermine the NDP ... while meantime the BC Teachers Federation still has a demand, for an increase to wages, they know full well will not be met --- EVER!

Budget 2012 / 2103. Read what you can, and then you decide if the BC Liberal Party has delivered a budget focused on austerity … and fiscal prudence

Murray Langdon Comment (CFAX 1070):
 “Manageable debt”. I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous phrase

That’s just one of the comments, on yesterday’s budget, that caught my eye.  Media from across the whole spectrum were quick to have stories up and online … as were the politicians.  Here is just a snapshot of what they had to say.

The Tyee:
BC Conservative leader John Cummins released a statement blasting the budget as the kind of thing the NDP would deliver. "The core features of this budget are ballooning debt levels, higher taxes and growing spending masked by accounting tricks," he said.

"The [Premier Christy] Clark Liberals are raising taxes on the most productive part of our economy -- small businesses," he said. "By cancelling the planned reduction of small business taxes, with only a month's notice, they are killing jobs and reducing investment in British Columbia."

He said its "smoke and mirrors" to claim a balanced budget for 2013-2014 while also increasing the debt by $5.1 billion. "Even if the government is calling it a surplus, the government is spending more than it is taking in."

News 1130:

School districts are dealing with overcrowding and the BC government isn't providing a lot of new funding to build schools. A UBC professor says the problem is a lack of communication between municipalities and the province.

"These communities are, in part, created by long-planned policies on a municipal level that need to connect up to how the province, and in particular the Minister of Education, decides to build schools," argues Adjunct Planning Professor Andy Yan.

Only one political party has recognized the insanity of a carbon tax that takes from health and education -- and gives it to big business

The Carbon Tax, initiated by the BC Liberal government, robs much needed money from the education needs of BC children ... and from medical care.

In 2010 (2011 not available) the BC Liberal government required School District 73, Kamloops/Thompson to pay the Pacific Carbon Trust a total of $106,496 in carbon taxes.

That same year, the BC Liberal government also required the Interior Health Authority to pay the Pacific Carbon Trust nearly $1 million dollars ($965,891) in Carbon Taxes.

And Thompson Rivers University?  Well they ended up shelling out $103,310 as well.

Good grief, even the Pacific Carbon Trust itself got hit for a carbon tax of $170

(Find the cost your School District and Health Authority paid by CLICKING HERE)

And what do these carbon taxes do?  They allow the provincial government to, only on paper, claim that British Columbia is carbon neutral.

And this is something to be proud of?

Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger

In a news story Sunday (February 12) with CFJC TV7 News in Kamloops, Kamloops South Thompson  MLA Kevin Krueger was quoted as saying that he is "...proud of the government’s record on providing health care and education."

That anyone could be proud of the government’s record in these two areas seems a little strange to me.

We have had multiple stories in Kamloops media in recent weeks about overly long waits by patients for surgeries ... along with ongoing issues with Emergency Room services.  But that almost seems common place now – the following isn’t however.

Most people take for granted they’ll be able to have a shower or a bath each day – don’t expect that if you’re in a care home facility.  Here in Kamloops, the resident of one care home facility ended up being shipped from one side of town to other to find facilities they could use. 

The Kamloops Daily News outlined the reason in a story on January 13^th headlined “IHA too cheap to fix donated tub”.  The story began by saying:

It seems inhumane that if Al McQuarrie wants a bath, he has to wheel himself onto a bus.  The resident of Greenfield Place says the twice-weekly baths he used to receive in a tub in his apartment complex were the only times he felt relief from the non-stop pressure created from sitting in a wheelchair all day.

But that ended in November when the tub was deemed as worn out by the Interior Health Authority, which runs the community bathing program.  The IHA said it's not worth fixing the broken Century tub lift system in Greenfield and to replace it would cost $25,000, an expense that cannot be supported with other facilities touting tubs down the road.

The authority has suggested McQuarrie can catch a HandiDart Bus to have a bath at another location in the city. According to Google Maps, it's a 14-16 minute drive from his Brocklehurst building to Ponderosa, located across the bridge and near the hospital downtown

IHA ended up agreeing to make the necessary repairs – but they were shamed in to it. 

Which BC leader would you hire to cut the lawn?

Today we have a guest comment / opinion piece from my friend, BC Conservative, and former MP Jim Hart.  An analogy, if you will, of lawn cutting, and BC Politics

Want it done right?  Click HERE for the manual 

Looking at the recent political party polls in BC, one wonders exactly what it all means to the average family, guy or gal when it comes to real life in BC. So I decided I would analyze the recent polls by adding a task that most British Columbians will face in the coming weeks. As the groundhog has haphazardly told us that spring is just around the corner, I pose the question: Which BC political leader would be the best person to hire to cut your lawn? Here's what the polls suggest.

BC Green Party – Jane Sterk, is the most unlikely to accomplish the job as she would want to pass legislation to make Kentucky bluegrass or Canada Green an endangered plant life.

Instead of cutting the grass we would all be transplanting our lawns and relocating them to a government nature site or new provincial park, where grass would be protected and allowed to grow in an effective government-supervised fashion. Cutting and trimming devices would have to be registered in a government database to protect innocent plant life.

The argument of last resort … the one of desperation … “Don’t split the vote”

Randy White speaking to BC Conservatives

The Saturday, Parksville Qualicum News had a story from writer Neil Horner;  one he had written after spending time in an interview with former Reform MP Randy White. 

With Randy Whites reform background, the following observation from Mr. Horner came as no surprise to me:

Like the NDP, he (Randy White) said, the B.C. Conservatives have come to a point where they can no longer act as a protest vote, but rather, must come across as a government in waiting.

Randy White also commented on vote splitting during the interview say;

“The people have lost confidence of the people, so in desperation, what you have is Liberal supporters saying we are splitting the vote, in an effort to hang on at any cost, but it’s not going to happen for them. It’s just not there. The days are gone where you can scare someone into voting for you.”

Reporter Tom Fletcher posted a link, on Facebook, to the Parksville Qualicum Beach News story – and included this quote from Randy White:

“I had some surprising calls over Christmas and I can say with some assurance it is very likely the Conservatives will be a party in the legislature before the next election.  I think there are enough disgruntled members in their caucus and I don’t know if Christy Clark can hold all that together.”

That led someone to ask … “Are they actively promoting an NDP government or are they so sure there is going to be one that they've moved on to competing with the Liberals for who comes next as right of centre?”

Here is what I believe … even without the emergence of the John Cummins led BC Conservatives, Christy Clark's Liberals would have lost the next election. 

BC Liberals are doing a great job financially for our province? ... Hogwash!

In a Letter to the Editor (September 14^th 100 Mile Free Press), writer Joe Sawchuck states …

“The present B.C. Liberal government is on the right track regarding the management of British Columbians’ taxpayer dollars … the BC Liberals inherited a "have-not" province from the former NDP government. In 2002, after being government for a year, the BC Liberals once again made B.C. a "have" province … why would we ever think of changing the guard when B.C. is well managed?”

So Joe … you think the BC Liberals are doing a great job financially for our province??  Hogwash -- they are simply NDP light when it comes to spending.  I would encourage you to read the BC Budgets "Summary: Budget and Fiscal Plan – 2011/2012 to 2013/14" 

This government document shows total provincial debt at $47 billion 757 million for 2010/11 ... $53 billion 437 million for 2011/12 … a projected debt of $57 billion 572 million for 2012/13 and projected debt of $60 billion 355 million … and that was before the referendum vote to abolish the HST.

Taking a look at the costs, size, and scope of government in BC

The Labour Day weekend is over, and Fall has now UN-officially begun as the kids head back for another year of school (as long as we do not have a strike in the near future). 

I have also now begun week number two in the return of my Conservative Thoughts blog, and today I am going to take a brief look at the costs, size, and scope of government --- and some things that perhaps we can consider in making government more streamlined and effective.

From the BC Conservative Party Draft Policy document:

The budget of the Province has risen from approximately $29 Billion in 2001 to approximately $42 Billion in 2011-2012 … and the current budget is divided approximately 40% for core Government Ministries and 60% for broader public services.

The number of Government Ministries, Crown Corporations, Boards, Tribunals, Commissions, Councils and other entities in British Columbia now functioning is approximately 320 in number. This estimate does not include the approximately 175 local governments and regional districts the Province provides funding to, nor does it include the breakdown for Regional Health Centers, Community Hospitals and special treatment centers, etc.

Revisiting some recent poll results by Ipsos Reid

Yesterday I brought up a topic of politics and policies being too much the same, and stated that;

“If car companies died because of … boredom, lack of uniqueness, no originality, poor quality … could the same be in line for politics.”

I concluded by saying;

“They (NDP and Liberals) have become so much the same that indeed, many in BC are now able to say there is a lack of uniqueness and originality.  And given the number of MLA’s who have been forced to toe party line, regardless of constituent or personally opinion, there is also an ever increasing thought we are also suffering from ‘poor quality’.”

“My hope is that they will take a stand against boredom … lack of uniqueness … no originality … and poor quality. If the BC Conservative Party continues to bring forward the best common sense of British Columbians, then the BC Liberals and the BC NDP will be relegated to the trash heap of history where old and out-dated ideas eventually end up.”

So that was yesterday in a nutshell.  Today I decided to revisit some recent poll results that were done by Ipsos Reid two months ago.   

A lot was made back then of the fact that the BC Conservative Party was making great strides with increased popularity.  I think however there are several things that are of far greater importance … and if what I wrote yesterday is of any value, a lot of information from that poll needs to remain foremost in the mind of John Cummins.

How will BC Conservatives govern? ... that's a good question.

So ... when the next general election rolls around in May 2013, and we end up with a BC Conservative government, what is going to happen.  Well just the other day some one did ask me, what is the first thing that a BC Conservative government will do when they take power?

Those are both good questions (first thing they'll do / how govern), and I wish that I had the answers to them. Before they can be answered, there are a couple of very important things that will have to happen first, within the next couple of months.

Both will be happening at pretty much the same time – which will be good for the membership of the BC Conservatives. First will be the election of a party leader – second will be the approval of party policy.

Prudent fiscal management? ...... "Horse Manure!"

Yesterday the Finance Minister, Colin Hansen brought down the provinces budget --- and in doing so he said:

“We’ve come through a seismic shift in the global economy and we are emerging much stronger than other places around the world.  Business and consumer confidence are growing.  We have a solid foundation for job creation, business development and improvements in health care, education and social services.  B.C.’s future looks bright.”

BC’s future looks bright???  If our future is looking so bright, then I for one would like to know why the provincial debt is headed for $60 BILLION dollars.  The “Honorable” Finance Minister, Colin Hansen, also stated that: 

“Budget 2011 stays the course, keeping the focus of protecting health care, education and social services as British Columbia moves towards balanced budgets beginning again in 2013.

Protecting health care, education, and social services???  Mr. Hansen, would you care to tell us what the interest payments alone are on a debt of $60 BILLION dollars??  Perhaps some of you are saying $60 BILLION dollars – come on Alan, you're making that up.