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 …
