It’s sick. It’s a sick culture ... it’s really unhealthy. I was talking about the legislature

This is one of those blog posts where I will let the words of others do the talking ... including Christy Clark.  She, and others, have already said it so well. 

 

 

CBC (June 5th / 2013):
"We say names like WAC Bennett and Bill Bennett and we think of leadership — two great leaders who shaped our province," said Clark. 

 

National Post (Apr 13 / 2013):
It’s no secret that Christy Clark’s government has a credibility problem ... Ms. Clark continues to misinform, mislead and just make up stuff. 

 

Doug Morrison of Garibaldi Highlands (Vancouver Sun June 11 / 2013):
Today’s government policies on private power are in the process of bankrupting W.A.C. Bennett’s greatest contribution to the growth of the B.C. economy, BC Hydro, the “powerhouse of British Columbia.”.  Christy Clark has no right at all to be channeling the spirit of the great W.A.C. Bennett. 

 

 

Chilliwack Progress (Apr 22 / 13):
Clark said on Thursday that Strahl is an example of a retired federal politician who is "very actively helping us on this campaign and I'm really proud of the contribution (he's) making." 

 

Strahl confirmed that he has "no involvement" in Clark's or anyone else's campaign 

 

Vancouver Sun (June 11th)

...  Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government has significantly increased the maximum salaries it can pay to its top political staff ... boosts the maximum salary that can be handed to Clark’s Chief of Staff ... can now also make up to $230,000, representing a boost of almost 60 per cent from the position’s previous cap of $144,000. 

 

CKNW 980 on the Bill Good Show with Mike Smyth June 12th):
Finance Minister Mike de Jong is defending surprise Liberal pay increases for political staff, even as his government preaches austerity.  

 

CBC News (June 7th / 2013):
Delta South Independent MLA Vicki Huntington says she is dismayed over the $25 monthly fee charged for wheelchairs or wheelchair cushions. 

Did the BC Liberals win a majority government because they had Christy Clark as their leader? We'll find out soon enough, once the by-election is actually called.

Yes a 'Win For The Ages' for the BC Liberal
Party -- but was it a win for her leadership?

Does Christy Clark deserve a free-pass, in Westside-Kelowna, to get in to the legislature?

I certainly don't think so ... and regardless, two teams are in place who will indeed challenge her ability to be in the legislature as an elected Premier.  And, perhaps even one or two strong independent candidate will also step forward in the days ahead.  

Lots has been written in the news media over the past week and a half ... here is just a snapshot. 

MacLeans (June 5th)
Clark was defeated in her Vancouver-Point Grey riding, where she spent little time as she toured the province. The Liberals were widely expected to get badly pummelled in the vote and the party’s come-from-behind win to increase its number of seats in the legislature is largely attributed to Clark’s campaign skills. 

The Liberals said on election night she sacrificed her own riding to do it, making a byelection necessary. 

Vancouver Province (June 5th)
... said ... that she felt that Kelowna “is a natural political home for me and the values I believe in.”

“This is the cradle of free enterprise,” Clark said, noting that premiers WAC Bennett and his son Bill Bennett represented the people of Kelowna during their long reigns. “Among all the offers that I received from MLAs, this one felt the most natural.”  

BC NDP (June 5th)
We are looking forward to running a strong campaign with an Okanagan candidate against the Premier in Westside-Kelowna. 

The BC NDP will run a candidate with local roots who can offer the people of Kelowna and West Kelowna a strong, local voice in the legislature. 

The local constituency association will choose our candidate and we will be in a position to announce who that is in due course. 

The Armchair Mayor (June 6th)
I’m not one of those who gets all sentimental about Christy Clark “deserving” a seat in the B.C. Legislature ... 

Westside-Kelowna is a strange choice for Clark. She’s from the Coast, after all.

... according to Clark, though, Kelowna is her “natural political home.” Apparently, she’s had an epiphany after all these years. Clark, who lives in Vancouver-Fairview, lost in Vancouver-Point Grey. She is a Lower Mainlander through and through, but suddenly her political heart is in the Interior. 

... this being a democracy, the people should have a say, and she should have to earn her seat. 

That statement however doesn’t seem to make sense to the “We’re Green no matter what the cost” crowd

Leadership we can count on?  Well it seems what we can
count on is a leader that will drive our economy in to the ground

So … BC NDP leader Adrian Dix says: “Within a week of taking office, we will serve the federal government with 30 days’ notice to terminate the 2010 deal in which the Liberals signed away B.C.’s interests.”

Well thank you very much (NOT!)

GREAT --- that's all we need is years and years of more delays.  I know I am not alone in saying, “Let's just get the process completed and make a decision. Delays cost jobs!!”

But no … those in the NDP, along with those who are totally opposed to any kind of job creating development in our province, are going to do everything they can to stall, delay, and stop projects from going ahead. 

Their sole purpose? 

Well it seems clear enough to me from a message posted by Tom Woodsworth on Facebook today.  He stated, “The sludge ain't going anywhere. Worried the green energy sector will explode and relegate the O&G sector to the dustbins of history? Not gonna happen anytime soon.”

Well to be clear, all I am saying is it's time to fish or cut bait. Either the project passes environmental reviews or it doesn't.

WHY?

Because this never ending process of reviews and counter reviews is nothing more than a COSTLY waste of time and energy for ALL involved.

That statement however doesn’t seem to make sense to the “We’re Green no matter what the cost” crowd. 

POLITICS 101 … the wacky world of British Columbia

In British Columbia we do things differently when it comes to politics.  Anywhere else, the topic of politics and politicians can come up, and a civil, even occasionally heated, discussion can take place.

NOT in British Columbia.

Mention the words ‘politics’, and / or ‘politicians’ and the fight is on.  Either that, or folks tune out entirely.

Thoughts that come to mind for many are money grubbing … power seekers … looking out for number one … unaccountable … unresponsive … and a host of other things that can’t be repeated.

That’s because, as I mentioned, we do things differently here in BC.

W.A.C. Bennett

We generally have one party that’s in power for a long period of time, with one sitting on the wings … waiting to take over when voters get sick and tired of the governing party.  We’ll say, “Well at least these guys can’t do any worse than those jerks”.

This really began in 1951 when W.A.C.  Bennett, “Wacky” as most people called him, took over what was then called the Social Credit League, and renamed it the Social Credit Party.  Social Credit really was a big tent party that keep both small ‘c’ Conservatives, and small ‘L” Liberals, all under one roof. 

Bennett reviled the NDP with a passion, calling them the Socialist Hordes, and so it must have been with a great deal of anguish and upset that he turned the reins of government over to Dave Barrett and the NDP following the election of 1972.

That government was short lived however, only staying in power for one term.  The ‘socialist hordes’ as Wacky called them, tried their social engineering much to fast -- overtaxed industry – raised debt dramatically -- and scared the hell out of the majority of people in BC once they realized what they had voted for.

Then Wacky’s son Bill Bennett took over the leadership of the Socred’s, winning the next election, and became Premier in in 1975.  The Socreds then remained in power again, for another 15 years.

What led to their downfall, and demise, after those 15 years? 

Most people would say it was due to a disconnect with the people … and an arrogance where they believed themselves to be the natural ruling party (much like the federal Liberals used to be).  Another issue was Bill Vander Zalm, who took over leadership of the party once Bill Bennett resigned.   With Bill Vander Zalm as leader, many also objected to what they considered to be his right wing, socially conservative, policies.

Bill Vander Zalm

Vander Zalm was ridiculed in the media … and he took a tongue lashing from voters in Letters to the Editor, and phone in talk shows.  He too was forced to resign, and Rita Johnson then took over the reins – not for long however.

Does any of this sound familiar?

In 1991 voters returned the NDP to office.  This time they governed a little more slowly with their social policies, and taxation, and managed to be re-elected several times.  Again however, a disconnect with voters, and a number of scandals (the financial debacle of the Fast Ferry’s, and Bingo-Gate, spring to mind) which saw the leadership of the party switch from Mike Harcourt, to Glen Clark, and finally to Ujjal  Dosanjh.  Changing leaders was no help however, and they were soundly trashed at the polls in 2001; retaining just 2 seats in the legislature.

Again, the ruling party was tossed from office by the voters who no longer believed anything they said, and who were tired with the scandals that surrounded them.

What also happened, in the time between 1991 and 1996, was the growth of a third party following the decline of the Socreds.  Just prior to the 1996 election, four Socred members, led by Jack Weisgerber, moved to the populist BC Reform Party.  In 1996 Reform duked it out with the BC Liberals, who had a much better organized and better financed machine, for dominance as the center right party.

As history shows, the Liberals won for dominance as BC Reform was reduced to just 2 seats, and British Columbia was once again back to a two party system; one big tent center right party (the Liberals) … and a center left party (the NDP).

Is it good enough to say, “This choice is the best, and only choice we have?”

Is it good enough to say, “This choice 

is the best, and only choice we have?”

BC Liberal MLA John Rustad recently asked the question; “If the Wildrose wins a big majority in Alberta, what impact do you think it might have in Canadian politics or on other provinces?”

It’s a good question, and at the time of writing this (Sunday afternoon), I don’t know what the results of tomorrows General Election in Alberta are, or will be.  It did however generate a number of responses.

Bill K. stated, “The West is blue… and it`s proven that Canadian political parties don`t need Quebec to get a majority any more. The decades of Eastern domination are over and political parties no longer have to suck up to Quebec.”

Followed by Bryan V. who commented, “After years of Conservative governments, the transition will be slow, could take another term in office. The first term for the B.C. Liberals was transition and organization. I never did like a 2 horse race to the wire. Not exciting”

Not wanting to be left out of the discussion I posted, “I believe it will indeed continue into BC. The results Thursday showed people not only want change -- they want choice. This is something, in all due respect, that Christy Clark has yet to realize.”

Kurt Langmann, who is the Editor in Chief of the Aldergrove Star chimed in by saying, “Interesting times ahead if projections and trends continue. A "firewall" Alberta vs an NDP B.C., a PQ Quebec, and serious economic problems in Ontario and Manitoba. Who would ever have thought that Saskatchewan and Nfld might become the nation's bright lights?”

That was just the start, as many comments followed by a number of people:

Jobs and Politics ... thoughts from John Cummins and Christy Clark

I like day #1 so far, in so much as development of the North has always been a great wealth and job creator for the province.

WAC Bennett and Flying Phil started this province on the road to growth and development with roads, highways, and a northern railway.   That said, I am still having an issue and problem with all the fanfare -- that is just razzle dazzle 'look at me' staff that Christy loves and that we can do without.

Also, as John Cummins (BC Conservative Party leader) indicated in a statement this morning following Christy’s job creation announcement:
"The $15 million is not being advanced in the interest of jobs, it is to sweeten the pot for Canpotex to cut a deal with the natives regarding the export terminal. Why else would Premier Clark contribute millions of taxpayers' dollars to a project that has not yet been approved?".

Letter writer was firing on all cylinders

An interesting letter was submitted to the BC Conservative Party recently, which I thought pretty much hit on all cylinders.

For starters the writer said, “It is encouraging that you have elected a leader that perhaps has enough experience and ability to make a mark on BC politics.  I would suggest that you should make required reading the biography of WAC Bennett. It is a user manual for party leaders on how to get elected and how to stay elected.”

I too appreciate the fact that John Cummins is a leader who unlike the Liberals Christy Clark and the NDP’s Adrian Dix, has a wide and varied career working as a construction work, a commercial fisherman, a teacher, as well as 18 years as a federal MP.  

What else did they have to say???

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.