Given their own track record, hardly a peep can be heard from the NDP

Yesterday, BC Conservative Party Leader John Cummins asked, “Why is it so difficult for the BC Liberals to be truthful about the province’s finances?”

He asked that after Finance Minister Mike de Jong released BC’s first quarterly report for the budget year 2012/13.

Is this the government plan --- 'we'll just write it off'

A media report from the BC Conservative Party also stated that:

Cummins noted that the BC Liberals have a long history of deception and deceit regarding British Columbia’s finances.

This history of deception however goes back a lot longer than the BC Liberals time in office, and as one person I know said; “sadly...most people just do not want to know.”

This is nothing new --- and nothing recent for that matter. 

Regrettably I found that to be true when I ran for the BC Reform Party in the 1996 provincial election ... and sadly nothing seems to have changed since then.

Too many people only want to hear the sky is 'blue', even if there's storm clouds roaring in, and howling winds right behind.

I’m going to toss some numbers out ( your eyes will now glaze over) on BC’s provincial debt.  These are numbers that I would guess no more than five or ten percent of the population are even aware of:

• when the NDP took power in '91 the provincial debt was $17.26 Billion
• when the BC Liberals took power in 2001 the provincial debt had hit $24.9 Billion
• by 2011 the Liberals had taken the debt to $45 Billion
• and for 2014/15 the Ministry of Finance has projected that provincial debt will exceed $66 BILLION

Taxpayers have no more money to give – either in taxes or fees – so don’t ask to squeeze us for any more

Months ago former BC Liberal Finance Minister Kevin Falcon was saying the government was going to have a difficult time meeting the numbers in what was already a deficit budget.

The wallets of taxpayers have NO MORE to give

The news media has been filled with stories today that indeed the financial estimates for the current budget do not look good – and we can expect the deficit to be higher.  Here’s just one of the news stories:

CKNW:
BC'S finance minister has released the government's fiscal update for the first quarter.  The deficit for the current fiscal year is projected to be higher than expected.  Falling natural gas revenues are blowing a hole in the provincial budget.

The deficit for this year now pegged at 1.14 billion dollars.  That's 173 million dollars more than expected.  The provincial government is announcing new spending cuts.

The government must find 241 million dollars in savings this year and 389 million in savings the following year and even with those, would still come in with a deficit this year of 1.14 billion dollars.

Premier Christy Clark however still says next year’s budget will be balanced.  She says this and yet we have had no indication, from past example, that she has any idea how that should and can be done.

Is Christy Clark still in some far away fairyland of non-reality?

Just yesterday her government tinkered with the proposed tolls for the new Port Mann Bridge saying they will now be $1.50 per trip for the first year (formerly had said would be $6 per trip).

She has continued to allow the executives and management, of crown corporations and agencies, to take big pay raises … AND undeserved bonuses.

She spends tens of thousands of dollars on photo-op after photo-op that are little more than self-promotion of the BC Liberal Party.

We still have a $6 million hole in government finances after the BC Liberals wrongly authorized payment of the legal bills for Basi and Virk in the BC Rail fiasco.

They turned down tens of millions of dollars, from Telus, for the naming rights to BC Place – that after actively courting them to submit what they were willing to pay to do that.

AND this Liberal government – and the NDP before them – have still never considered a full and complete bottom up look at all spending.  We, and government, have no idea if we are getting the best value for every department – every office – every employee and manager.

Editorials are NOT news … they are the comments, and opinions, of an individual

By now some of you have seen, or heard, about two editorials that ran in Kamloops area newspapers yesterday (09/11/12)

One was written by Mel Rothenberger in the Kamloops Daily News; "Rothenburger: Where are the Kamloops Tories?" … 

... the second by Christopher Foulds in Kamloops This Week; "FOULDS: B.C. Conservative discord gives B.C. Liberals jolt of hope".  

I have posted responses to both editorials in the online editions of the newspapers, as well as submitting Letters to the Editors.

My comments to Mel, at the Kamloops Daily News, were as follows:

I'm puzzled by your comments Mel.

As I stated to you yesterday when you called, the BC Conservative Party has been clear for quite some time now, that candidates across the province would be nominated by Constituency Associations, in the later part of the year. Just because you are NOT privy to information you wish to have (before you retire) on who will be running, is unfortunate.

That said, we are moving forward on our timetable, not yours.

To Christopher at Kamloops This Week, the comments I posted online, and sent as a Letter to the Editor were as follows:

You have said that I have, "unquestionable allegiance to the party" -- fair enough. I would say that your comments in this editorial have basically been fair, and to the point.

Some may question whether John Cummins is the right person to ...lead the party -- fair enough, and that will be decided, and put to rest, on September 22nd.

No one person, or group of persons, IS the BC Conservative Party. It's strength is in the entire membership who are the grassroots foundation and core of the party... and who have the important task of ensuring we focus on a message of accountability, fiscal responsibility, and integrity in government.

Winning by default is nothing Adrian Dix and the NDP should be happy with; if they are, shame on them. Shame too, on us, if we allow that to happen.

I wonder how many people happen to have seen a Letter to the Editor, “And speaking of politics” written by Lloyd Atkins of Vernon, that was in todays (09/10/12) edition of the Vancouver Sun?

For those who have not, here it is re-printed in its’ entirety:

If any BC Liberals were clinging to the fantasy that British Columbians would refuse to dance with the socialist horde, then the provincial election results in La Belle Province must come as a shock. Quebecers put the Parti Quebecois separatists at the top of their dance card and everyone knows they are much spookier than the NDP. There is a lesson here for Premier Christy Clark and her disintegrating party. Voters are willing to take a calculated risk to repudiate and punish dishonest and incompetent leaders.

The people of Quebec have decided waltzing with Pauline Marois' separatists is worth the gamble if they can rid themselves of Jean Charest and his corrupt gang of Liberals. The people of B.C. seem more than eager to tango with Adrian Dix's socialists if they can rid themselves of Christy Clark and her inept gang of Liberals.

Marois must realize she is only get-ting a chance to be premier of Quebec by default. Dix must already know he will become premier of BC by default. His New Democrats will only win the election next spring because frustrated British Columbians want to kick the Liberals out.

The underlined text was done by me --- and for good reason; if the New Democrats win next year’s election, it will be by default ONLY.  The majority of people in BC do not support the policy and ideals of the NDP, they simply see no other viable choice or option.

There is in fact an option however; but it is one that in the coming months MUST get past internal squabbles, and present a united front, with strong policies, and a quick and easy to understand platform.  That option is the BC Conservative Party.

It will be incumbent on members of the BC Conservatives (of which I am one), to come out of the AGM being held September 22^nd in Langley, united.

Policy is the stuff that pundits, media, and those of us who are political junkies, feed on.  It is not however what most voters take the time to read – never mind understand.

IF BC Conservatives wish to have a chance at forming government following next Springs General Election, we will have to provide voters with the broad strokes of policy in a way that can easily and readily be understood.  

I myself have been guilty of boiling this down to the lowest possible description of what we stand for --- fiscal conservatives with a social conscience.  

I wish I could have been there, but our Salmon Arm fair was hosting Adrian Dix, and I needed to warn him that we were at his heels

It's in the news -- it must be true (NOT)

Some folks subscribe to the theory that if you post something that isn’t true, or that is misleading, enough times … people will believe its true.  There was a lot of that happening this past week … and on social media as well.

Now, I am NOT prepared to call anyone a liar, however many were happy to post about “fireworks” and a “bloodbath” they seemed to have some special knowledge would be happening … happening at the BC Conservative Party Special General Meeting which took place on Saturday.  Here’s just one example:

Bernard Von Schulmann (Yesterday at 8:07pm via Twitter )

Looks like I will have an inside source texting me the blow by blow of the #BCCP blood bath in Victoria tomorrow.  They have a special general meeting on Saturday in Victoria to sort out the shit going on

Al Forseth

Actually ... the meeting is to approve a new party constitution that was put together by a committee of party members. It was reviewed and approved at a full face to face party Board Meeting in Richmond a couple of months ago ... and this is the final step now with membership to approve it.

QUOTE:

The purpose of the Special General Meeting is to consider the passing of a Special Resolution providing for the repeal of the current By-laws of the Party and the adoption of the By-laws set forth in the Proposed Special Resolution a copy of which together with Draft no 9 of the By-laws dated the 16 of July 2012. 

This information is available to members and non-members directly on the party website.

Bernard Von Schulmann:
So I should be getting texts tomorrow about infighting and such?

Al Forseth
I don't see why --- pretty basic stuff. The meeting as I said is only to approve the constitution. You can read for yourself from the link. Nothing earth shattering that I saw previously when we went over it at the face to face provincial board meeting we had in Richmond earlier this Summer

Well folks ... CONTRARY to the tweets of BC Liberals, social media folks, and some media commentators, today was a great day for the BC Conservative Party!

When, and who, made former BC Liberal leader Gordon Wilson the spokesperson for the BC Conservative Party?

WOW … today in the Georgia Straight I read that; “Former B.C. Liberal leader Gordon Wilson has bad news for John Cummins”

Former BC Liberal Leader & NDP
Cabinet Minister Gordon Wilson

According to Wilson, there is agitation in influential business circles to ditch Cummins as the BC Conservative top honcho, and replace him with someone like Stockwell Day. “If voices that are currently rumbling on Howe Street have their way, Cummins will be gone and the Conservatives will have a new leader with a big bankroll,” Wilson told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview.

Many of us, that are small ‘c’ conservatives, were greatly disappointed to see a man who espoused Reform / Conservative values, seemingly totally betray them, with his full support of Christy Clark and the BC Liberal Party.

I have no idea where Gordon Wilson is getting his information, but I find it hard – very hard – to believe that rank and file members of the BC Conservative Party would follow the leadership of Stockwell Day of any party me may possibly lead.

For those who may have forgotten … here are just some of the words Stockwell Day spoke, and said, just a year and a half ago:  

Only in British Columbia would former Conservative stalwart Stockwell Day work for the Liberals

Whatever the party name, Day has vowed to "volunteer" for the party and help them defeat the New Democrats in the next election.  As an interesting aside, Day will be supporting the B.C. Liberals against his former colleague in the House of Commons — John Cummins.

Day backs B.C. Liberals

In an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radio's The House, Day said he will campaign for Premier Christy Clark's party … Day called Clark a "smart and engaging person"

Stockwell Day backing BC Liberal by-election candidates

"There are positive reasons to support the BC Liberal government. The fact is that a vote for the BC Conservatives will only serve to elect the NDP," said Day.

Can there be any credibility to what Gordon Wilson has said?  With all due respect, I think not.  Rumors and speculation feed the news media frenzy – and that is all this is.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of on conservative.


FOLLOW-UP since this morning:
Are the rumors of a Stockwell Day BC Conservative Party takeover ... and the undermining of John Cummins ... an attempt by some BC Liberal power brokers working to undermine the party?   I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but I'm starting to smell a rat.

I don’t know where you sit within those wage averages, but I know where I do

I had to do a bit of digging to find out the following information about recent BCGEU contracts negotiated with the provincial government.

For starters, here’s a reminder of what the BCGEU negotiated with the BC Liberals in 2006:

1. an average wage increase of 10 percent over four years
2. additional market and recruitment and retention pay for targeted classifications
3. AND a signing bonus of at least $4,019.40 for full-time employees (pro-rated for part-time employees)

The BCGEU also negotiated to have:

• improvements to health and welfare benefits
• improvements to premiums and allowances
• additional wage increases for positions that had led to recruitment and retention problems
• additional wage increases for workers the union & government agreed had been undervalued

The current two year agreement, which is now ending, was indeed for 0 and 0% wage increases … but again that was following what many would consider a very generous offer they had received in the 2006 contract.

Today the BCGEU members went out on a one day strike because … wait for it … they want more.  More than the 3.5% wage increase the government has offered for the coming 2 years.

IF this offer does eventually get accepted, this will mean that the average BCGEU member, for the time period of 2006 to 2014, will have received average wage increase of 13.5% … or 1.7% annually.  PLUS … don’t forget that $4,000 signing bonus.

Okay, I know this has been a bunch of number, but it is leading to something, and here it is:

... the average annual wage for workers in BC is $44,749

... the average salary for a BCGEU member is currently $62,252 per year

I don’t know where you sit within those wage averages, but I know where I do – and I think that BCGEU members are getting a good deal now, never mind an increase of 3.5%.

What are your thoughts?

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.