Misleading the public isn't the same as lying … but it sure comes close

BC New Democratic Party leader Adrian Dix

"I'm going to be bold," he (Adrian Dix) told the NDP convention in Vancouver.  "But I'm going to be modest in my agenda, recognizing that we cannot accomplish everything in the first term of government."

Vancouver Province opinion writer, Michael Smyth, called that ...  “confident, or overconfident”.   

Smyth then went on to say that, “… before Dix starts campaigning for a second term in office, he's under increasing pressure to say what he would do in the first one, and how he would pay for it. How much would that cost? He didn't say, though he repeated a promise to hike corporate taxes to help pay for it.”

Student loans would be forgiven and written off, while non-repayable grants would be increased.  How much would that cost? He didn't say, though he repeated a promise to hike corporate taxes to help pay for it.

Then Dix talked about the … growing gap between rich and poor … "We have to make that the central issue in what the provincial government does."  In a "modest" way, of course.  But what does he mean, exactly?  Dix hints at expanded and higher welfare payments, and increased taxes on high-income earners to redistribute wealth.

Bingo. Higher taxes. And not just on the rich. The Liberals pounced.

And who was the pouncing Liberal?? … it was Chilliwack Liberal MLA John Les.  Remember John??  He served as Parliamentary Secretary for HST Information to the Minister of Finance.  More like HST misinformation, but I digress.  Here are the comments of John Les, regarding NDP leader Adrian Dix:

"He's talking about a much bigger government and a lot more government spending … he has just three choices: Higher taxes, or deeper deficits, or both.  British Columbians deserve to know exactly what he would do and how he would pay for it.  But he is being very, very, very vague."

Well for John Les, and our BC Liberal government, here are some NOT SO VERY VAGUE words, and phrases, you may not wish to be reminded about:

The Carbon Tax and its annual increases ... increased costs for drivers licenses ... increased costs due to HST ... increased ferry costs ... increased Hydro costs ... increased parking fees at hospitals ... increased fees for parking at other government facilities ... increased green taxes and fees ... increased probate fees ... the soon to be implemented ICBC insurance rate increase... increased MSP payments … and ON AND ON THE LIST GOES. 

Misleading the public isn't the same as lying --- BUT it sure comes close. 

And as to misleading the public; I had to look up two words … ‘disinformation’ … and ‘misinformation’ … to try and figure out which perhaps seemed to best describe the leadership of this current government.  I’m still not sure, and I really would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, so maybe you can help.  Which of the following do you think would best describe their motives?

• Misinformation is false or inaccurate information that is spread unintentionally. It is distinguished from disinformation by motive in that misinformation is simply erroneous. 

• Disinformation is intended to mislead.  It is false or deliberately misleading information, which is often put out as propaganda.

That leads me to a recent “World Today” editorial on CKNW, which seems to have had perfect timing, in its airing.  Here are the words this editorial ended with:

Maybe you want to vote for the NDP.  Maybe you want to vote for the Liberals.  Maybe you like the Conservatives.   Regardless of your political stripe, you have every right to demand each of the parties say where the money will come from.  And I think you have the right to know the answer now.  The NDP say “trust us...you will get the answers all in good time ... all in good time .”

In the case of this provinces BC Liberal government, I believe one thing is certain.  In the list above we not only know “where the money will come from” --- we know “where it has come from”.

Meantime, BC Conservatives continue to call for openness on where and how government spends the money it raises through taxes and fees.  Earlier this fall in Dawson Creek, John Cummins stated,

“We’re going to stick to principles. We’re going to emphasize the fact that government in British Columbia has to get smaller and we have to use the tax dollars we have more efficiently and effectively.  There has to be room for managing the people’s money in a better and more efficient way, and I think that’s really the issue.”

I believe many in British Columbia will be making that one of their top issues as well, in the provinces next general election in the spring of 2013.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … and those are the thoughts of one conservative.