BC Politics ... the week of Jan 16th to 22nd

Again there was lots of the same ol', same ol' this past week in BC politics.  Just once, wouldn't you like to see a week where the following headlines dominated in the news J

“All smiles at NDP leadership get-together”

“Teachers approach Education Ministry to say they agree with FSA testing”

“Christy Clark and Moe Sihota see eye to eye over the HST”

“No investigation of Liberal MLA Kash Heed this week”

Okay, you’re right, they will never happen – but here are a few of the stories that did make news this past week which you may have missed.  If nothing else, be sure to read this first one becuase it will leave you wondering if there really is much difference between a Liberal and New Democrat.  The last two are very interesting as well.

Politics makes strange bedfellows

No one can make me laugh like Brad." Just call them BC's version of James Carville and Mary Matalin …

Leadership is key to disease prevention

BCHLA urges the prospective leaders of all parties in British Columbia to commit to the development of a comprehensive, cross-government plan with ...

NOTE … I also did a blog comment on the story above --- click here to read it

Will these health care suggestions be popular??

Barbara Kaminsky is the Chairperson of the BC Healthy Living Alliance ... as well as being the CEO of the BC and Yukon Chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society. I am going to start from the premise that she is well qualified to be in both of these positions, and therefore comments that she makes should be seriously considered.

That's why I found an article she had in the Vancouver Sun on Monday January 17^th of interest – the story was entitled, “Leadership is the key to decrease prevention.”

In this story she started of with a comment that pretty much all of us would agree on, that is that British Columbian's have health care pretty much at the top of our list of things important to us – in terms if services delivered by the government.

Were you aware that one third of BC's population, that have chronic disease, take up 80% of the costs of Pharmacare, payments to doctors, and hospital costs? -- I certainly wasn't until I read this article. With couples having less children, our population as a whole is ageing, which could have a serious effect on not only health care, but all services delivered by government.

Getting an education …

In recent days there have been several stories in the news around education, and issues surrounding it.  The first that caught my attention was a story in what used to be called the Georgia Strait – and is now simply the Strait. 

The story was titled “Advocates push for school lunch program funding in BC”.    In the story, nutrition crusader Lisa Werring said that that about a third of elementary-school kids in Canada don’t eat a daily breakfast.  This information came from a study released last year by Breakfast for Learning.  This organizations view is that hungry kids can’t learn (no argument from me), which is why it gave out $131,675 for school breakfast programs in BC in 2009.

Now I am not going to say that low income families are wasting their money (although some do just like everyone else), but a healthy and nutritious breakfast of regular oatmeal (not individual flavored packets) is just pennies a day.  A four litre jug of milk is $4.00 and how many cups of milk do you get from that … and then an apple, an orange, or banana.

Dawn Black named NDP interim party leader

Let me be the first to say it … “May the best man, or woman, of what ever ethnic background, win.”

The race is well underway now in both the Liberal and NDP camps to elect a new leader … one who for the Liberals will automatically become Premier --- and for the NDP, one who will be leader of the opposition.

As you will recall the NDP recently were the butt of numerous jokes over their party policy which requires that at least one of the top 3 positions in the party must be held by a woman,  With the President and Treasurer both being men, that pretty much left the party leaders position open.

So the party of social justice and gender equality has how many women running?? Hmmmmm, let’s see there’s ……………… no one.  6 guys are running to be leader of the New Democrats --- although to give them credit one candidate, Fraser Nicola MLA Hari Lali was born in India.

So that leaves then the Liberal party as the party of social and gender equality – right?  Well they too have 6 people running – and although two are female – none appear to be from any kind of minority.

BUT, is that how any political party should be selecting and electing a leader?  What has happened to the principle that we should be electing the best person for the job?  Disagree if you want, but having quotas, or perceived ideas about the type of person that should be running flies in the face of democracy.

And now it’s a race …

“Welcome to a future – a New Democrat future – where everyone can contribute and no one is left out” --- NDP MLA Adrian Dix during his leadership announcement Monday January 17^th in East Vancouver

It hasn’t be a very well kept secret, and now Adrian Dix, alleged to be one of the toughest New Democratic MLA’s, has announced he is running to lead the party.  Dix, who was elected to the BC legislature in 2005, is a former room mate of Premier Glenn Clark.  He worked with Clark helping him become premier in 1996 when the NDP last won a provincial election, and then went on to serve as Clark’s Chief of Staff.

Justine Hunt from the Globe and Mail has stated that, “Mr. Dix has been one of the strongest critics on the opposition benches since winning election in 2005, tackling both the children and families file and, more recently, health. He takes credit for pushing the government into the creation of an independent watchdog for children and youth, as well as for winning better security for women using public transit.”




Royal Inland Hospital --  Kamloops, BC

For those living in the Kamloops, Thompson Nicola region, Adrian Dix, who is currently the NDP’s Health critic has often been on the attack with regards services at Royal Inland Hospital, most recently with regards to the cleaning of hospital surgical equipment.  This caused him to be a burr under the saddle of Kamloops South Thompson Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger, who as you know just a few days ago had to retract and appologize for the following comments he made in an interview with a Kamloops radio station:

Political “correctness” ... and the “liberal minded”

How does a person make sense, these days, about what can and cannot be said in public or over the air waves on radio and TV.  A week ago the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council made a ruling that the 25 year old Dire Straits song entitled “Money for Nothing” should be censored. The ruling came about due to one complaint from a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community in Newfoundland.

This was allegedly due to the repeated use of the word “faggot” in one of the verses (the full lyrics to the song are below so that this verse can be read in context).

See the little faggot with the earring and the make-up
Yeah buddy that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he's millionaire

It seems this person was either not aware, or didn't care, that the words of the song were not about name-calling, nor were they homophobic.  Rather the person they are singing about, who is using the word in this negative and demeaning way, is clearly trying to bolster their own negative self image and place in life.