BC Politics ... the week of March 20th

Well on Friday (March 25^th) it happened … the federal Conservative government lost a vote of confidence by 11 votes, and we are now headed in to a federal election.  Thanks to Iggy, Jack, and the Bloc-heads we can now flush another $300 million down the drain.   

Recently we have had 3 consecutive minority governments … Paul Martin’s Liberals in 2004, followed by Steven Harper’s Conservatives in 2006 and 2008.

There were a few other stories that made the news during the week, from the world of politics; here’s just a quick snapshot …

Iggy --- Coalition or Not??

In Maclean’s, Andrew Coyne correctly describes Mr. Ignatieff’s inability to explain his stance on coalitions as “an astonishing debacle.” Some Liberal partisans seem to have convinced themselves that there is literally no issue here — that it’s 100% Conservative fear-mongering that nobody takes seriously. Wrong. “It is a cancer eating at the Liberal campaign, and it is only going to grow over time,” says Coyne. By not ruling it out, or ruling it in, or setting some kind of rules of engagement — e.g., party with the most seats gets first crack at government; no NDP Cabinet ministers; no Bloc, period — the Liberals are inviting Canadians to make blind choices about their votes. It could easily drive centre-right voters to the Conservatives, and it could drive centre-left voters to the NDP.

Polls, ElectionBC, Moe Sihota --- is an election call around the corner?

Will we be having a BC general election in 2011 – over two years ahead of time. Speculation continues on that one – which is way I took a trip with Google to look at a few recent news stories over the past 6 month. Read on and see what you think ... but first let's check in with Elections BC:

Elections BC

Voting is an important part of our democratic process. It is a chance, for every eligible person to influence the policies that affect our lives on a daily basis. With only a simple mark on a ballot, voting lets us decide who our representatives will be and what our future will look like. The right to vote is protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is one of our country’s most cherished institutions.

B.C. was the first province in Canada to establish fixed election dates. Provincial general elections are to take place on the second Tuesday in May every four years. The next provincial election is on May 14, 2013

Dear Christy ... the legislation is NOT open to adjustment ... or interpretation.

Alan Forseth

Kamloops, BC

 March 24^th, 2011

Premier Christy Clark

BC Legislature

Victoria, BC

Dear Christy,

You do not know me, however consider me to be one of many like minded British Columbians, who have no appetite or desire for a provincial election.  Please take pity on us!

Michael Ignatieff and the rest of your Liberal friends and associates in Ottawa – and their buddies the NDP and Bloc -- already plan to send us to the polls AGAIN for the kuzillianth time in a few years.  Great – we get to vote in a federal election that will again change absolutely nothing; although perhaps the voters of Canada will have the last laugh on Ignatieff and give Steven Harper and the Conservative a majority government.

NOTE TO BCTF --- you are not the employer

I'm going to start by saying this blog will likely get some people ticked; however here goes.

Two decades of provincial negotiations with the BC Teachers Federation have resulted in only one collective agreement --- all others have been imposed. Many you reading this probably know why; for some reason or other the BC Teachers Federation doesn’t seem to understand they are not them employer!

Years ago I worked at a unionized open pit copper mine. The union bargaining committee were able to negotiate safety issues, wages, work hours, etc ... typical things that would be brought up / negotiated during bargaining in the public sector.

Teachers though??? Well they seem to think think they can negotiate how few days and hours they work --- how small class sizes should be – the pay they receive – where and when they work – and on and on it goes.

The new Federal Budget --- comments from Ken, Jack and Michael

The new federal budget has been announced, and thankfully there are no new taxes … and an assortment of small goodies.  According to the CBC and CTV the government plans to get rid of the current deficit by 2015 / 2016.  I think most Canadian could look at this as an acceptable budget, and NOT one that should be voted own.

Interestingly, Ken Georgetti (Canadian Labour Congress) was on the news saying that while it could have included more, this was a budget that Jack Layton and the NDP should support.

Perhaps Christy Clark needs a refresher on a comment from then Attorney General Mike De Jong

Yesterday (March 21^st) in a Globe and Mail Update, part of a story by Robert Matas wrote on how NDP MLA Norm MacDonald (Columbia River-Revelstoke) had a difference of opinion with Liberal Premier Christy Clark, and was calling for a full public inquiry into the government sell-off of BC Rail – this was in his MLA Report in the one of the areas local community newspapers, the Golden Star. Of course as noted in this blog, and in all media, this is something that has been ruled out by Clark - in his MLA report in the Golden Star

Apparently in his MLA Report he had indicated that the $6 million dollar Basi / Virk defense fee pay-off one of several issues to be investigated, he wrote. In the story he went on to say government was told the railway company must be sold because it was losing money, but this turned out to be an inaccurate assertion. MacDonald says, as everyone is aware, that BC Rail was not being sold but rather leased – however the term of the lease was 99 years. And third her went on to say that government and the people were told the bidding process would be fair.

It's alleged that top level BC Liberal political operatives received bribes to provide inside information to potential bidders. Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm MacDonald continued,. "While this close connection to the BC Rail scandal must be a strong disincentive for Premier Christy Clark to investigate any further, it is clear that all British Columbian's deserve to know what really happened."

Quite some time back however, BC Conservatives were calling for a Public Inquiry – as well as for the preservation of documents and files from the Basi / Virk trial -- in the hopes that there would eventually be a public inquiry.

How will BC Conservatives govern? ... that's a good question.

So ... when the next general election rolls around in May 2013, and we end up with a BC Conservative government, what is going to happen.  Well just the other day some one did ask me, what is the first thing that a BC Conservative government will do when they take power?

Those are both good questions (first thing they'll do / how govern), and I wish that I had the answers to them. Before they can be answered, there are a couple of very important things that will have to happen first, within the next couple of months.

Both will be happening at pretty much the same time – which will be good for the membership of the BC Conservatives. First will be the election of a party leader – second will be the approval of party policy.