BC politics ... for the week of April 4th

And so another week drifts by in the world of BC politics.  I though I’d start of with a look back in history first with the following, before continuing my usual wrap-up of some of this weeks political stories …

Flashbacks: This week in B.C. political history … “MLAs slam cushy WCB severance package” from 1996 … and from 1986 we have … “Noyes a pedophile but not a psychopath”

 

BC NDP's past gives clues on current crop of candidates

Voting is about to begin, and the choice for New Democrats looks like this: Do they want a leader in the style of Mike Harcourt, who led the party to victory in 1991? Or another Glen Clark, who five years later kept the party in power for a second term …

Christy Clark has responsibilty to get elected as MLA for Vancouver Point Grey

BC Legislative Buildings

Christy Clark is not a member of the Legislature … she has the opportunity to become one

Christy Clark is not a MLA for any Constituency … she has the opportunity to run in one

No one can sit in the BC Legislature unless elected by the people … she has the opportunity

Wind Power; is it worth it?

Personally I believe the large electricity generating windmills are blights and scars on the landscape.  Seems like others agree -- even an environmental group (The John Muir Trust in Scotland) is questioning their actual value.

Kevin Falcon, Christy Clark, and BC Liberals at odds with reality on HST

Taxpayers really the ones to cover
the cost of HST rebate cheques

Those who are paying the HST, should be asking who does it really impact?  In my reading, there seems to be some confusion between business, the BC government, and the Minister of Finance. 

On page #23 of a report prepared for the Business Council of BC, (CONSUMER IMPACTS OF BC’S HARMONIZED SALES TAX) it states, “In short, while BC’s HST does entail burdens for households except at lower incomes, this study has found those burdens to be far smaller than commonly believed.”

Of interest to taxpayers in BC however is a media release dated April 5^th, from the Ministry of Finance (011FIN0029-000341), which has the following direct quote from Finance Minister Kevin Falcon:

Inquiry still needed in Basi / Virk debacle – taxpayers still deserve answers

Premier Christy Clark has publicly declared, “Two people (Basi and Virk) have been convicted of accepting bribes who worked for the government … it confirms what I’ve been saying from the beginning. I have a spotlessly clean public record; I have always discharged my duties honorably.”

But hold on; what of the $6 million dollar pay-off!  Speculation still surrounds the plea bargain that left taxpayers holding the bag for Basi and Virk’s $6 million defense.  Why does Premier Clark refuse to call a Public Inquiry so that taxpayers know the truth about why this deal was struck?

Perhaps Christy Clark needs a reminder that on Monday October 18^th (2010) then Attorney General Mike de Jong stated paying the defense fees (for the Basi / Virk lawyers) contravened normal government policy. 

It would be cynical in the extreme ......

Rod Mickleburgh (Senior Writer for The Globe and Mail, based in Vancouver), was quoted yesterday as saying, “... it would be cynical in the extreme for Ms. Clark to go that early to the polls, returning us once again to elections called at the whim of premiers, when they feel there's a political advantage. I'm a big supporter of four-year fixed terms, which eliminates that."

Justine Hunter and Rod Mickleburgh talked provincial election timing, the uprising of the BC Conservatives and the state of the NDP leadership race.

Description of the word "Entitlement" ... see BC Liberals

I looked up "entitlement" in the Webster's Dictionary and it said, "see BC Liberals".  So I looked that up and it said:

Meaning:

1 [noncount] a : the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something ▪ my entitlement to a refund b : the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges) ▪ celebrities (or perhaps politicians) who have an arrogant sense of entitlement

Splitting the vote -- parties on one side of the spectrum will vie for votes based on the fact they have similar policies

I agree that the BC Conservative Party needs to do more to address the questions and points being raised in the following email which was forwarded to me. What did it say? Well in part it included the following, which I will make comment on in a few places along the way.

Why are you not addressing the media on issues at hand in the commentaries? Would it not be a sensible idea to relay to the people of British Columbia - in open dialogue - that the idea of (splitting the vote) does not equate to British Columbia politics and the stance of the individual party policies? For instance:

... the NDP Policies are left of centre ... I agree

... the Liberal Policies are left of centre ... I agree

... the Conservative Policies are centre / right / centre ... this is something I thought the other day and wondered if there was anyone like minded --- looks like two of us anyway

...    ... the Greens are left of centre ... not so sure I would totally agree

When splitting the vote, it is required that the Parties on one side of the spectrum will vie for votes based on the fact that they have similar policies. If there is only one Party on the Right of the spectrum there is no splitting of the vote on the Right Policies.

Sorry Dix but I call BS on that

In two weeks (April 17^th), the BC NDP will be holding a leadership vote at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

In a media release NDP Provincial Secretary Jan O'Brien said that, "British Columbian's are ready for a change from the reckless policies of the BC Liberals... and we're looking forward to a competitive leadership election ... we will ensure that this leadership election is run in a fair, transparent, and accessible manner."

To that end, the NDP have appointed former BC Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld as an independent third party auditor. Neufeld is BC's former Chief Electoral Officer and head of Elections BC.

About the NDP themselves, political scientist Norman Ruff says, "They have to get British Columbian's to trust them with the reins of power ... but they realize the Liberals are once again trying to continue that branding (trust) and the three major contenders (Dix, Farnworth, and Horgan) realize to some extent they are vulnerable if that branding continues to be successful."