I ask you; by comparison, what do the BC Liberals and the BC NDP stand for?

I like Facebook, although I will admit I spend far too much time there.  I like it because it gives me the opportunity to share and exchange all kinds of ideas with people from all across the political spectrum ... and you should see my Friends list :D

Why am I starting the blog comment, this way, you ask?  

Well last night a friend posted a comment saying, “Thanks for the call BC Liberals but no you won’t be getting a donation from me. Those days are over.”

At which point I promptly said, “… should have asked them to sign up with BC Conservatives. I suspect the call results aren't going that well and maybe they'd want to check us out :D”

Then someone else made a comment that I found interesting … especially as I have been involved in the party and following its growth now for a little over a year.  This person said, “Can't say I've heard piles from either party lately that makes me want to donate to either one, actually.”

That tells me there is still a big job ahead … and that there are still many people are out there waiting to find out what the BC Conservatives stand for, and why they should support them ... whether as a member ... with financial support ... in spreading the word ... being an active member working to build membership ... a director on a constituency association ... or perhaps even consider seeking a nomination to run for the party.

I wrote this person back … and here is what I had to say:

Just a FEW of the ones that deserve special thanks for the work they do

69 police officers from across the province received recognition last night at BC’s 31st annual Police Honours Night. Of those officers, 22 received awards for valorous service (exemplary service in the face of extreme hazard and personal risk) ... 43 for meritorious service (involves actions above the call of duty that enhance the image of policing in BC) ... as well as outstanding service recognition for a retired RCMP deputy commissioner and three retired chief constables.

A media release from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General provided details of how these officers were selected, saying that they … were selected by a committee comprised of representatives from the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General’s Police Services Division.

We often hear a lot of the negative things in and around policing ... these are just a FEW of the ones that deserve special thanks for the work they do. 

One of the things I hope you will note is the types of situations these men and women were in ... as well as the number of off-duty officers who were recognized.

Awards of Valour

For "Valourous Service"

Const. Gerald Lau (New Westminster Police Service) While off duty, came to the aid of a fellow police officer who was struggling with an aggressive suspect who had a hold of the officer’s firearms holster.

Sgt. Michael Drummond (Vancouver Police Dept) Safely apprehended a deranged, suicidal male armed with an ice pick.

Const. David Marchand (Vancouver Police Dept) – Placed himself at personal risk while performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a suicidal woman who had overdosed on animal tranquilizers.

This Week in the World of BC Politics

It’s Friday … the end of the week … and time to take a look at some of the stories that made political news in our province.   

Let’s see … we have BC's Auditor General going to court to get documents to investigate the government payout on legal fees for the Basi / Virk trial … we have changes to the Family law Act … John Cummins speaking out on compact fluorescent lights and smart meters … the BC Fed calling for a bigger increase to the minimum wage … the Northern Gateway Pipeline … the BC Conservative candidate selection announcement for Port Moody-Coquitlam ... and much more.

First though, I’d like to remind you to get out and vote this Saturday.  Through-out the province thousands of candidates are seeking office on municipal councils … as school trustees … and as regional directors.  Your vote DOES count … as this YouTube video shows …

Now … here’s the news.

New RCMP commissioner speaks softly and ponders a broken force

… combined assault on the iconic status of Canada’s police force has left an indelible stain on the red serge … disillusionment is so great in British Columbia that there are calls for the province not to renew its policing contract with the national force.

Candidates should take lie-detector tests -- Lots of people shouldn't be running for office

… given all the untruths voiced at election time, should candidates for political office be forced to undergo lie-detector tests?

VANCOUVER SUN: Recognizing the good politicians

“Those who take a stand based on the view of their constituents should not be punished by their party”

I’ve had that thought many times … but those words were not written by me.  They are part of the headline (or story lead) in an opinion / editorial piece written by Maxwell A. Cameron.  He is director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at UBC. 

I would encourage you to read his full comments … but if you only have a moment right now, here are a couple of comments that he made in his article:

… Parliament is a place for deliberation and legislation. It is the one branch of government whose supreme duty it is to make the general rules by which all citizens shall abide….

… sadly, parliamentarians increasingly do what party leaders tell them rather than what they think is right. Subordination to the party begins with the nomination process, a typically opaque and poorly regulated affair. Individual candidates often come out of the process more beholden to the party machine than to constituents.

… our system is built on the principle of parliamentary supremacy. In practice we have a partyarchy — the rule of political parties at the expense of our constitutional order. We need politicians with the moral skill and will to restore balance to our parliamentary system.

Shakespeare would have written the tale of Smart Meters, and Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, as a tragedy

With many apologies to William Shakespeare, and those who love literature, today I present the following ditty’s which through my head doth did blossom …

Claudio … from Much Ado About Nothing (IV, i, 19-21)

"O, what Christy’s men and women dare do! What Liberals may do! What they daily do, not knowing what they do!"

Juliet

"What's in a name? That which we call a “smart” meter

By any other name would smell as bad and as foul."

Macbeth:

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted bulbs

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief compact fluorescent bulb!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

Christy struts and frets her hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

Richard … from King Richard III (V, iii, 179)

"O Smart-Meter, how dost thou afflict me!"

Juliet:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:

Thou art thyself, though not anything we would recognize.

What's Liberal? It is not fiscally responsible,

Nor having a social conscience,
nor any other part belonging to a man.

O be some other name!

What's in a name? That which we call a Federal Liberal would smell as bad;

So Christy would, were she not Liberal call'd,

Make all the pay-offs which she owes

Without that Liberal title. Christy, doff thy name,

and for thy name, which is no part of thee,

Take all the glory thee doth seek.

Claudio … from Much Ado About Nothing (V, iii, 3-4)

"Done to death by scheming tongue

Was the Smart-Meter that here lies"

Every British Columbian deserves a real choice

This morning when I opened the email account, where most of my political stuff comes and goes from, I discovered a message about yesterday’s blog.  The story, as you will recall, was on BC Rail and the Basi / Virk trial.  This is what the writer had to say:

You know, for me, the agreement to pay $6 million in legal costs in exchange for a guilty plea was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Until then, I was like most federal Conservatives, not completely thrilled with the BC Liberals, but willing to hold my nose to avoid splitting the vote and having the NDP get in power (the enemy of my enemy is my friend).

I remember the day the news broke last fall, I was attending a professional development seminar in Kelowna (yes, even __ x y z __ have Pro-D days), and the seminar leader was discussing investing.  He mentioned a term called the "puke point", which is basically the point at which you can't stand to see your portfolio losing value anymore so you "puke" it all up and sell everything.

During the coffee break for that seminar, I grabbed a copy of the Globe & Mail and read the article about the deal which had just been announced.  That was my "puke point" with the BC Liberals - the deal just reeked of hush money.  That's where I said, vote-splitting or no vote-splitting; I can't in good conscience vote for a government like this anymore.

I don’t know about you, but the words of this writer really resonated in me … especially two of them … “Puke Point”.

How arrogant and out of touch with voters would a party, it’s executive, cabinet ministers, and leader have to be for people to reach their “Puke Point”?  

Why would their MLA’s continue to sit at the caucus table of a party that people can no longer support because they have reached their “Puke Point”?

The report Krog and Bond were referring to was just about future indemnity on legal costs

Are you old enough to remember the story of the little engine that could --- or have you seen the Walt Disney movie "Dumbo", where the work train is taking circus animals to the next town?   

Up the hill it goes saying … "I think I can … I think I can”.  Once to the top, it then heads down saying "I thought I could … I thought I could …”

I bring this up because the whole BC Rail and Basi / Virk Trial is rearing its ugly head again … and at the end of the day this may be a mantra that goes round and round in Christy Clarks head ... albeit with slightly different words.

I think I can … I think I can … keep the whole Basi / Virk mess hidden

I thought I could … I thought I could … keep the whole Basi / Virk mess hidden

How far back does this whole thing go?  Years … and years … AND YEARS. 

We end up with no simple answer --- but that should be no surprise

The Common Sense Canadian website, which I think most would agree has opinions leaning more to the left, has added a new feature called “Your Voice”.  It’s an opinion / editorial (op-ed) blog for the environment and public interest.

“Why Culture Matters: Prosperity Mine's Impacts on the People and Land of the Nemaiah Valley” by David Williams (a member of Friends of Nemaiah Valley) is the first op-ed piece to be shared in it.  After reading it, there were a couple of comments which I added.  First though, here are the words of David Williams about the Prosperity Mine, which is proposed for the Chilcotin region of British Columbia.

Earlier this week, we at Friends of the Nemaiah Valley (FONV) heard that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) has agreed to conduct an environmental assessment of Taseko Mines Ltd. (TML) proposed “New Prosperity” mine application in Tsilhqot'in territory.

This unfortunate decision is misguided for many reasons. This is the third try by TML to develop this mine, one of the largest gold/copper deposits in British Columbia. It was turned down twice in the recent past because the environmental consequences would be too great. Even by Taseko's own admission during hearings last year, this “tweaked” proposal, then known as Option II, would have even worse environmental consequences than the one rejected by the federal government.

While there are environmental reasons to reject this mine – it is in prime grizzly habitat, will destroy a large rainbow trout population, and threatens large salmon runs that are part of the Fraser River fishery – it is the impact it will have on the local Xeni Gwet'in community in the Nemaiah Valley that I want to focus on.

Picture a “camp” of up to 600 miners placed into a remote First Nations Community that is still largely dependent upon the land for sustenance and identity. This camp will be in place for up to 35 years.  250 Xeni Gwet'in, the People of the Rivers, live in the Nemaiah Valley alongside a small settler community of about fifty people. The latter operate small ranches, run wilderness lodges, fish, hunt and trap, and just like the way of life that prevails here.