BC POLITICS --- this week in the news

With the resignation of former Attorney General Barry Penner, Christy Clark now has two by-elections to call in the next few months --- by-elections that John Cummins and the BC Conservatives say they will be in.  There’s news on that … plus much more ... so read on! Remember the full stories can be accessed by clicking the link in the story title.)

Future jobs need planning now

… global economy goes from being a media phrase to something that threatens our jobs … it’s suddenly very real and very personal … and when hope gets lost, fear takes hold. Fear that our future will be bleak. Fear that what we’ve worked for will be lost … leadership and action can trump fear, and cynicism … need to stand together, to work together, and make the changes required … need to face our future not with fear or retreat, but with confidence and advancement on our strengths…

CLBC admits it pushed too hard to get clients out of group homes

… Community Living BC expressed regret for the harm caused and promised that, except in certain circumstances, nobody will be moved against their will in the future … follow recent reversals by CLBC in which it canceled plans to close homes and move residents ... spoken to families and apologized for the agency’s tactics.  “We regret the stress that we caused in their lives and we’re doing what we can to make that a better situation for them,” he said …

Community care crisis demands a resolution

… the crisis in community living has stirred something significant in us, demanding immediate action and decisive leadership.  In many ways it has become the barometer of how we are doing in B.C., striking a fundamental cord chord of justice and fairness….

Elections B.C. wants to pre-register 16- and 17-year-olds for voting

…  elections agency wants to use high school classes to pre-register teens to vote when they turn 18 … presented by chief electoral officer Keith Archer to a committee of MLAs Thursday … attempt to increase voter participation among 18- to 25-year-olds, the age group that's the least likely to vote …

Are you alive because of this drug review of Vioxx?

On Tuesday, the National Post had a headline that screamed … “Health Canada not giving timely warnings about pharmaceutical drugs: Auditor General”

I tell you that certainly grabbed my attention as I, along with pretty much all of us have a need for prescription drugs at various times.  Here in part is what the story had to say:

“Health Canada is slow to act on potential issues that it identifies … time lag, outlined in an audit tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons and characterized as “serious,” means people sometimes have to wait more than two years before Health Canada completes a drug safety review of a product already on the market and provides updated information about their risks… the audit also found gaps in transparency that are keeping Canadians in the dark about Health Canada’s drug-safety work …”

MORE join the call for electoral reform

Don't you just love it when a great idea begins to take root and grow??

For many many years some workers have said their union dues should not be going to help finance election campaigns for parties they don't believe in ... others have said that businesses and corporation should not be making campaign donations either.

I believe they are right on both counts.

So does John Cummins and the BC Conservative Party who earlier in the year indicated that a BC Conservative government will enact legislation banning donations from unions and business to political parties.

I'm bringing this up today because, like I say, a good idea will take root and grow.  In recent weeks Integrity BC has begun a campaign "Who Really Runs BC"

Their initial media release on this campaign stated:

Former Liberal leadership candidate Ed Mayne is right, “We don't have a carbon tax we have a consumption tax …”

Today in the BC News Group family of newspapers was a story about the death of the “carbon emission trading plan” … which last week I also mentioned hearing about. 

The BC News Group story indicated that, “BC's carbon emission trading plan died last week at the age of four. No service was announced ... came as BC capital hosted politicians from neighbouring U.S. states and western provinces for their annual economic conference... BC the only jurisdiction in North America with a carbon tax, and an emission reduction target twice as ambitious – 33 per cent by 2020 ... all B.C.’s border states and provinces have an economic advantage for emitting industries...”

Story after story --- year after year --- we've had editorials, studies, papers, and a multitude of opinions showing the carbon tax initiative, first imposed on us by then Liberal Finance Minister Carole Taylor in the Gordon Campbell government (imposed under the guise of reducing the carbon footprint of British Columbians), is nothing more than a sham ... and in reality it is a consumption tax!

Earlier this year the BC Liberal Party elected Christy Clark to replace Gordon Campbell as their leader … one of the other candidates in that race to become the party leader was Ed Mayne; here is what he had to say to in a note to me today:

“We don't have a carbon tax we have a consumption tax on hydrocarbons that is used to offset income tax reductions so we can say we have the lowest income tax rates in Canada. That's ok but let's call it what it is, a consumption tax and quite trying to pretend that it is to help the environment. If the funds were used to offset costs of projects that reduced usage than it could be called a carbon tax.”

To which I said …

Thank goodness ... someone who will admit he is a Liberal -- and -- that this is in reality a consumption tax!!! People HATE being fed a load of crap ... they can however accept truth and reality --- and when it comes to taxes I beleive they can even accept them if an HONEST case can be made for the necessity of them.

“X” doesn’t mark the spot however --- so why such a bad turn-out?

This morning on their Facebook page, Integrity BC posted the following comment:

In 2010, both Calgary and Toronto had voter turnout of over 50 per cent in their municipal elections.   We took a look at some of the turnouts in Saturday's local elections: Abbotsford (39.24%), Esquimalt (18%), Fernie (41.5%), Kamloops (29.76%), Nanaimo (27.17%), Prince George (28.5%), Saanich (25.35%), Tumbler Ridge (30.17%), Vancouver (34.57%), Victoria (26.35%) and West Vancouver (24.53%).   These turnouts point to a serious malaise and disengagement in BC's democratic system.

GUESS WHAT?  That brief short note doesn’t even come close to showing how pathetic and abysmal the voting habits of British Columbian’s are becoming.

The WORST voter turn-out?   Esquimalt with UNDER 18% (17.99%) of voters turning out … of 12,872 eligible voters, only a pitiful 2,300 could be bothered to make it to the polling station to cast a ballot.  Running a close second was Port Coquitlam with a turn-out of just over 18%

Our communities, and our province, are a better place because of your commitment

On Saturday night, across the province, there were the cheers and sounds of victory … and the quiet sounds acknowledging defeat (at least at the polls) ... as hundreds of thousands of ballots were counted.

Many great people were elected to office --- and many great people gave it their best but didn't see their hopes achieved.  I’d like to say to those who gave of their time and energy --- your commitment to serve is definitely appreciated! 

To the husbands, wives, and children of those who stood for election – thank you for sharing your spouse / father / mother with us.  For those who won, be sure to acknowledge at all times the sacrifice your family will be making while you work for the betterment of our communities.