BC POLITICS … the week that began Feb 11th

This week’s news wrap is going up this morning, and one item is still to be announced, but that we all know will be coming … relief to BC’s construction industry on the HST.

Court backlogs continued to make the news, but political news this week in BC also included the release of yet another report on seniors care … and concerns by the Auditor General around BC forests. 

Now … here’s just a few of the stories that made the news this week …

Political science prof sees by-election win by BC Conservative

Political scientist Hamish Telford is placing his bet — if he were a gambling man — on the BC Conservatives to win the upcoming by-election in Chilliwack-Hope … believes the “odds are stacked” against the BC Liberals holding the riding because of “broad dissatisfaction” among voters with the party’s performance in government …

'Disgusting' court backlog may free hit and run accused  

'My kids don't have a mom,' man says after wife's death ... family of a young mother killed in a hit and run is outraged the case against the alleged driver is among thousands in BC at risk of being thrown out because of a huge court backlog.  “We were told it could possibly get thrown away because of time delay”  … “It’s disgusting. It’s absolutely disgusting.” …

BC by-elections in limbo as Premier's popularity takes a hit

… the Liberals rightly know this by-election will be different … they can’t afford to see a Liberal stronghold slip from their fingers … victory for the BC Conservatives would give the party credibility and possibly its first sitting MLA … win for the NDP would give the New Democrats further motivation as they prepare to ride their current wave of popularity into next year’s general election …

John Cummins’ NDP vote a ‘scare tactic,’ says BC Conservative candidate

John Martin, the BC Conservative candidate in Chilliwack-Hope, said scare tactics are not going to push the riding’s small-c conservatives into voting for the BC Liberal candidate.  “The BC Liberals are trying to make people feel guilty and scared, that they owe them their vote.  They’re not defending their record, but scaring people that they have to vote Liberal or have this prospect of an NDP government.” …

Judge slaps Liberals over court funding

... point is based on a sharply worded judgment by Judge Daniel Steinberg three weeks ago in which he stayed charges against a suspect as a direct payback to the government for under-funding the justice system … the latest in a series of increasingly bitter complaints from the judiciary about how clogged the courts are … while Clark tried last week to buy time with a study of the underlying problems, judgments like Steinberg's are going to put a lot of pressure on her to do something more, and fast …

I for one believe that dollar figure will be one of many things voters will be keeping in mind when they head to the polls to elect a new government.

CKNW in a news story today (February 17) said that some people have told them they ‘aren't happy with the Liberals and their "Family First" initiative.’

They quoted one person who stated:

"I'm a single parent; I've got two kids and I'm trying to support them on a single income.  I'm paying so much tax, it's not even funny. I don't see my tax dollars going towards anything proper."

It is well fine and well to help trades and the construction industry -- and the provincial government is expected sometime later today to be giving relief to them -- but what about families already close to the point of financially breaking, that are being nickeled and dimed on purchases they make for their families, with extra tax imposed on them through the HST?

This includes the fees for organized recreation that helps kids stay healthy ... it includes HST on safety helmets they buy to keep children safe in various recreational activities (hockey, skiing, skate boarding etc) ... it includes the tax on the haircuts children get.

It includes an extra tax on bicycles that people use for both recreation, and in today's greener climate, to get to work ... it’s imposed on some school supplies ... on things to keep families safe in their homes like first aid kits and smoke detectors ...even families, already under stress with the death of a family member, pay extra due to the HST, on the funerals for their loved one who has passed away.

Would you like to put that number into perspective?

Most rank and file Liberals in BC are probably wishing they didn’t have to watch, or read, news on BC politics.  It's not good; although looking at the smile pasted on Premier Christy Clark's face one would be hard pressed to see she's aware of problems in liberal-land.

CTV News at 6 ran one story after the other last night, which would lead people to wonder how much longer they can continue without running to the medicine cupboard for Extra-Extra-Strength Tylenol.

Let's see ... what kicked things off?   

Well a provincial court judge hammered the Liberal government after having to kick charges against a person who had tried to lure a young teen, for sex, through use of his computer.  This case has been in the system, since his arrest, which was two and a half years ago!

At the moment there are approximately twenty five hundred (2,500) cases in a similar position, of being thrown out for delays that have hit the 18 month mark.  

Would you like to put that number into perspective?  Plus or minus a hundred people or so, it would be the entire population of say a community the size of  Chetwynd ... or Chase ... Elkford ... Lillooet ... Logan Lake ... Pemberton ... Princeton ... Sicamous ... or Tumbler Ridge.

And what did the judge, who had to throw the case out, call the system? 

Abysmal!

Pedophiles --- drug pushers --- people accused of violent assaults.  People charged with these crimes are about to go free because the criminal system in BC is broken, and all the BC Liberal government can do is .......... study it some more.

Hopefully these long awaited changes can bring about real positive change for BC’s seniors. It’s been twenty years coming!

The news today has been full of stories on the new Seniors Action Plan to be implemented by the BC Government.  A story in the Globe and Mail stated: Advocate

Health Minister Mike de Jong outlined a series of tragic incidents involving senior care in British Columbia in recent years, assuring families that he's heard them and promising fundamental changes Tuesday.

Mr. De Jong mentioned the elderly Sidney man forced to fight to win back the thousands of dollars he deposited with a care home for his wife who died before she moved in.

He spoke about the Penticton couple, together for 60 years, who were separated due to their differing health needs.

He mentioned the North Vancouver man with dementia who choked to death while being fed by a caregiver, and “the situation confronted by a 71-year-old man found weighing 59 pounds in a Penticton motel.”

Only one political party has recognized the insanity of a carbon tax that takes from health and education -- and gives it to big business

The Carbon Tax, initiated by the BC Liberal government, robs much needed money from the education needs of BC children ... and from medical care.

In 2010 (2011 not available) the BC Liberal government required School District 73, Kamloops/Thompson to pay the Pacific Carbon Trust a total of $106,496 in carbon taxes.

That same year, the BC Liberal government also required the Interior Health Authority to pay the Pacific Carbon Trust nearly $1 million dollars ($965,891) in Carbon Taxes.

And Thompson Rivers University?  Well they ended up shelling out $103,310 as well.

Good grief, even the Pacific Carbon Trust itself got hit for a carbon tax of $170

(Find the cost your School District and Health Authority paid by CLICKING HERE)

And what do these carbon taxes do?  They allow the provincial government to, only on paper, claim that British Columbia is carbon neutral.

What is government?

What is government? 

That is a good question, and in light of rising discontent with our current provincial government in British Columbia, I found it interesting that some one sent the following to me the other day. They are the quotes of some very wise people, some from long in the past, and some from our own time.

All have spoken truth as to what government should be, but often times is not.

Government can be dictatorial – even in a democracy ... but above all else government, one that is based on democratic principles, should be accountable to the people who elect it.

Given the decline in support for Christy Clark, and the BC Liberal government she heads, I'll leave it to you to decide how many of the following are fitting for the government we currently have.

I have added one quote to those I received, and it is one I begin with it. 

It is a quote from (W.A.C.) William Andrew Cecil Bennett.  Bennett was the premier of our great province from 1952 to 1972, and a man who many people either loved and admired – or passionately hated. He was usually referred to as W.A.C. Bennett, others called him "Wacky" Bennett.

While this first quote is in reference to Canada ... I believe it is just as fitting a thought for our own province.

We are a young country; we must build on the solid rock of sound economic policies and balanced budgets. But, we must be prepared, as a nation, to step from the solid rock onto new ground. The path of ease, the path of tradition alone, is not the path of a greater Canada ~~ W.A.C. Bennett

Twitterverse lights up for Clarks not a throne speech, throne speech, on the Bill Good Show

BC Premier Christy Clark

Today Christy Clark paid a visit to the Bill Good show on CKNW 980, to outline upcoming plans for the BC Liberal Government.   

As expected the #bcpoli Twitter feed lit up with the comments of news people, and political pundits alike, commenting on what she had to say.

The following is a small snapshot of what I thought were the “Best Of” those comments – of which there were literally hundreds and hundreds:

CHILDCARE:

We need a childcare plan in BC. The cost of childcare in BC is too high for families

BC LIBERALS and the BC NDP:

Both of those parties are the same old and they need to be replaced

CALLERS ARE BC LIBERAL PLANTS:

Anyone else feel like they're listening to @billgood980's private lobbying session with @christyclarkbc as the #fauxthrone speech?

Oh BC Liberals, your plants to @CKNW call-in line are SOOOO obvious. The pat talking points kinda give you away..

Sounds like call-ins so stacked @BillGood980 has 2 pose most questions

RECENT POLLS:

Amusing to listen to the premier dance around recent polls. Earth to Christy: your party is way behind right now.

She should call the by-elections and lets see what those 2 polls look like

Premier Christy Clark says you cannot judge these things by polls that go up and down....when was the last 'up' poll?

And this is something to be proud of?

Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger

In a news story Sunday (February 12) with CFJC TV7 News in Kamloops, Kamloops South Thompson  MLA Kevin Krueger was quoted as saying that he is "...proud of the government’s record on providing health care and education."

That anyone could be proud of the government’s record in these two areas seems a little strange to me.

We have had multiple stories in Kamloops media in recent weeks about overly long waits by patients for surgeries ... along with ongoing issues with Emergency Room services.  But that almost seems common place now – the following isn’t however.

Most people take for granted they’ll be able to have a shower or a bath each day – don’t expect that if you’re in a care home facility.  Here in Kamloops, the resident of one care home facility ended up being shipped from one side of town to other to find facilities they could use. 

The Kamloops Daily News outlined the reason in a story on January 13^th headlined “IHA too cheap to fix donated tub”.  The story began by saying:

It seems inhumane that if Al McQuarrie wants a bath, he has to wheel himself onto a bus.  The resident of Greenfield Place says the twice-weekly baths he used to receive in a tub in his apartment complex were the only times he felt relief from the non-stop pressure created from sitting in a wheelchair all day.

But that ended in November when the tub was deemed as worn out by the Interior Health Authority, which runs the community bathing program.  The IHA said it's not worth fixing the broken Century tub lift system in Greenfield and to replace it would cost $25,000, an expense that cannot be supported with other facilities touting tubs down the road.

The authority has suggested McQuarrie can catch a HandiDart Bus to have a bath at another location in the city. According to Google Maps, it's a 14-16 minute drive from his Brocklehurst building to Ponderosa, located across the bridge and near the hospital downtown

IHA ended up agreeing to make the necessary repairs – but they were shamed in to it. 

Punishing residents in the interior, is NOT a decision that will help BC families

News has been released that the Interior Health Authority (IHA) will end up with less funding this year … in fact the amount is substantial … three point four million dollars.

The reason??  

Management of the Interior Health Authority has been unable to ensure hospitals, in its jurisdiction, provide needed patient service, within a reasonable amount of time, for hip, knee and cataract surgeries.

I think most people would agree it should be the job of those in management, to ensure that health care services are provided with no long or undue delays.   

If management is unable to ensure this happens, then it should be THEIR salaries that get clawed back, by the Health Ministry.