It may talk like a duck … but it sure as heck doesn't walk like one

Premier Christy Clark -- "Iron Snowbird"?

It is truly remarkable --- actually truly unbelievable, the heights of hypocrisy that Christy Clark will use, and go to, in her attempt to appear what she truly is not.

Christy Clark comes from the lineage of Federal Liberals, her heritage is the Federal Liberal Party, and on top of that, it's from the left leaning side of the 'federal' Liberal Party.

I'm reminded of an old saying. Remember this one? If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck …

No … wait a minute ... somethings not quite right here. This duck may talk like a duck … but it sure as heck doesn't walk like one. There is NOTHING conservative about Christy Clark. Not small 'c' … or capitol “C” … make no mistake about it.

A story ran on Saturday in both the Vancouver Sun … and the Times Colonist. The Times Colonist story was titled “Clark lauded as 'iron snowbird'” and it part it said:

Clark is in the fight of her political life due to the challenge from a number of Manning's former Reform MPs who have moved into provincial politics under former MP John Cummins, the B.C. Conservative leader.

The premier has enlisted Manning and two of the Reform founder's former top MPs, including ex-Harper ministers Chuck Strahl and Jay Hill, to blunt the attack from the right.

So far that hasn't paid off. Manning said publicly in October that he supports Clark, not Cummins, as the best bet to keep the NDP from taking power. But polls consistently show the B.C. Liberals are well behind the NDP …

Christy Clark may walk like a duck, but it's a Liberal Duck … and Christy Clark may talk like a duck, but it's a Liberal Duck. 

Christy Clark can surround herself with as many former Reformers as she likes … but she will still be a Liberal Duck.

The doctors, nurses, support staff are all incredible

Those who know my family, and / or are Friends with me on Facebook, know our little girl suffers from Scoliosis. 

For the past two and a half years Jade has been under the care of Dr. Reilly, at BC Children's Hospital.  He is one of two surgeon specialists that have the special skills needed to help children that suffer from this disease, and he works with an incredible team of men and women in the Scoliosis Clinic.

Having a child with Scoliosis has been hard – but nowhere near as hard as it is on the child who suffer from this painful disease.

Her surgery was canceled twice – but this weekend things came together for her surgery to take place. The first of two surgeries took place over a five hour period on Thursday --- the second stage will take 6+ hours on Monday.

There are many things that, to be honest, I am not happy about with regards to the health care system. I do not include however the people who work in, and provide the care, within that system.

We have seen incredible compassion for the tiniest babies, for toddlers, young children, right up to young teenage ladies and young men. 

The doctors, nurses, support staff are all incredible -- and through their actions they show time and time again, this is where they want to be ... and this is the job they feel called to do.

For that I am very grateful!

There is no magic pot of money to pay for any wage increases --- so what is this strike really all about?

THE BC Federationist, in a release to members, says:

For salary and benefits — teachers want to “keep up” and “catch up.” What do we mean by that? We want to keep up with inflation ... unfortunately; the government’s position has and continues to be “net zero.” The government claims that taxpayers cannot afford increases to public sector wages and that wages must remain flat because the government is running a deficit.

Well that really does sound reasonable, doesn’t it?  Yet it is simplistic in that the BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) fail to acknowledge that an increase in wages for teachers means an increase to ALL public sector employees that HAVE already negotiated "Net Zero" contracts.

Taxpayers -- which includes teachers and all other government workers, have to understand that means there would be an increase in fees and taxes, to pay for ANY wage or salary increase for teachers!  There is ONLY one source of revenue for the government, so how do they plan to see wage increases paid for otherwise?

The truth is the BC Federation of Labour, and the BCTF, don't care.  The hierarchy of government unions want wage increases for all members, and they are using the teachers to try and force that.

BC Conservatives are the "Little Engine That Could"

The following story was published in the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial for March 5, 2012:

The leader of the British Columbia Conservatives says his party is the only one in the province committed to controlling government spending and lowering taxes.

Speaking to about 60 people at the Chemainus Theatre Feb. 28, John Cummins reacted to last week’s provincial budget and shared his views on other issues such as the negotiations between the provincial government and the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and BC Hydro smart metres.

During his town hall meeting, Cummins also told the crowd he feels the Conservatives are poised to surpass the Liberals in the polls and can win the next provincial election.

Cummins says he was in Chemainus to help grown the constituency associations on the Island and spread the message that the BC Conservatives are alive and growing.

“Sort of like the little engine that could, we started from really nothing a year ago, and we’re now at 22 per cent of the polls,” he said. “The message is we can win the next provincial election.  "I think British Columbians are looking for change, and they’re tired of what they see in Victoria, and I think that’s why a lot of folks showed up here.”

In a poll that came out the day prior to his speech, the Conservatives stood at 22 per cent of decided voters, while the Liberals were at 24 per cent, and the NDP at 42 per cent, noted Reed Elley, president of the provincial BC Conservative Party.

“As I travel around this province, I know that what you’re reading in the polls is what people are thinking because that’s exactly the kind of message that I get,” said Cummins.

Cummins was critical of the provincial budget that was presented a week earlier.  "(The Liberals) were hoping that somehow or another, this budget was going to convince Conservatives that they should look at these Liberals as real small-c conservatives able to represent them and their issues in the legislature ... they hoped to present a budget that would be appealing to us who are fiscal conservatives. Well, it was anything but,” he said.

“The polling tells us that only 29 per cent of the people believe this budget was in their best interest, that it was a conservative budget.  And why is that?  Well, with a small-c conservative budget, you’re not going to see tax increases in these tough times, but that’s exactly what this budget does.”

The 2012 budget cancels tax cuts that had been planned for small businesses, noted Cummins.  "This is a huge disincentive to business to grow in British Columbia and to create jobs,” he said.

“One of the reasons we as a country have done well during this recent economic downturn is because our businesses taxes were low, businesses continued to invest in Canada because the corporate taxes were low, and in these tough economic times, to raise them is foolishness, and yet that’s what this Liberal government wants to do.”

Cummins says the Conservatives would do things differently by governing and managing this province based on two essential components — tax relief and spending restraint.

“Under tax relief, we already announced right at the get-go that we would eliminate the carbon tax,” he said. “We’re also committed to getting spending under control. You cannot keep accumulating debt the way we have been in this province and get away with it.”

To get spending under control, Cummins says a Conservative government would ask three questions before spending the province’s money: ‘does this program help economic growth’, ‘does this program help people who, through no fault of their own, can’t help themselves,’ and ‘does this program make B.C. a safer place to live, work and raise a family’.

“We have to address those things that really matter to people, we have to carefully manage spending in this province, we have to get the taxes under control,” said Cummins.

“We cannot continue to go back to the days of increases taxes for businesses and personal taxes; we’re paying far too much in taxes now. It’s not helpful.”

When asked how he would handle the negotiations with the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) differently, Cummins said both sides should bear responsibility.

“This should have been dealt with early last fall,” he said. “It should not have dragged on as long as it has, and I think part of that problem has to be placed squarely at the foot of the government.

“I think respect both ways is necessary — I think the government has to respect the teachers in a way that they haven’t, but I think the leadership of the teachers’ association could have done the job a lot better as well.”