With this I now ask, “How strong are your convictions?”

Yesterday I received an email from Peter Brown; he is the Chair of the Fraser Institute, and works with CanAccord Financial.  In his email he spoke of the ‘lost years’ under the NDP, the fiscal mess they left, that people were leaving the province, and the need for one ‘big-tent’ option to prevent this happening again.

There was no request to keep this matter private, and I was not the only one to receive his email.  The following are exchanges we had on this matter, and which on reflection tell me that the BC Conservative Party must continue to build a solid foundation on which we can fight, and win the next election

Peter ...

Voters are NOT interested in a so-called big tent free-enterprise coalition -- they are interested in honest, open and accountable government.  These things are no longer part of how the BC Liberals operate -- and why more and more people are joining and working to build the BC Conservative Party.

IF you are interested in fiscal responsibility ... honesty ... respect for voters ... and accountability, then the party you should be supporting will be the BC Conservatives.

The Liberals have gone from one crisis after the other --- one disaster after the other --- one blunder after the other.  That is not a party that I (and it appears 75% of the population) will support.

If you wish to ensure the BC NDP do not gain office, then I would encourage you to become a member of the BC Conservatives and to support us in any way you are able ... including encouraging your friends to do so as well.

Sincerely,

Alan Forseth, member of

The BC Conservative Party

You misunderstand a nonpartisan appeal. Without some ability for all on the center right to find some mutually acceptable compromises we will undoubtedly elect the most doctrinaire socialist government in our history at a time of an alarming global geo political and economic background.

If they make it they are likely to get 2 terms which will give our Province and our youth another disastrous lost decade at the worst time. It is worth remembering that Chretien won three elections as a result of a split right of center vote. It has been said that we get the government we deserve and I believe we will look back with regret if we can't find some solution to the current differences on the center right

Maybe she can find the savings by eliminating excessive bonuses

Several days ago the Vancouver Sun featured a story that indicated, came news that ... "A popular program that brought science learning to hundreds of thousands of children across the province will come to an end after Premier Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government stopped its funding."

The story said that Science World, “… will no longer be able to run the BC Program for the Awareness and Learning of Science (BC PALS), which included a series of educational science programs in communities across the province.”

Many will find this a puzzling action for the provincial government, especially in light of Christy Clark praising the work being done, and the importance of having children involved and plugged in to science.

Premier Christy Clark at Science World following
completion of renovations (November 2011)

As the Globe and Mail reminded us in a story on June 29, 2012:
At a splashy media event held at Science World to unveil new renovations last November, Ms. Clark talked about how important the facility was to growing interest in the subject among young people. The Premier mentioned how her own son, Hamish, had visited the attraction dozens of times himself, spurring an interest in science-related career possibilities.

The story quoted Premier Clark, from last Novembers photo-op at Science World:
“In order to maintain our competitive edge, it’s important we support Science World and their programs that foster the pursuit of science in our children and throughout the community, so we have the bright young people to fill those jobs when they become available.”

Twiddle Dee, and Twiddle Dumb. That’s what we have with the BC Liberal Party, and the BC New Democrats

Message to BC Liberals and BC New Democrats

Is this, or isn’t it, the height of hypocrisy … the pot calling the kettle black?   

A BC Government Caucus News release today, quoted Kamloops North Thompson MLA, and Environment Minister, Terry Lake as saying:

“Raising taxes on business will only kill jobs in BC.  The NDP still don’t seem to understand that higher taxes will hurt BC’s competitiveness and our economy. They have conveniently skipped over the fact that the carbon tax has returned $500 million more to taxpayers than it has raised in revenue.”

This in response to an interview on CKNW, with NDP environment critic Rob Fleming, who apparently stated that BC’s government, should “fix” the carbon tax, by using it to fund transportation projects.

The BC Liberal media release went on to say that,
To pay for these projects he (Rob Fleming) re-iterated the NDP’s proposed plan to raise business taxes to make the carbon tax “revenue positive” to government.

Well there is another side to this story, as BC Conservative Party Leader John Cummins has clearly pointed out:
“Despite all the new taxes and rate hikes, the provincial government is still short of cash because they have a spending problem. How can the government ask British Columbians to pay more when their money is being thrown away?”

And yet asking for more is exactly what this government has been doing!  A study by the Fraser Institute, in 2011, showed that the average family in British Columbia makes less, and pays more taxes, than in any province west of Quebec.

A government isn’t open and accountable by saying they are … they are open and accountable through their actions

Have you ever heard of the Labour, Citizen’s Services and Open Government Ministry?  I doubt many have --- it is a rather weird and bizarre grouping to put together don’t you think?

Regardless, it’s the Open Government portion of the name that interests me, and if you go to the Ministry’s website, you’ll find the following:

Information Access Operations service mandate is:

“To lead and deliver optimal services on behalf of the Province of British Columbia, in fulfilling the obligations under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA); the Document Disposal Act (DDA) and the Core Policy and Procedures Manual (CPPM) Chapter 12 for the management of records within the provincial government’s control and/or custody. The IAO is committed to fostering strong, meaningful relationships and offering innovative services to its beneficiaries while exemplifying transparency and accountability”.

I added the underlining to the above quote from their website, including the last four words … “exemplifying transparency and accountability’

Isn’t it rather curious for Christy Clark’s BC Liberals to use that selection of words, to talk about being ‘open’ … ‘transparent’ … and ‘accountable’? 

Perhaps, more accurately, words to describe how this government operates should instead by … Hypocrisy … Insincerity … Disingenuous … and Misleading come to mind.

This is not the individual back-bench MLA’s who are part of Christy Clark’s government … NO … this is the Cabinet Ministers, the Premiers Office … and the Premier herself who dictate this is how our provincial government operates.

Harsh words, perhaps, but fitting I believe.

"Fear of a name, increases fear of the thing itself"

Former BC Solicitor General Kash
Heed to retire after just one term

Remember the classic rock anthem from Queen ... Another One Bites the Dust?

Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust

And another one gone, and another one gone

Another one bites the dust

Hey, I'm gonna get you too

I was reminded of the song, when yet another BC Liberal MLA decided to call it quits late last week … former Solicitor General Kash Heed.  Heed was only elected as a BC Liberal MLA in the 2009 provincial election, in the riding of Vancouver - Fraserview. 

The fact that he has decided to bow out, after just one term, speaks volumes to the chances of BC Liberals in the next general election.

In an interview with the Asian Journal, Kash Heed laid out several reasons for his decision, including the following:

"...the system within British Columbia is very, very difficult to change and there really was no real, clear action by the government to make those significant changes."

"Unfortunately, our government has decided to move forward on signing a multi-billion-dollar, 20-year contract with the RCMP without doing, in my opinion, due diligence on what the best policing model is for British Columbia.

"I go away from politics, saying that I am glad I had my 31-year career in policing, because had I entered politics as my career, I would have been so, so disappointed.”

Kash Heed is now the third sitting BC Liberal MLA to announce he will not be seeking re-election.  The first, sometime ago, was Harry Bloy.  Last week, Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger also announced he was stepping down and would not run again.