Tell the BC Liberal's, and the New Democrats, enough is enough!

Today we have a guest commentary from BC Conservative Party member, and Kamloops South nominee candidate, Peter Sharp:

One of the stories in today's edition of the Kamloops Daily News had the following headline; "MLA expense reports lack detail, taxpayers’ federation says -- 'It’s a virtually worthless document'

Expense reports showing how much B.C.’s provincial politicians spend on travel are worthless, a director of the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation says.

“It’s flawed in many ways,” Jordan Bateman said Friday.



BC Conservative Party nominee
candidate Peter Sharp

The reports don’t include a breakdown of ministers’ expenses, doesn’t give context on the number of trips they actually took or where they went, nor does it include who travels with them, although MLAs are allowed to take someone on 12 trips a year.

“It’s a virtually worthless document,” he said.



While the BC Liberal government crows about what a wonderful job they are doing with our economy -- the BC Taxpayers says BC Liberals and NDP MLA's are being completely unaccountable with our tax dollars. 

This is just ONE of the reasons why I have chosen to seek the nomination to run as the BC Conservative candidate in Kamloops South Thompson. Here are the FIRST two things the party I support believes in:

The BC Conservative Party is founded on and will be guided in its policy formation by the following principles:

1) A belief in clearly defined public policies and programs that are affordable and effective and for which delivery is accountable to all the people of British Columbia.

2) A belief in managing the government to the highest standards of integrity and transparency and British Columbians are entitled to full knowledge of services rendered and their costs.


We have endured two decades of NDP and BC Liberal governments. 

Auditor General John Doyle stated they are creating; "the appearance of profitability where none exists ... they are creating a burden on ratepayers in the future"

BC Hydro and smart meters are back in the news again.  It has always been my belief that the main reason for smart meters being pushed on us by government had little to do with saving energy; instead the push was to have an increased revenue source. 

After all, the BC government does drain revenues, from BC Hydro, which are then lost in a black hole called General Revenue.

To give what I believe is clarity to the push for Smart Meters, lets sandwich the comments of Energy Minister Rich Coleman (Surrey Leader) -- along with the words of a BC Hydro Media Advisor (Kamloops Daily News) ... and those of a Corix employee (Kamloops Daily News) -- between two news stories from the CBC in 2011:

CBC NEWS -- Oct 27th, 2011

B.C.’s auditor general says BC Hydro has deferred $2.2 billion in current expenses that he says sooner or later, Hydro customers will have to pay for.

 

SURREY LEADER -- January 31st, 2013
Energy Minister Rich Coleman says smart meters won't be forced into homes over the next few months but he denied reports the province has reversed its policy and will let objectors opt out of having the wireless devices.  "We're going back to talk to our customers ... We'll not force any customer to take a meter."

 

KAMLOOPS DAILY NEWS -- February 1st, 2013
... after Liberals Rich Coleman and Gordon Hogg said meter opponents won’t be required to take the devices — a Corix employee showed up at Wendy Johnson’s Oak Hills home and insisted smart meters are being ordered for all B.C. homes.

“He said ‘Ma’am, we’ve been ordered to put meters on every house.’ He turned around and put on the meter,” Johnson said.

"It's a clear slam-dunk" ... and Hydro customers will be the ones getting slammed

Time of Day billing will be another government cash cow

Never mind that smart meters can be a health issue for some --- my biggest concern is that the BC Liberals will allow Hydro to jack up rates with "Time-of-Day billing.

This is also something Michael Smythe also raised as a distinct possibility in an opinion piece he wrote entitled; "Smart meters will be Hydro's cash cow" (Oct 2011)

SO ... will Christy Clark and the BC Liberals rule out this possibly – confirm this will not be permitted in the future --- and do so BEFORE the provincial election in May?

We should know the answer to this question. Here is a portion of the article by Michael Smythe, which should have you asking the same thing:

"I've said it clearly - we're not going to time-of-use," said Energy Minister Rich Coleman.

Actually, it's not that clear. When you pin him down, Coleman says there will be no time-of-use billing for now - you know, before an election - but he won't rule it out in the future.

And isn't it interesting that Hydro's own manager of the smart-meter program seems so gung-ho for timeof-use billing?

"It's a clear slam-dunk," Gary Murphy gushed to Globe and Mail reporter Ian Bailey. And Hydro customers will be the ones getting slammed!

BC Hydro is in serious financial straights, and happened on the watch of the BC Liberal government.

Finally, Christy Clark has said something that I can agree with! It is possible to ... "predict future behaviour based on your previous record.”

Given Premier Christy Clark's comments, I predict
rising taxes and fees ... and ever increasing debt

The following comments are from an opinion piece, in the Victoria Times Colonist, which was written by Les Leyne; "Leaders differ on balancing the budget"

NDP Leader Adrian Dix said ... there’s no way it will be balanced. Premier Christy Clark said it most certainly will ...

Even while continuing the advertising blitz, the government announced it is currently a half-billion dollars off its budget

Clark said ... “We are going to make sure we are the lowest tax jurisdiction in the country for personal income taxes ... that is the most important way government keeps life affordable for people.”

Although the running tally for the current year’s deficit is higher than expected, the plan is to erase it in a new budget next February.

Now ... here's another comment that our BC Liberal Premier Christy Clark made, and now probably wishes she hadn't, back in December of last year.  QUOTE: “It’s possible to predict future behaviour based on your previous record.”

Okay Christy ..., let's do a little research to see if in fact that comment, which YOU made, is indeed correct.

BC Ministry of Finance (Summary of Provincial Debt Report -- page #5)
* total BC debt 2001: $33,385,000,000 ($33.385 BILLION)

BC Ministry of Finance (Fiscal and Debt Summary) 2nd Quarter Report 2012 / 13 dated November 28th, 2012
* total estimated Provincial debt (March 2013): $56,356,000,000 ($56.35 BILLION)

BC Ministry of Finance (Budget & Fiscal Plan: 2012/13 - 2014/15 - page #5) -- government document is dated February 21st, 2012
* total estimated debt by 2014/15: $66,354,000,000 ($66.35 BILLION)

Will you look at that!  Christy Clark has finally said something that I can agree with! It is definitely possible to ... "predict future behaviour based on your previous record.” 

But what a dismal record that is for British Columbians here and now ... and those in the future who will be saddled with the results, and consequences, of that ever increasing debt.

Ever vigilant to comments I make on social media, about his government, Kamloops South BC Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger was there to respond

BC Premier Christy Clark - Families First?

With regards to the pathetically partisan / self congratulatory advertising the BC Liberal government is running, using $15 million of our tax dollars. While the following, from the Competition Act applies to businesses only, it is the spirit of what is written in to the act that is of interest to me.  It is also something the BC Liberal Party brass has never given a second thought, or concern about.

False or Misleading Representations:
The Competition Act provides criminal and civil regimes to address false or misleading representations. Section 52 of the Act is a criminal provision.

It prohibits knowingly or recklessly making, or permitting the making of, a representation to the public, in any form whatever, that is false or misleading in a material respect.

I wonder if they have ALSO read this section?

False or Misleading Representations:
Paragraph 74.01(1)(a) of the Act is a civil provision. It prohibits the making, or the permitting of the making, of a representation to the public, in any form whatever, that is false or misleading in a material respect.

Ever vigilant to comments I make on social media, about his government, Kamloops South BC Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger was there to respond:

Kevin Krueger:  Have you been to the web-site which the ads refer job-seekers to? Probably not. Do you know or care that the B.C. Liberals have built an economy which has added hundreds of thousands of jobs for British Columbians? Or that we have vastly ramped up skills training in B.C.?

Alan Forseth:  Yes I have actually been there Kevin --- and there is much self-congratulatory rhetoric there ... along with of course useful and helpful information.

Where I have the biggest issue is the out and out lies being told about the fiscal record of this current government --- its tax policies that have negatively impacted and affected middle-class families struggling to make ends meet -- and the impossibility (given ever-rising annual deficits) that it can possibly deliver a balanced budget next year.

This has been the worst partisan advertising -- rivaling even that done by the NDP in the dying days of their government -- and to ad insult to injury, its is we that taxpayers who are funding this BS advertising.

Shame on your government!

Kevin Krueger: Your continual disparaging of British Columbia's economic success is false and destructive. Name a non-socialist economist in Canada who agrees with you! We have the lowest income taxes in Canada, and with Alberta, the most robust economy in the country, which is world-leading. Ontario is running a $14 billion deficit this year; B.C.'s deficit will be eliminated on March 31. Most western countries are running deficits, Al. You should stop your fear mongering and deception.

Alan Forseth:  On this we will just have to agree to disagree Kevin ...

I am part of the shrinking middle class that continues to see nothing but increased government costs whittling away at resources that should instead be used for not just necessities, but even a little entertainment and relaxation. Those things, for low and middle class British Columbian's, are getting harder and harder to do, under the BC Liberal watch.