SO ... just which political party actually DOES support the hard working men and women that pack a lunch bucket to the job site?



I'm wondering ... does Adrian Dix and the BC NDP support the 'leadership' of the unions which make large campaign contributions --- or the actual men and women that pack a lunch bucket to the job site?

I'm wondering this because it seems ONLY the BC Conservative Party actually supports development of new high paying, family raising, union jobs in the resource industry (ie: mines and Northern Gateway)

From the Globe and Mail ... with regards to Adrian Dix and the NDP:
"With a regulatory review for the contentious Northern Gateway project still under way – and a provincial election on the horizon – British Columbia’s New Democratic Party is already looking at ways to stop the $5.5-billion project should it be approved."

That includes a legal team considering strategies to prevent it from being built, NDP Leader Adrian Dix says.

“You can do a whole pile of stuff on the regulatory front that will increase the price to where it makes it economically prohibitive,” said one former bureaucrat, who did not want to be identified because of current contracts with industry. “The smartest thing to do from a political perspective would be to fight the thing in court because the delays will kill the project.”

And in the National Post with regards to, Christy Clark Yes today and NO tomorrow??
"Clark’s real weapon is political: the opposition of much of the B.C. public to the project, and the price the federal Tories would likely pay at the polls were they seen to be overriding the government of B.C. on the matter — her own, or her likely NDP successor’s.

The list of demands she has suddenly produced, are
an obvious attempt to inoculate herself on the
Gateway issue, without actually coming out against it."

The list of demands she has suddenly produced, far behind in the polls with less than a year to go before the provincial election, are an obvious attempt to inoculate herself on the Gateway issue, without actually coming out against it."

Now let's look at the comments of BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins, spoken just a week ago:
"The BC Conservatives, alone among our province's four major political parties, support the economic development and high-wage job opportunities that will come with construction of the Northern Gateway pipelines," said Cummins.

"Of course, the project must adhere to our nation's stringent environmental laws and regulations. A fair and objective analysis will conclude that the economic benefits to Canada and British Columbia are real and tangible."

The reasons behind the support for the pipeline centers on job-creation and resource management.  “If we don’t do something with these resources,” he said, “someone else will”.

Meantime, if anyone thinks the BC Conservative Party position has changed in any way, I invite you to check out this link to a video which was done by Integrity BC.  It features BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins, and confirms our position has remained the same.

Do BC Conservatives support development at any cost -- NO of course not ... although we have, and will again be alleged, to have that policy.  Here however are the facts of BC Conservative Party policy regarding jobs, the environment, and resource development:

BC HYDRO Part 3 (AKA) Does "No" actually mean "No" to the BC Liberals? To all of them? Some of them? And on what day?

Today's Conservative Thoughts commentary is a guest op / ed.  Unfortunately I am unable to include the name of the writer, but this is a person I have known and have respected for nearly 20 years.

 

As B.C. Hydro and Corix installers roll out across the province, targeting people who’ve refused the Hydro smart meters, the message changes constantly.

“I’ve been ordered to put a meter on every house
and I’m doing it.”, he replied ... and he did.

From 85,000 to 140,000 British Columbians have registered with Hydro to refuse the smart meters. Reasons include health, safety, privacy, time of day billing and, as one man put it, “the jack-booted way it’s being imposed”.

On January 22nd Energy Minister Rich Coleman reassured the hold-outs that meters wouldn’t be forced upon them.

On January 29th Liberal MLA Gordon Hogg issued a statement, telling people pressured to accept new meters, to notify their MLA’s.

On January 30th a Kamloops reporter wanting to confirm the government’s position, phoned several MLAs.  BC Liberal MLA and Energy Minster Rich Coleman wasn’t available, but his office sent a copy of the Jan. 22nd statement that Smart Meters would not be forced on them.

Gordon Hogg’s office replied “Mr. Hogg is no longer speaking to the media on the smart meter issue.” 

Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger, the only Liberal MLA who would speak, said “..We always have some people who think everything’s bad for them. …however there are some people with really unique health conditions.  I don’t want to have smart meters anywhere near them."

People felt reassured.  It didn’t last long.

Between January 28th and February 1st, the city of Kamloops was targeted for a final installation blitz. Corix, the company doing installations, employs mostly young men who are paid by piece work.  Every morning they held a team meeting during which they’re told where to go, what to say and what to do.

On January 28th, a 72 year old woman insisted to the installer that she didn’t want a smart meter.  “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” she asked. 

“I’ve been ordered to put a meter on every house and I’m doing it.”, he replied, and he did.

Another woman, who has medical problems, explained why she was refusing. “Now I’ve talked to you can I be confident no one else will come install a meter?” 

"We’ll be back”, was the response.

“When?”, she asked 

The response?  ... “Maybe tomorrow.” 

One man became so exasperated, after he was asked three times why he was refusing, that he grabbed for the smart meter.  In the scuffle a Corix employee fell to the ground.  The RCMP arrived within 15 minutes and told the householder he would be charged.

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.

There's nothing wishy-washy, or fence sitting in these words ... that's because we believe British Columbian's deserve nothing less!

We've certainly had no end of swerving from side to side, by the BC Liberals and NDP, when it comes to job creation in resource development, and other major development projects.

 

So where do the BC Conservatives stand on things.  Unlike Christy Clark and Adrian Dix, BC Conservative party leader John Cummins has been crystal clear;

Can anyone explain what NEW jobs, and
the development needed for them to occur,
the BC Liberals actually do support?

 

The BC Liberals say that they want to encourage investment and job creation, but do they, really? When a controversial project is proposed, does Christy Clark show leadership? Or does she sit on the fence, waiting to see which way the wind blows? 

Does anybody think this will change under an NDP government led by Adrian Dix? They seem to believe it’s okay to reject every new proposal of capital investment that comes along. The NDP of course, are not opposed to new jobs … they just believe that all new jobs should be created in the public sector ... government jobs in other words.

 

 The BC Conservatives are not afraid to take tough positions … and we are not afraid of straight talk either.  We believe that policies to encourage new investment must be a top priority for BC's next government.  And, we know and have stated that a major component of new investment must be the creation of high-paying jobs. 

 

That led a friend of mine from social media to ask;

Al, what are some examples? I am not meaning to be a smart ass, but was curious which projects this would encompass.  Does this mean the BCCP is in favour of all of them? Some of them? This interests because much of my work relates to this sort of stuff and I wonder what the process would look like under the BC Conservatives.

Under both NDP & Liberal led governments,
wages and salaries for good well-paying
resource and industrial sector jobs (as a % of
GDP in BC), has shrunk by 5%.  Meantime
CEO's / management, in government ministries
and agencies, have been busy awarding themselves
a number of pay raises and bonuses.  This while
the number of front line workers, who actually
deliver services, has been reduced.

Well ... both NDP and BC Liberals talk out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to development --- BUT one thing you will NOT hear them say is that they are in favor of moving forward on resource development and large scale projects. 

That's because they fear what MIGHT be coming at them from environmental groups.

BC Conservatives on the other hand have said we WELCOME development -- and the well-paying union, and spin-off jobs (family supporting jobs) that will come from it.

When Mike Harcourt led the NDP to power in 1991, wages and salaries accounted for 56.6% of our provinces gross domestic product. Now, after two decades of NDP incompetence and BC Liberal mismanagement, that has dropped to 51.7% of GDP.

YES ... we will ensure tough environmental guidelines are in place, but OUR starting point is in having a renewed priority, and belief, in economic development – and especially on the creation of high-paying jobs.

This is how we differ from NDP and BC Liberals ... We believe in carrying out responsible, FACT-BASED stewardship of the environment. A BC Conservative government will base its decisions on the best available SCIENTIFIC data ... not emotional rhetoric.

The Liberal Party have everything to fear by our growth (much as Social Credit did when the Liberal Party came back from the wilderness)

Today I am going to share with you, part of a letter, which was received by one of our Kamloops Constituency Association board members.  I think in reading it, you will find it echoes the response of some people you yourself may have spoken, or been in touch with: 

I am very conservative fiscally and probably small ‘c’ conservative socially, a strong believer in free enterprise but with a social conscience.

I was initially intrigued by the BC conservative movement, I was interested in its direction.  Had some high hopes that it could find a place in BC politics.

I must say I am presently disillusioned by many of the actions ... 

Sound familiar --- are you becoming disillusioned your self when you hear those words, or others similar.  

Well "Buck Up, because here is a response that MUST be delivered to those who believe in what we are trying to do, but are been swayed by outside influences.  And ... every word of what follows IS true!

Dear John Doe ...

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond, and let me say right off the bat that I appreciate your candor in the remarks you made.  If  I were to say, I was not discouraged, by the events that took place this past Summer, I would not be speaking the truth. 

That said, I attended the party AGM held in Langley, and what I saw and felt, was the heart and soul of the membership striving and working towards achieving approval of new policy that would be part of our platform next May.

I also saw our rank and file members listening intently to the words of those who were seeking the lead the party on the Executive and Board of Directors.  Given the overwhelming mandate those elected received, it is obvious that we have majority support for our party leader John Cummins.

Let me also say that he, like anyone one else, has his flaws, however our party is NOT the John Cummins Party.  It is the BC Conservative Party, and we the members (the grassroots) are the people that drive it ... unlike the Adrian Dix led NDP ... and Christy Clark led BC Liberals.

We have lost some of our members through-out the internal problems we had -- those however were NOT the people that stood behind the majority of our membership who are firmly behind a bottom up approach, rather than one led from the top down. 

Those individuals, who are now gone, were more concerned with having their own way, in creating their own little empires, rather than supporting the aspirations of our members. 

We have come out the other side --- we are stronger for the trials we went through -- and our members KNOW the party does, and will, stand behind the will and direction of its members.

As Peter Pan said, “All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.”

An opinion piece ran in the Tuesday November 20th edition of 24hrs Vancouver entitled, "Liberals could win next provincial election"

It read in part:
... Premier Christy Clark gave what was, by all accounts, a rousing speech .. a clarion call to arms leading up to the election next spring. Indeed, there wasn’t a defeatist tone in the speech or mood in the house...

Soon to be BC Liberal candidate John Martin sharing his
thoughts of Premier Christy Clark on CKNW (03 / 28 / 12)

"Not even the most devoted Liberal supporter could

argue with a straight face that this government has

earned a fourth mandate. Theirs is a legacy of deceit,

incompetence, and financial mismanagement."

... recent polling has the governing Liberals deader than the proverbial doornail that would seem to be more than a little strange. But the premier is nothing if not a fighter ... it seems likely at this point that Adrian Dix and the New Democratic Party will form the next government, it is by no means a fait accompli.

... BC  politics has been about big government and unions versus free enterprise ... when the NDP got into power in 1973 and 1991, it was because the free enterprise party was in tatters. I’m not sure that can be said now — especially with an energized and feisty premier.

... if Clark can frame this election in the traditional left-right terms of free enterprise versus big government and big labour, plus play down the battered Liberal brand, she might just have a chance.

Seriously.

My response?  Well I certainly had one, and so I wrote:
Sorry but you are writing off the BC Conservative Party wayyyyyy to soon -- and yes I am a member of the party.

I think you, and many others, are going to be surprised at who ends up going to the legislature in Victoria next May. Seriously!

That led to Collin Rogers taking a moment to suggest:

Winning by default is nothing Adrian Dix and the NDP should be happy with; if they are, shame on them. Shame too, on us, if we allow that to happen.

I wonder how many people happen to have seen a Letter to the Editor, “And speaking of politics” written by Lloyd Atkins of Vernon, that was in todays (09/10/12) edition of the Vancouver Sun?

For those who have not, here it is re-printed in its’ entirety:

If any BC Liberals were clinging to the fantasy that British Columbians would refuse to dance with the socialist horde, then the provincial election results in La Belle Province must come as a shock. Quebecers put the Parti Quebecois separatists at the top of their dance card and everyone knows they are much spookier than the NDP. There is a lesson here for Premier Christy Clark and her disintegrating party. Voters are willing to take a calculated risk to repudiate and punish dishonest and incompetent leaders.

The people of Quebec have decided waltzing with Pauline Marois' separatists is worth the gamble if they can rid themselves of Jean Charest and his corrupt gang of Liberals. The people of B.C. seem more than eager to tango with Adrian Dix's socialists if they can rid themselves of Christy Clark and her inept gang of Liberals.

Marois must realize she is only get-ting a chance to be premier of Quebec by default. Dix must already know he will become premier of BC by default. His New Democrats will only win the election next spring because frustrated British Columbians want to kick the Liberals out.

The underlined text was done by me --- and for good reason; if the New Democrats win next year’s election, it will be by default ONLY.  The majority of people in BC do not support the policy and ideals of the NDP, they simply see no other viable choice or option.

There is in fact an option however; but it is one that in the coming months MUST get past internal squabbles, and present a united front, with strong policies, and a quick and easy to understand platform.  That option is the BC Conservative Party.

It will be incumbent on members of the BC Conservatives (of which I am one), to come out of the AGM being held September 22^nd in Langley, united.

Policy is the stuff that pundits, media, and those of us who are political junkies, feed on.  It is not however what most voters take the time to read – never mind understand.

IF BC Conservatives wish to have a chance at forming government following next Springs General Election, we will have to provide voters with the broad strokes of policy in a way that can easily and readily be understood.  

I myself have been guilty of boiling this down to the lowest possible description of what we stand for --- fiscal conservatives with a social conscience.  

That statement however doesn’t seem to make sense to the “We’re Green no matter what the cost” crowd

Leadership we can count on?  Well it seems what we can
count on is a leader that will drive our economy in to the ground

So … BC NDP leader Adrian Dix says: “Within a week of taking office, we will serve the federal government with 30 days’ notice to terminate the 2010 deal in which the Liberals signed away B.C.’s interests.”

Well thank you very much (NOT!)

GREAT --- that's all we need is years and years of more delays.  I know I am not alone in saying, “Let's just get the process completed and make a decision. Delays cost jobs!!”

But no … those in the NDP, along with those who are totally opposed to any kind of job creating development in our province, are going to do everything they can to stall, delay, and stop projects from going ahead. 

Their sole purpose? 

Well it seems clear enough to me from a message posted by Tom Woodsworth on Facebook today.  He stated, “The sludge ain't going anywhere. Worried the green energy sector will explode and relegate the O&G sector to the dustbins of history? Not gonna happen anytime soon.”

Well to be clear, all I am saying is it's time to fish or cut bait. Either the project passes environmental reviews or it doesn't.

WHY?

Because this never ending process of reviews and counter reviews is nothing more than a COSTLY waste of time and energy for ALL involved.

That statement however doesn’t seem to make sense to the “We’re Green no matter what the cost” crowd. 

John Cummins not only has what it takes to lead the BC Conservatives in the next election; he is best suited to be the next Premier of our province

Today, my friend Sean Smith posted what I think is the best take on the differences between BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins and Premier / BC Liberal leader Christy Clark.  He said:

BC Premier Christy Clark

"It's the difference between having a leader with no experience working hard in BC industry, and one that had an active part in it. Christy Clark hasn't worked a hard day as a labourer in her life, while Cummins helped build the WAC Bennett Dam, was a commercial fisherman AND was a teacher. Experience in leadership is everything!"

My soon to be retiring Kamloops South BC Liberal MLA, Kevin Krueger, came back to say:

What you say is not true. Christy worked in the hospitality industry as a young person. She is so obviously bright, and politically astute, that she was drafted into political activities very young, and ran a pan-Canadian political organization for youth. She is well into her second year as the Premier of British Columbian, while looking after her little guy as a single Mom. You think John Cummins' challenges stack up better than that?

    

Christy is a leader; she is kind to people, and knows how to enable a team. Her team's results are the best in Canada, with Alberta's. John Cummins has a history of scrapping, not leading, as far as I have seen. It is ridiculous to suggest that he is the more accomplished person.

Not wanting to miss out on a good discussion Sean responded by saying:

Seriously!? You are going to compare her time as a hostess / waitress to Mr. Cummins time in construction / commercial fishing/education? The only reason she was drafted into politics was because of her father’s connections! For cryin' out loud, how out of touch do you think the people of British Columbia are!! Next you will be talking about her education at SFU, the University of Edinburgh and the Sourbonne, none of which she actually graduated from! Perhaps you would like to put that up against Mr. Cummins 2 degrees!

John Cummins DOES have a better connect with the people of BC – he knows what it means to work hard – he knows what it means to put food on the table, and a roof over the head of his family.

Why do I say that?  Well here’s the facts:

What type of ‘democratic socialist party’ is the BC NDP? We’re not hearing the answer to that question from leader Adrian Dix. Should we wonder why?

News stories a week ago, including this excerpt from Global News BC (British Columbians think BC NDP best able to manage economy) said that:

… for the first time, British Columbians think BC NDP leader Adrian Dix is the best person to handle the provincial economy.

The Angus Reid poll, released today, shows that the public also thinks that Dix is the best person to handle health care, education and crime issues.

Dix says the BC Liberals have a very poor record on economic growth. He says the government has failed to address a large skill shortage in the economy …

Other than hard core NDP members and supporters, do those considering voting NDP in the next general election have any idea what they stand for?

Here is the preamble to the Constitution of the BC NDP Party:

The New Democratic Party believes that social, economic and political progress in Canada can only be assured by the application of democratic socialist principles to government and the administration of public affairs.

The principles of democratic socialism can be defined briefly as follows:

-          the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social and individual needs of people and not for profit

-          the modification and control of the operations of monopolistic productive and distributive organizations through economic and social planning, towards these ends

-          and where necessary, the extension of the principle of social ownership.

The New Democratic Party holds firm to the belief that the dignity, freedom and equality of the individual is a basic right that must be maintained and extended.

The New Democratic Party is proud to be associated with the democratic socialist parties of the world and to share in the struggle for peace, international co-operation and the abolition of poverty.

Furthermore, Section 16.01 (page 15) states that:
Each member of the Party, including candidates for, and holders of, public office has covenanted that; “I accept and will abide by the Constitution, principles and policies of the New Democratic Party.”  Breach of this covenant is a violation of the Constitution.

So if I read this correctly, the NDP believes that economic progress can only be assured by the application of democratic socialist principles … that they believe in the modification and control of business … and that it is acceptable for them to take over private business (ie: social ownership).

So what exactly does it mean to be a Democratic Socialist Party?  Wikipedia has a definition that should be of concern.  They say:

Both of these things are happening with the Liberals, in the same way as they occurred under the NDP

Last night on Global TV news out of Vancouver, I heard Christy Clark talking about not wanting to go back to the horrible debt of the NDP -- and to the days when people were leaving the province for better jobs and lower taxes.

Is she serious?? Does she really have no idea what her BC Liberal Party's track record is??

She obviously is unaware, or pretends not to know, that the BC Liberals have doubled the provinces debt from $30 to $60 billion. She also seems to be unaware, or not to know, anything about last year’s Fraser Institute report that shows there are now MORE people leaving the province than are moving here.

Both of these things are happening with the Liberals, in the same way as they occurred under the NDP.

It is becoming more and more obvious neither of these choices are what BC needs.

Adrian Dix smiles a lot and doesn't say anything to ruffle feathers - but we are not hearing anything on how he will govern ... what his economic policies will be ... his taxation policies ... his plans to settle contracts with government unions ... etc.

There is only one real choice for smaller common sense government -- and that choice is the BC Conservatives!

I posted the above on my Facebook page last night, which elicited a response from soon to be retiring Kamloops South Thompson Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger who said:

BC Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger should read these words; “Vitriol” … extreme bitterness and hatred toward somebody or something

Kamloops South Thompson Liberal
MLA Kevin Krueger

Today in the BC Legislature, BC Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger decided to show once again that he simply does not know when to muzzle his comments. 

Given the fireworks during media scrums with Krueger, it sounds like perhaps the impact of revelations, coming from BC Conservative MLA John van Dongen, are hitting a little too close to the target … which led news media people to set Twitter ablaze with some of it.

Here is just one exchange that took place earlier this afternoon on Twitter … however there were plenty more comments from those in the news media:

Comment from Keith Baldrey‏@keithbaldrey

Stream of consciousness rant from Krueger attacks integrity of Van Dongen, Dix, and Cummins. Takes a shot at media for good measure. #bcpoli

Response from David Schreck‏@StrategicThghts

@keithbaldrey Is the Krueger rant on record; couldn't he have saved it 4 Hansard recording? :)

Rep;ly from Keith Baldrey‏@keithbaldrey

@StrategicThghts   two scrums.

Response again from David Schreck‏@StrategicThghts

@keithbaldrey    Two! Wasn't he able to get it all off his chest in the first one? :) Verifies what Justine wrote about dumping Campbell.

Sean Leslie, from CKNW also ran the following news story;  “Liberal MLA blasts political opponents”

A frustrated Liberal MLA felt the need to vent today.  Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger approached reporters to rant about former colleauge John van Dongen and NDP leader Adrian Dix saying both are getting far too much positive coverage in the media.

These are desperate days for the BC Liberals

BC Liberals about to be swept away?

Three interesting stories came out yesterday on politics in BC.  I don’t know if you have seen all three, but they were in the Huffington Post … the Now Newspaper … and the National Post.

All three contained very bad news for the governing BC Liberal Party.  While the NDP continued to maintain little more than there normal hold on their voter block, the three stories acknowledged why there has been a swing to the John Cummins led BC Conservative Party.

Here’s some of the details from the story found in the Huffington Post (Christy Clark: B.C. Premier Poised To Be Swept From Office By Adrian Dix's NDP, According To New Polls)

… Liberals did not have to worry about the Conservatives when voters last went to the polls in 2009 … Clark’s party is a coalition of British Columbia’s centre and right-wing, but its identity is becoming murkier. Clark herself comes from the federal Liberal camp, though she has been trying to prove her true-blue tendencies of late. Nevertheless, 20 per cent of B.C. Liberal voters think the party is closer to the federal Liberals, while 39 per cent think it is closer to Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, according to Forum.

Placing the B.C. Liberals on the political spectrum is in the eye of the beholder: more supporters of the B.C. Conservatives think the governing party is closer to the federal Liberals than the federal Tories, while a large majority of B.C. NDP voters identify the Christy Clark's party with the Harper Conservatives.

This is just further proof that no one, not on the right or the left, can really identify with what the BC Liberal Party is … and what it stands for.  Simply saying, 'we are not the NDP so vote for us' just does NOT cut it anymore.

Dix-onomics? Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me

British Columbian taxpayers will continue
to be flattened by rising government debt

Today is budget day for Finance Minister Kevin Falcon, and the BC Liberal government.  Yesterday (February 20, 2012) Bloomberg had the following story, “British Columbia to Beat Deficit Targets, Finance Minister Falcon Says”.   

In this story they stated:

Falcon, who is scheduled to unveil his first budget tomorrow, said that as recently as November he was concerned a deepening of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis would further delay the U.S. recovery, undermining the western Canadian province’s effort to restore fiscal balance.

The government forecast in a November update that it would have a shortfall of C$3.1 billion ($3.12 billion) in the year ending March 31; C$805 million in 2012-2013 and a surplus the following year.

The current fiscal year’s deficit had originally been forecast at C$925 million. That figure widened to cover the cost of reversing a value-added tax that was rejected by voters in a referendum in August.

Debt is debt --- and deficits are deficits.  Simply put, this government continues to spend more money than it takes in. 

Health care delays hurt --- they hurt real people

Yesterday I posted about the thousands of news stories that have been written about BC medical system … and the systemic delays in care in emergency wards.   

I also mentioned that in the middle of writing that piece, I received a telephone call from a friend that has personal experience with the system.

Their story is one that caused me to go through a wide range of emotions, emotions which ended in anger … anger in wonderment at how one of the worlds best medical systems could get to this point.

I have asked to share their story, and they agreed … here it is in part:

3 years I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. The third neurosurgeon gave me hope, and said my operation was to be in the fall, meaning October, or November 2011.

That date has come and gone

This operation is needed to relieve the nerves that affect my legs.  The nerves are severely pinched to such an extent that my legs feel like they are on fire and I just writhe in pain. My quality of life has got to the point where must days I can only go from my bedroom to the living room couch, where I stay until I return to go to bed in the evening.  Like I mentioned this is no quality of life. 

Which BC leader would you hire to cut the lawn?

Today we have a guest comment / opinion piece from my friend, BC Conservative, and former MP Jim Hart.  An analogy, if you will, of lawn cutting, and BC Politics

Want it done right?  Click HERE for the manual 

Looking at the recent political party polls in BC, one wonders exactly what it all means to the average family, guy or gal when it comes to real life in BC. So I decided I would analyze the recent polls by adding a task that most British Columbians will face in the coming weeks. As the groundhog has haphazardly told us that spring is just around the corner, I pose the question: Which BC political leader would be the best person to hire to cut your lawn? Here's what the polls suggest.

BC Green Party – Jane Sterk, is the most unlikely to accomplish the job as she would want to pass legislation to make Kentucky bluegrass or Canada Green an endangered plant life.

Instead of cutting the grass we would all be transplanting our lawns and relocating them to a government nature site or new provincial park, where grass would be protected and allowed to grow in an effective government-supervised fashion. Cutting and trimming devices would have to be registered in a government database to protect innocent plant life.

New Angus Reid Poll: BC Conservative UP .... BC Liberals down

Latest BC voter preference
results -- Angus Reid (Feb '12)

The latest Angus Reid poll, out today, is just further proof of growing support for the BC Conservative Party.  This is the 3rd straight poll by Angus Reid showing increased voter support across the province. Meantime the Liberals have dropped another 3% in voter support and are below 30% according to the poll.   

Fully 27% of those who voted Liberal (small "c" conservatives) in the last election are now supporting the BC Conservative Party.  And as proof they are little more than NDP Lite -- 10% of their voters have gone back to the New Democrats

Here is the full story, and poll results, from Angus Reid:

Across British Columbia, 42 per cent of decided voters and leaners (+2 since November) will support the NDP candidate in their constituency in the next provincial election, followed by the BC Liberals with 28 per cent (-3), the BC Conservatives with 19 per cent (+1) and the BC Greens with 10 per cent (+2).

BC Politics ... this week

WHAT is happening over at Christy Clark Central??  Staff are coming and going; well actually they mostly seem to be coming… and the cost of staffing and running the Premiers office is soaring. 

Premier Clark -- Is she praying for a miracle?

It seems that many rank and file members of the BC Liberals are wondering if they are on the Titanic or not ... and time will certainly tell – especially if she losses both of the upcoming by-elections, which I predict she will.

Any way … as usual it’s been another busy week on the political front, with many stories that made headlines.  Here are some of the stories that you may have missed, or might like to have a refresher on:

HST will haunt B.C. Liberals until the eve of the next election

… the terms also insisted that if the province abandoned its side of the deal — harmonization — the full amount of the transition funding would have to be paid back … such agreements are common in federal-provincial relations and Ottawa was not about to step onto the slippery slope of letting a province walk away from its obligations …

21st Century Value-Added Forest Industry

… concluded that there is an exciting opportunity for BC in the emerging bioeconomy … potential of this new economy is huge ($170 billion for bioenergy, $200 billion for bioproducts) and BC has some of the best fiber resources to feed it. The job potential of this sector is also great …

Christy Clark replaces her chief of staff

… Flagging in the polls, and with just 16 months to go before the next election, Premier Christy Clark has replaced her chief of staff… In a news release issued before Clark's official announcement Thursday, BC Conservative leader John Cummins attacked the appointment.  "Premier Clark has appointed an Albertan super-lobbyist as her chief of staff," Cummins said in a statement…

IHA too cheap to fix donated tub

… the health authority is charging people for the bathing program, it didn't even pay for the tub in the first place, rather had it donated by the Lions Club . . . surely the IHA could cough up some cash for a new tub and lift to serve that area of Kamloops … but we doubt that will happen…