What political party said "The sacrifices made to get our financial house in order must not be sabotaged by future increases in government spending"

Today I invite you to take a trip with me in the history of BC politics.  I invite you to guess which BC Provincial political party, waiting to become the next government, said the following:

- we believe that government is making life tougher instead of better for the average BC family

- while households scrimp, save, and cut back on essentials, the one expense they cannot control or escaper is government taxes.  The main reason British Columbians are working harder and falling behind is the constant and rapid rise in taxes

- while everyone is paying higher taxes, the return to taxpayers on the things that matter most is declining

- the major problems facing this province all have one key element in common   -- they are being created by our government

- British Columbians need a government that will base its decisions on common-sense principles and live within its means

- the sacrifices made to get our financial house in order must not be sabotaged by future increases in government spending

- by shifting funds on and off the books, the _??? __ government has shown how the existing system can be manipulated

-  __ ??? ___ believes that governments closest to the people serve them best.   __ ??? __ will return resources and responsibilities to local government, advancing our spirit of community and raising our quality of life

- the best way to change government is to open it up and bring its many functions closer to the people it servers.  __ ??? __ believes that the closer decision-making is to the people, the more likely it is that good ideas will be put to work.

While these statements of belief go back nearly two decades I ask you ... "Is life any different for you now, than it was then?"

Is government still making life tougher?  Are they continuing to raise fees and taxes that we are obligated to pay?  Are they doing any better with government spending?

Are we getting more services ... seeing more front-line workers ... seeing less wait times for Emergency Room services?

Why are our seniors, that helped build this province, paying a higher and higher percentage, from their meager retirement funds, for shelter, health needs, and other necessities?

How about returning government closer to the people it serves?  For example, government fired the local 'elected' Boards that ran our hospitals ... are they still being overseen by government appointed individuals?  Where is the decision making process for local health care in Kamloops made?

Is government any more open?  Are the front line services and function closer to the people they serve ... hospitals ... courthouses ... schools in rural communities?

The words noted above in italics, were spoken by the BC Liberals prior to the election of 1996.  They were words of chastising the NDP government which was in power -- they were words that offered new hope.

Nearly two decades later, rather seeing things better for ourselves -- our parents -- our children -- and our grandchildren, we still have less and less services ... a Liberal government that has run budget deficits for more times that not ... and that has just like the NDP before them, doubled the debt.

YES ... perhaps taxes have gone down, however government has more than made up for it by nickel and diming us with increased fee for everything the possibly can -- including health care cost through increased Medical Service Plan (MSP) rates.

 

AND ... and a Pphoney green carbon tax that hit those who live in the interior and north for not just fuel to run our vehicles ... but also basic necessities like home heating fuel, our groceries, and even the clothes we wear!  A carbon tax that also took valuable resources away from schools and hospitals, and did NOTHING to protect the environment!

Government has pillaged BC Hydro and ICBC for billions of dollars, which have disappeared into a bottomless spending pit.  Meantime we continue to be hit with large increases to ICBC rates, and Hydro costs.

An environment of entitlement has been allowed to come in to being -- one where the heads of government crown corporations, and agencies, feel they are able to give them selves huge increases in pay and benefits.

My friends ... WE ARE NOT better off than we were twenty years ago -- we continue to be worse off!

The BC Liberal Party under Christy Clark now seems to be relaxed when it comes to the BC Conservative Party nipping at there heels.  Take heed -- and take warning -- we as BC Conservatives will rebuild under new leadership.

AND ... we will challenge YOU to an accounting for why you have left us, our children, and our grandchildren on the hook for debt that has continued to skyrocket at a completely unsustainable rate.

You won election by default this year; be forwarned ... it's NOT going to happen again.

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.

PETER SHARP: "This begins Day #1 as the BC Conservative candidate for Kamloops South Thompson"

Last night BC Conservatives, in Kamloops South Thompson, elected Peter Sharp to represent them in this Mays Provincial General Election.

Those of you in other areas of the province, or who may have been unable to attend last night meeting, missed a great meeting, and hearing the words of Peter. 

He has given me permission to print them for you and they follow.  First though, I thought I would share with you what he had to say online this morning:



Step one in seeking the nomination -- filling out the BC
Conservative Party nomination forms (42 pages!)

"This begins Day #1 as the BC Conservative candidate for Kamloops South Thompson. And it begins with news from a new Ipsos Reid poll that shows 24% of voters are now less likely to vote for the BC Liberals following release of the new budget. BONUS!"

Now, here is Peter's speech from last night.

Good evening fellow Conservatives, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, and fellow nominee candidate Maria Dobi ...

 

My name is Peter Sharp and tonight I hope to become your candidate, for the BC Conservative Party, in our Kamloops South Thompson Riding.  Then with your support, encouragement, and assistance -- to become your MLA following the May General Election. 

 

About a month ago, BC Liberal MLA Terry Lake was quoted as saying:  “What we do see, as we get closer to election, is that people are understanding what the BC Conservatives are all about….”

 

My hope is that the Voters of our great province do indeed come to understand what we, as BC Conservatives are all about and what we believe in ... and what we hope to bring to the political stage in British Columbia.

 

Terry Lake tossed a generalized statement out -- one, which implied there is something to fear from the BC Conservatives.   He knows that his implied statement is completely without truth ... and the backroom manipulators of the BC Liberal Party know that as well.

 

In fact ... because WE BELIEVE IN BC ... and the people of BC ... I am proud to say that our beliefs, principles and policies differ greatly from the BC Liberal Party.

 

WE - as BC Conservatives - believe in clearly defined public policies and programs that are affordable, effective, and accountable to each one of you here tonight.  And I too believe that each and every British Columbian is entitled to full knowledge of all services government provides ... AND what they cost.

 

After all ... how else can we know if we are getting good value?

 

WE -- as BC Conservatives --  believe that our provincial government must operate with the highest standards of integrity and transparency.  And we as BC Conservatives also believe that governments at all levels -- including at the municipal level -- are responsible to serve and respect all individuals and their families. 

 

Peter Sharp speaking with members of
the media at the announcement he would
seek the Kamloops South nomination

As an elected councillor with the City of Kamloops, I have firsthand experience in knowing why our elected representatives should first and foremost represent your interests.

 

As a retired RCMP officer with 30 years of experience, I too believe in the BC Conservative Party's policy of law and order that focuses on the rights of victims ... and the protection of the public.

 

We as BC Conservatives have our feet planted in reality.  We need to have smaller government ... we need to encourage new enterprise.  Leadership at all levels (from teachers in the classroom -- to elected officials in Victoria) MUST encourage our youth ... parents ...  employees in the workplace ... and business leaders to dream big dreams.  We need to once again strive towards excellence and prosperity. 

 

These are not just motherhood statements ... these are statements that I too -- WITH YOU -- believe in.

 

If I have the opportunity to be your elected representative for the BC Conservative Party…. I will hold my party accountable to create an environment where good government and prosperity can be achieved.

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

The issue of downloading services from one level of government, to the next, is obviously having a serious affect on municipalities

Last week in Penticton, mayors from 86 communities across British Columbia met to discuss issues they have been facing, and of concern, as more and more areas previously looked after (and funded) by Federal and Provincial governments, get downloaded on to them.  

In a story from the Okanagan’s CHBC TV News, Dianne Watts, Mayor of Surrey said:

“B.C.’s municipalities need a new deal with the provincial and federal governments to provide the services our constituents expect.  Municipalities provide the vast majority of the service in areas such as infrastructure while being given only 8 cents out of every tax dollar to do it.”

While Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton said:

“We all realize there is only one taxpayer and those taxpayers are challenged these days and that challenge is one that we as mayors and council have to address.  The analogy of people being able to support more services through taxation is not one that any mayor in this province wants to accept.”

A news release from the Mayors, following their meeting in Penticton, also brought up a number of additional areas of concerns, where local governments are:

• now providing land as a precondition for the Province to build social housing projects
• now responsible for ensuring residential tenancies are properly maintained by landlords
• paying more for policing as new federal laws require more work to gather more evidence to support charges being approved
• managing flood hazard areas and related liability
• dealing with the aftermath of psychiatric hospitals closures by the Province which has placed many vulnerable people on the street
• paying local fire departments to respond to medical calls, displacing the need for added resources by the provincially funded ambulance service

We know that the people of deserve better than two tax and spend parties

This afternoon John Cummins, leader of the BC Conservative Party, spoke to the Surrey Board of Trade.  His speech covered the party's response to the BC Liberal Budget released earlier this week, and how a BC Conservative government would do things differently. Here is the complete text of that speech:

John Cummins, BC Conservative Party Leader

Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting me to speak at the Surrey Board of Trade. I especially want to thank Anita Huberman for putting together this great event.

I’m here to speak with you about the budget that the Liberal government tabled on Tuesday.

In order to understand the budget and what it means for the future of BC, we have to understand some facts about BC’s economy and the state of the economies we are competing against.

British Columbia has the worst unemployment rate in the west. It isn’t a surprise that unemployment is worse than Alberta, or even newly booming Saskatchewan. But we trail NDP-run Manitoba as well, and by a significant amount.

When comes to income taxes BC is very competitive, but families pay far more than just income taxes. When you include the highest gas taxes in Canada, that are going up another 3 cents this spring in the lower mainland, MSP premiums and other fees and surcharges – the average family in BC pays more in taxes than in any province west of Quebec. That means more than Ontario and more than NDP-run Manitoba.

On top of this is the cost of living in this province. I don’t need to remind you of the various international surveys that have come out in the past few months that show that living in the greater Vancouver area to be one of the most expensive places in the world.

When you combine higher taxes, higher unemployment and higher cost of living than the provinces we compete with the most, you would expect people to leave. And that is exactly what happened in 2011. Last year, more people moved out of BC to other provinces than moved here.   

For me this is an extremely telling measure – people have a choice about where they can afford to live, where they keep more of their money and where they can find a job. And they are not choosing BC.

This is NOT a government friendly to BC families --- this is NOT a government that understands fiscal prudence – this is a government that needs to be sent packing.

BC Finance Minister Kevin Falcon

Finance Minister Kevin Falcon concluded today’s budget speech by stating:

When we were first elected and we got the province back on the road to balanced budgets, there were people who asked us why, and questioned the need to meet — as they saw it — some kind of arbitrary target.

Well, Mr. Speaker, as we look around the world today, we can see that balanced budgets are anything but arbitrary. They are an essential foundation for growth. That’s why our balanced-budget legislation mandates not just a time frame for balancing, but also pay-cuts for ministers for every year the budget is in deficit.

Keeping British Columbia’s fiscal house in order does mean some tough decisions in the short-term. But consider what’s at stake here. It’s our future, Mr. Speaker — the future of this province, and the future of our people.

We have one of the most diverse populations anywhere... with ties to countries and cultures around the world. And while we are all unique individuals, we all want the same basic things for our future.

We want to be able to support ourselves, and take care of our families. We want to know that important public services will be there when we need them. We want strong, secure communities where everyone contributes, and everyone belongs. And we all want to share in the wide-open sense of opportunity that has, for over 150 years, been the hallmark of British Columbia. 

That’s what keeps on bringing people here. That’s what generates confidence, growth and investment. And that’s the kind of future we’re building with this budget — a future of security, growth and opportunity. Thank you for being part of it. Now let’s get to work.

This government has NOT delivered on balanced budgets --- ending rising debt -- getting it's fiscal house in order -- or making it easier for families to care for themselves!

Right now, I have a few things to note for the moment --- and more I am sure will follow.

Any talk of balanced budgets is mathematically impossible when the provincial government’s debt will continue to rise.  Here’s the facts:

I’m not trying to be a smart a_ _ , but how do you justify the idea that BC’s New Democrats are the tax and spend party??

Christy Clark arrived back on the political scene a little more than a year ago with a catchy slogan of "Families First?”.   

Let me ask you, are you feeling the glow and warmth of that??  Is the outcome of that “slogan” resonating in a positive way for you?  Somehow I think not!

Here is just one more example of how important BC families are to the Christy Clark Liberal government in British Columbia.

From the Canadian Taxpayers Federation comes a reminder that, "BC Families Face $84 Medical Services Premium Tax Increase"

On December 31, 2009, B.C. families paid $108 a month in MSP tax. That increased to $114 on January 1, 2010, and again to $121 on January 1, 2011. This year’s additional hike means families have seen their MSP tax bills go up 18.5 per cent in two years.

“Families and seniors are already finding it difficult to keep up with rate increases at BC Hydro, ICBC, BC Ferries and tax hikes at the gas pump,” said Bateman. “These MSP, CPP and EI increases are yet more weight added to the tax burden.”

Again, it is ONLY $84 ... but we do have to include that with all the other taxes that have gone up, in the past 9 months or so, since Christy Clark became premier. And as the story says, that includes increases to BC Hydro, BC Ferries, ICBC, the carbon tax ... etc, etc.