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.

You are right Kevin (Krueger), "None of this happened by accident". These things happened on the watch of the BC Liberal government

Yesterday on Facebook I posted the following that I came across from the Victoria Times Colonist, "Editorial: Stagnant B.C. needs renewal". 

Part of the editorial stated that:

Real wage rates for low-income earners in B.C. have stagnated and now lag the rest of the country. That’s one reason we have the second-worst child-poverty rate in Canada. That is both a shame and a failure.

So what is to be done? There are warnings here for whichever party wins the provincial election in May. Policies that divide us, whether by favouring one group or hammering another, have not worked ...

It prompted my Kamloops South Thompson BC Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger to come back, taking a swipe at the BC Conservative Party, which I support:

Maybe you folks would benefit from a name change, in line with "truth in advertising." I know, how about "The Black Cloud Party."

If the world is in recession, and has been for 5 years, once-powerful European countries are insolvent, the USA is running $trillions in debt, but BC will have a balanced budget April 1 and has hundreds of thousands more jobs than ever before, with hundreds of thousands becoming available, isn't that a GOOD thing?

Well folks ... what do you think ... is it a good thing we have been getting from Christy Clark led BC Liberal government?  I think I know the answer I would receive from many -- but I did have to follow up and ask my friend Kevin;

Why is it that you treat the truth with such disdain? The content of this piece (from the Times Colonist) simply echoes what has been reported elsewhere, by several other publications, and writers, that are well know.

Not only are we falling behind in income earned by British Columbians, compared to most provinces in Canada, our employment rate is also NOT increasing. This despite millions being spent, by your BC Liberal government, on highly partisan ads that are blatant distortions of the truth.

You claim that what I say is untruthful, Kevin? Would you say the same of Stats Canada? You should know by now that I research what I say. I do NOT make things up, unlike the ads you and Premier Christy Clark are so proud of.

NOW ... lets quote Stats Canada ... December 2012:
"In British Columbia, employment was LITTLE CHANGED in December and the unemployment rate declined 0.3 percentage points to 6.5%. COMPARED WITH 12 MONTH EARLIER, EMPLOYMENT WAS LITTLE CHANGED.

I have added the caps on the parts which are pertinent, but other than that, the above is a direct quote in the section marked "Gains in several provinces"

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.