John Cummins on why Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals need to be voted out of office on May 12I don't always agree with federal Conservative Party MP John Cummins but I do respect his integrity and his willingness to openly disagree with his party and to stick up for what he believes in.
Cummins and I do agree on a number of things - particularly the need to protect British Columbia farmland, save BC rivers threatened by private power projects and end open net fish farms that are killing our wild salmon.
So perhaps it's no suprise that John Cummins is angry with the Gordon Campbell BC Liberal provincial government and its actions - but it takes real guts to say so in public before the May 12 election and tell people to vote to defeat Campbell.
And that's exactly what Cummins did today. I received the following email from his office and it is reprinted below in full.
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John Cummins
MP Delta-Richmond East
I am a free enterpriser, a federal Conservative with deep roots in the Reform movement.
I cannot support Gordon Campbell’s Liberals in this provincial election because of their complete indifference to quality of life issues here in South Delta.
· The industrialization of irreplaceable farmland to serve the interests of Port Metro Vancouver.
· The construction of “industrial strength” power lines through Tsawwassen after an election commitment not to do so.
· The promotion of rail and road infrastructure for the Gateway program that gives no consideration to quality of life issues across the Lower Mainland but particularly in Delta, Surrey and Langley.
From a provincial perspective I cannot support Gordon Campbell because he is giving away and putting at risk the public assets of the province for which he is only the present custodian.
· Run of the River Hydro projects which will destroy the remaining wilderness areas in British Columbia and commits us to higher than market prices for the power generated.
· Campbell’s unequivocal support of net cage aquaculture has put at risk precious runs of wild salmon.
· The Recognition and Reconciliation legislation proposed by Mr. Campbell will give about 30 yet-to-be created native groups aboriginal title to over 95 percent of the province. These groups will have veto power over development and will receive the lion’s share of revenue that flows from what’s now Crown land, money that currently goes to the provincial treasury.
· The giveaway of the UBC golf course and other valuable properties to buy peace with native-agitators during the Olympics.
· Campbell’s sale of BC Rail at a discounted price to CN after adamantly denying during an election campaign that he would sell it.
The Gordon Campbell government has not been the prudent manager of the province’s fiscal affairs that his supporters would have us believe.
His ill-considered carbon tax will mean higher fuel costs for all drivers with commuters and residents of the interior and northern parts of the province taking the biggest hit. It is estimated that a long-haul trucker in B.C. will pay $6,000 a year in carbon taxes by 2012. Home heating costs will also increase with the biggest impact on the residents of the north and interior of the Province.
Cost overruns on the Trade and Convention Centre and Campbell’s disregard for the economic upset experienced by the Cambie Street merchants during the RAV line construction paint a picture of a detached Premier who cares little for how he gets there just as long as he gets there.
The Gordon Campbell Liberals would have us believe that only they are capable of governing British Columbia and managing its economy. That no longer works for me. A vote for the B.C. Liberals means they can continue to disregard our legitimate concerns with impunity.
27 comments:
John Cummins certainly sums up my feelings about our premier. What is surprising is that so many "business people" are supportive of him. Perhaps they don't see the whole picture.
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John Cummins sounds like the ideal citizen.
Who needs labels, if they can look at the issues and decide for themselves what should be done.
I'm hoping that the voters in Vancouver-Pt Grey will throw the bum out -- Gordo, that is -- and that no matter who else is elected, we the citizens will continue working in future to keep future governments honest.
John Cummins, I hope you've started a trend.
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BC Mary
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I am not voting Green, but if NDP leaders refuse to roll on the private power scandal, the Greens earn a place by default.
http://saveourrivers.tv/powerplay_player5.html
Who remembers Dave's election call in 1975. The smart side told him: go the full term, and re-consider certain unpopular policies, and then run on a record that can be defended. Dave decided: 3 years is long enough to establish a record that I can defend. What happened? Years of right wing governments that allowed builders to construct shabby condos and sell them at profit margins that fattened the bulk of the current Lib leadership.
Maybe the NDP should unite with the Greens. Their leadership doesn't confuse healthy scrutiny with personal attacks. So defeat is once again snatched from the jaws of victory.
"I am not voting Green, but if NDP leaders refuse to roll on the private power scandal, the Greens earn a place by default."
The NDP is against IPPs and run on the river and have said as much.
The Greens position isn't that clear. They say run of the river maybe have a place but we should focus on saving power.
From the platform "Halt all river-based energy generation projects pending stricter environmental assessment"
Nothing about stopping them totally and nothing about the foreign ownership or ownership by big business
John Cummins lost me on the power lines and the native reconciliation. Doesn't he get that we have strung out the natives for a century? It's time to do what's right and do it right away. Gordon Campbell has been in power for 8 years. How many years are needed before we take care of the natives? Go ahead Gordon, take care of them, do the right thing.
The power lines fiasco is a joke. There are no studies that prove a problem with power lines. The real problem here is that "Little Rhodesia", all the white people who fled Richmond, are used to having everything their own way. They had way too much time on their hands and they milked this issue to death. When there was nothing there. As far as the gateway project is concerned, there is no problem in Langley. Just a small rabble who didn't want an overpass near their places, including a hotel owner who called residents to conduct his own survey. As for saving farmland, I drive by those "farmlands" all the time. All I see is scrubland.
I will vote Liberal, and I'm not happy about some things they do. But the alternative is far far worse.
I chalk this up to Cummins' politicking/sucking up to constituents for his next election. Given the position of Stephen Harper these days, maybe Cummins is on the bubble too?
Just a thought.
Ya right guys.
No one wants to mention that Cummins is one of the anti-aboriginal strategists go-to-guys? He and the Vancouver TV stations would nearly ram any Stolo who tried to exercise his native right to fish when he was running for office. Then he go into office and gutted the aboriginal fishery. What an outstanding person John is for kicking at the most vulnerable in our society.
You might get hooked by his anti-aboriginal stance from this paragraph...
"The Recognition and Reconciliation legislation proposed by Mr. Campbell will give about 30 yet-to-be created native groups aboriginal title to over 95 percent of the province. These groups will have veto power over development and will receive the lion’s share of revenue that flows from what’s now Crown land, money that currently goes to the provincial treasury."
I don't agree with John Cummins either on FN issues, but everything he says about rivers is spot on.
Gordon Campbell and his company of privateering Liberal-tarians have to go on May 12 if any true wilderness or wild salmon stocks are to survive.
One solution to stopping the theft of the public commons, our vital rivers, is to contact the BC Auditor General as I have done. As you can see, his office does respond to reasonable requests. If enough people ask him to look into privatizing of BC Hydro he will do so. His office is independent of government and is very influential.
Sent on behalf of the Auditor General:
Dear A.B.,
Thank-you for your note regarding the governance and management of British Columbia's hydro and power resources.
I have passed your observations on to my staff as they consider our future work plan.
Thank-you for contacting me.
John Doyle
Auditor General
My Message Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 1:47:35 PM
To: BC Auditor General Website Comments
Subject: Comments for the BC OAG
Auto forwarded by a Rule Message sent via webform on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 1:47:35 PM
Form description: Comments for the BC OAG
http://www.bcauditor.com/
Message Body:
Dear Sir,
The taxpayers of BC would appreciate your looking into the relationship between Private Industrial Power Producers, the BC Government and BC Hydro.
How is privatizing BC Hydro gradually and losing the advantage of North America's only NAFTA power sharing exemption, helping British Columbia economically?
UBC and SFU profs are saying that we will in short order be paying three times as much for electricity because BC Hydro is no longer allowed to develop new power.
Other than Site C, upgrading some old dams, and some Columbia River Treaty power coming back to BC, we must buy new private power only.
BC Hydro must buy private power at great subsidy from private industry, then distribute it to BC industry and residents. Prices are already climbing many times the inflation rate, and we are still NAFTA exempt.
We will soon lose a great economic advantage on the spot market. Our reservoirs are like batteries and can be called on to cook dinner in California for instance, at a huge profit. BC Hydro buys dirty power overnight, then resells it to top bidders on a 24 hour cycle, at about a 500% profit.
That is a tidy profit, 500% every 24 hours. (It has been as much as $500million recently.) In order to do that reservoirs are recharged while we use both coal and nuclear energy from Washington and Alberta. This is ecologically unsound in several ways, however it earns a lot of money.
As new private power comes on line, reservoirs will be needed for BC's wind, and "run of river" power which are not considered firm energy sources.
RoR will fluctuate vastly in future, as many are on receding glaciers with low-capacity reservoirs and dams and large seasonal variability in flow. Most will see less and less water in future.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retreat_of_glaciers_since_1850
We lost Accenture, which appears to be way over budget, with the cost over-runs for taxpayers to pay. According to Accenture employers union reps, it is about to be repatriated as it was much too costly to send offshore.
Powerex and BC Transmission may be privatized to facilitate export of massive amounts of power from Plutonic, and Naikun to California etc.
http://www.pr-inside.com/plutonic-power-ge-submit-bids-for-r936541.htm
Naikun:
http://www.nationtalk.ca/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2677
The denigrative tone and cynical-debunker attitude of "Anonymous 10:50" has "Public Affairs Bureau" and/or "Liberal Party political operative" written all over it.
Don't you guys realize who obvious you are? Stupid comments like that might work in Letters to the Editor, but around here in blogdom they speak of deflection. You Grits are running scared because the Tories are coming back from the dead just like the Grits did back in the '90s.
I"m not a Tory supporter, but at least they're honest about being a right-wing party and not pretending to be something else.
Anonymous 10:50 you sound like the typical yahoo that helps keep corrupt boneheads like the Grits in power by pandering to other stupid, cynical people just like yourself.
Calling black white seems to be a specialty of the yahoo faction; turning truth on its head as a way to justify venality and corruption and a political agenda which has nothing to do with good governance and everything to do with cronyism.
Throw the bastards out, and gut the Public Affairs Bureau of its pack of disinformationists and propagndists.
What was the IP address of that post, Bill?
John Cummings has brought up many important issues. As the MP in the area of Delta he is doing his job. I'm no Conservative, nor a fan of the old Reform party, but he and another reformer from a previous time know their stuff. At every occassion that a certain Reform critic brought up a issue he was immediatly branded a "Racist" by those who had no idea how to asnwer the question raised. (That included a few NDP MP"s as well). It got embarrasing to sit in conferences with those folks who took the easy way out of a discussion , as they simply were trolling for votes and too lazy to actually learn what was going on.The Indian was sort of shunted aside as the arguments seemed more inportant to some folks , than the real reason they were in the room.
The Tsawassen Treaty was a treaty of convenience for Gordo. Land being removed from the ALR with no conditions attached was simply stupid, because the small band had so often previously told in treaty negotiations that if a band wanted ALR land as, aquired land, the standard ALR management conditions would apply. As on any other aquired land. The long term results his stupid changing of Treaty Policies will hurt everyone in the end. ALR land being used as a storage space for equipment means no local growing of food. The fish allocation is a bit weird in my mind, but fish was a big deal in earlier discussions at many negotiation tables. Use of water was right up there near the top as well. Everyone wanted control of non tidal water. The previous governemt position on water use was very clear. The rivers were to belong excusivly to the citizens of BC.
The weird thing is that Campbell in opposition was strongly opposed to modern treaties. Was off to court to try to stop the first modern treaty in BC. He had a referenda hoping to sway opinions against treaties, his plan failed. One day he suddenly had an Ephiphany moment and did a complete reversal in position.
The reason the three parites are doing modern treaties is to establish a "bundle of rights" for a band. To dispell the arguments of who owns what. The Federal Government is by Constitution responsible for Indians. BC was allowed in to negotiations against the argument of many Indian leaders as being the upstarts and they wished only to deal with the Feds. This bit about veto rights is something in Gordos head. A quick deal in his mind might get some voter support so off he goes on another tangent, regardless of the consequences. Cummings is right on many issues and has the gonads to state his concerns. For that reason I support the man.(and by the way, the few NDP MLA's who also opposed sections of the tsawassen deal) They know some of the issues upset some folks who like to see quick fixes, but a treaty deal is forever. So listen to the guy. And in case you wonder about some of the deals Gordo is pulling, go read the discussions at treaty tables. Or the Committees set up by the previous government for local third party interest groups to be heard. Or the policy papers on treaty negotiations. Every thinking person knows the present system stinks. Business finds it hard to deal with things that are in a constant state of flux. some bands are really poor,others not so poor. A previous Socred Cabinet Minister Brian Smith, spoke often about uncertanty. The word accountable came up a lot as did Conscent and consult.
Would any of us accept a situation where " Any agreement, written of oral by a Indian is not legal"( section 28 of the Indian act) Or when a person writes a will, it needs federal approval to become legal.The reserve lands are "Land set aside for Indians" by the Indian Act. It needs to be greatly reduced in size and content. Modern treaties are supposed to remove most of the Act. No wonder that when Gordo offers the moon, folks jump on side, then one of his MLA's puts adds in the media that says "Vote for people like us not someone who doesn't pay taxes". His opponent happens to be a Indian. The name Bennett, a MLA now Liberal candidate has stuff like that printed. Some Indian supporters of Gordon then publically denounced the guy they had cozied up to a few months earlier. And yes I use the word Indian just like John Cummings because that is the present legal name for folks trying to sort out serious issues.
Sorry to ramble on Bill, but about ten years on a Advisory Committee for treaties,( closed down by citizen Gordo) numerous conferences on Indian Issues and over 70 maintable negotiations as an observer: Presentor at The Standing Committe of Abriginal Affairs, and doing the same at Federal Self Taxation Conference supporting Indian Management of certian things, gives one a bit of an idea who knows which folks are "speaking truth" and which ones are twisting things. I was quite surprised to have a Liberal MLA come over to tell me that a presentation I made to a standing Committee was right up there near the top.( don't believe me, go read Hansard). I couldn't vote for King Gordo for many reasons, his attempts to manipulate Indians would be at the top of my list. My co- worker and myself were quite pleased to accept token coins and called "Watchers of the Process" to pass along things we saw at secret ceremonies, to our decendents. But to keep some of the things private. We need more John Cummings to speak their mind especially when the speaker knows what he or she knows the issues
End of sermon.
Now lets get out there and remove King Gordo from being able to screw up BC any more than he has and all includes all of it's citizens.
Skookum1,
I didn't write that comment (I wrote at 1040) someone else did -but I had forgot about how racist Cummins was with regard to the fishery. Remember, the natives were fishing here first and it was the commercial fisherman who decimated the east coast cod. I say, give it all to the natives and let them run it.
As for your derogatory language, that just shows how you're unable to marshall any thoughtful argument.
Maybe you're a Tory operative because your comment on how the Tories are rising now like the Liberals did in the 90s is a bit goofy. The polls are headed down and this week Andrew Coyne wrote in Macleans how the Tories have noone else but Harper because he refuses to work with anyone.
Funny enough, I thought the fed election was a good result. Harper as PM in a minority setting to reign him in and teach him how to lead, rather than dictate.
Unfortunately, his subsequent small-minded behavior and reaction from the Libs and NDP showed him to be small, not the leader type.
He's wounded, but not mortally.
In these tough economic times, we need leaders not negative politicians. Hopefully Harper can pull up his socks.
As for Cummins, not a good idea to interfere in provincial politics - what goes around, comes around - but it does indicate how out of touch the people of South Delta are.
No matter which party gets in power in B.C., elect an independent and you're just shooting yourself in the foot. Get an independent and maybe the next prov govt will build BC's first nuclear power plant in Delta South?!
LOL - ME a Tory supporter......ROTFL for anyone who knows me well. Boy, you really are grasping at counter-accusations, aren't you?
The aboriginals get enough free things off this province already. Pay no taxes, hunt and fish all year without purchasing permits, they are given home to live in and can't even look after them. Gordo just wants to sell off BC and to hell with the taxpayers that maintain the slush funds to do what he wants with it!
TIME FOR THIS ARROGANT, HOLIER THAT THOU PREMIER TO BE KICKED OUT OF OFFICE. YES, Gordon Campbell Hates YOU!!!!!!!!!
Any more questions????
The liberals lost me as a supporter with the Gateway project, pure and simple.
As a long time resident of Langley, I put my business HERE, near where I live. The 30 people that work for me have (with 2 exceptions that are able to telecommute) moved to Langley. We neither use nor want more roads.
The history of roads is simple: build them and they will be filled with cars in a few years, then you need to build more roads. Unless politicians figure out that people CAN have good paying jobs and live close to work, the whole Lower Mainland will end up covered in pavement -- that's a good way to lose farmland right there, not to mention increase gasoline consumption.
Live where you work. And encourage that by NOT building more roads. It's pretty simple when you think about it.
And don't get me started about the Liberals giving away the province's assets to their friends...
Just to fact check Mr. Cummins manifesto a little....
UBC Golf Course was not given away.....
It is much worse than that.
The very private golf course was 'saved'...
Instead Mr. Campbell, bowing to the skullduggery of one of his bagmen cut the heart out of Pacific Spirit Park instead.
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I have written extensively on this issue here (for anyone who is interested).
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Has anyone here actually read MP Cummins research on aboriginal Fisheries by any chance? Do folks know that around 40 percent of Commercial licensed fishers are Indian. I recall a women representing some dedicated church group showing up to make a presentation to a Standing Committee. She claimed the Indian had always been cut out of Commercial fishing in BC. Her statement was totally wrong and everyone there but her knew it. A lot of eyes rolling from her uninformed statements. Had she then branched out into something that was factual , which she didn't, nobody would be listening to her.
Fishing without federal license but controlled by conservation of the stock has been around for years, as long as it's for food, ceremonial or cultural purposes. Gosh I've eaten lots of salmon in assorted Long Houses under those standards,just as every one else in the room. MP. Cummins , by the way has often supported that long established standard. What he complains about is the sale of fish outside of Commercial fishing times,to people who legally can't buy it. Heck I can remmber many times, different people, from young kids to old people coming to our door to sell big salmon for 10 bucks. Out of season of course. Was it caught under commercial license. No way. Did I buy any? No. Was it properlt cooled or inspected, No way. Have a read about Mrs. Van Peet court case who was caught doing that and it ended up in the Supreme Court of Canada. She lost.
I could list a number of similar cases but the article started off with a Non NDP Legislator suggesting not to vote for King Gordo. Cummings gets to vote just like the rest of us. Vote Gordo into his rich pension and let's get back to real treaty negotiations which as many Legislators including the ex Cabinet Minister John Cashore, say "must be a win win win agreement".
http://thetyee.ca/News/2009/05/08/FOI/
Gordon Campbell also continued to run up our debt in times of prosperity and now we are handcuffed by it still. He could have had us in a much lower debt situation but he is a tax and spend Liberal. They may claim to have cut taxes but imagine how much he could have cut taxes if he had only paid down BC's 'mortgage'?
Also, he has not respected the will of the people. We already rejected STVs in the last referendum but like the PQ in Quebec he decided he'd ask the question again until he got the answer he wanted.
What Bc needs is an open primary system where the constituents can vote their candidate. We don't need a corrupt system that is dependent on the party leader's signature on nomination papers in order to even run! THAT is where our dictatorship comes from!
I am voting NDP for the first time in my life. This is not because I agree with their policies. This is because I feel it is time the leadership of the Liberal party is renewed and the only way that will happen is if Gordo loses his throne
John Cummins is a straight shooter and absolutely right-on with respect to the fraud of the Reconciliation horse shit. The RoR nonsense too! Good for him!!!
Mary Rose must be on some wild meds...
John Cummins hatred for BC's First Nations is a shame to us all.
I guess it's safe to say Mary Rose and I and others, disagree on MP Cummins and his interest in Indian rights. Those rights or title have never been resolved. I mentioned that earlier on this story. Instead of slagging the guy and the NDP, Mary Rose, maybe you might contact his Ottawa office and have him send you some of his papers on Indian issues. I'm not Indian and I sure don't believe somebody calling him a racist sells any newspapers or informs anyone. So are you Indian? Are you on or off reserve, if you are Indian? Have you done some reading on the subjects you talk about. I recall one guy at a conference showing up with a feather( It wasn't an Eagle Feather) He claimed to represent students from the UVIC department on some Indian Programs. His line was so stupid, most simply went for coffee after he told us that the Fed better be afraid because when he gets fully educated he will be coming after them. I found out later the band he belonged to woudln't fund him any more because of his lack of Indianess. He was on a roll and told me that Joe Gosnell had sold them down the river. I asked was he Nisga'a? You got to be kidding, just some loud mouth. I suggested we go talk to Gosnell to hear his concerns. Not on your life. He was embarassing some of the students who were present to learn not to try to BS the crowd. Rose you have an opinion but can you back up your complaint. I await your reasoned answer. If you are waiting for Gordon Campbell to give you chunks of the province you are in a dream world.
Jim in Surrey said at 12:50
"The aboriginals get enough free things off this province already. Pay no taxes, hunt and fish all year without purchasing permits, they are given home to live in and can't even look after them."
I find your remarks hateful and out of step with informed Canadian values. Please work for a unified Canadian society instead of a mean spirited and ignorant one.
http://harveyoberfeld.ca/blog/campbell-may-be-in-trouble-in-own-riding/
carbon tax or cap n trade libs lost my vote as well the NDP. never for GREEN jackasses. I might throw away my vote to the BC Con. as a protest vote. STV will only give us a green/NDP coalition government NOT a happy thought.
excellent article, before you know it, the lower mainland will turn into L.A. north.
L.A. and surrounding area was once the bread basket of California, now all the properties have been bought up and paved over.
example of that is Disneyland-it use to be a strawberry farm.
BC's next!
Good work John for speaking up and good work Bill.
As usual the media has refused to pick up the story.
Racism is not a trend but a sickness and John cummins is very ill.
Silly. It was Campbell or the NDP slime. Easy choice.
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