Bill Tieleman’s 24 hours column
Tuesday May 5, 2009
Time to get rid of Gordon Campbell & BC Liberals
By Bill Tieleman
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.
- Oscar Wilde
On May 12, it’s time to get rid of Premier Gordon Campbell and the B.C. Liberal government – and the reasons are plentiful and obvious.
Under Campbell British Columbia has had the highest rate of child poverty in Canada for five years straight, with the most recent data putting it at 22%.
B.C. now leads the country in job losses and B.C.’s economy in 2008 actually shrank, while Canada’s grew.
The broken promise not to sell B.C. Rail turned into the biggest political scandal this province has seen in years as we learn new information constantly.
Former B.C. Liberal election campaign co-chair Patrick Kinsella paid $297,000 by B.C. Rail for “business advice” with payments continuing even after CN Rail paid $1 billion for its main operations.
Allegations of political dirty tricks coordinated out of the premier’s office. B.C. Liberal-connected lobbyists turned star Crown witnesses against two ministerial aides – David Basi and Bob Virk – and despite allegations lobbyists bribed to the accused, they face no charges.
Radical fish farm expansion despite massive evidence from Alexandra Morton that sea lice breed in the farms and destroy wild salmon.
Encouraging private power corporations to devastate rivers across B.C. while forcing B.C. Hydro to buy expensive electricity from them but not compete with cheaper projects.
B.C. Liberals continue to push for dangerous offshore oil and gas exploration and provide hundreds of millions in tax breaks for big oil companies while claiming to be “green”.
The unfair Campbell carbon tax that especially hurts lower income and rural British Columbians while doing nothing to reduce consumption.
Campbell’s refusal to increase the minimum wage in eight years, leaving over 250,000 workers making less than poverty line incomes.
Failure to improve health care despite spending billions or adequately fund education.
Giving away taxpayer dollars to expensive P3s or private-public-partnerships from hospitals to bridges despite evidence the cost of privatization exceeds keeping it public.
Cost overruns of $388 million on the out of control Vancouver Convention Centre.
Their refusal to compensate small businesses on Cambie and Granville Streets for the devastation caused by Canada Line construction.
The B.C. Liberals phony 2009 budget which underestimates the deficit by at least $1 billion, meaning major service cuts if re-elected.
B.C. Liberal candidates under investigation – like John Les, the former solicitor-general from Chilliwack, losing their drivers’ licenses for excessive speeding – like John van Dongen, the former solicitor-general from Abbotsford, losing their license for drinking and driving – like candidate Jessie McClinton in Victoria, or just being intolerant of sexual orientation – like candidate Marc Dalton in Maple Ridge-Mission.
After this election voters face either more of the same bad Gordon Campbell B.C. Liberal record or a welcome change under New Democratic Party leader Carole James.
The Green Party can’t elect a single MLA, but could keep Campbell in power with vote splitting.
The choice on May 12 is obvious.
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21 comments:
Funny - that's not what Phil Hochelstein's push poll says:
http://bear604.blogspot.com/2009/05/push-poll-this.html
Kash Heed in running scared in Stonewally's old riding. I live nearby and I found mixed support for Heed from his fellow East Asians. NDP candidate - Yiu - is one of 25,000 ethnic Chinese in the area (Indians number 9,000). Ethnicity could be a factor. Voters are also concerned that, while he campaigns, Heed is living on a $40,000 kiss off from the Lib' supporting West Vancouver City Council.
[url]http://www.cbc.ca/canada/bcvotes2009/story/2009/04/28/bc-election-heed-yiu.html?ref=rss[/url}
Heed the crime fighter? While he effectively oversaw police work against East Asian gangs, arrests were few. In fact, it was not until a couple of weeks before the election that the supposedly "independent" Crown Counsel, registered charges, based on dubious plea bargained statements. What happened? Gang members sought police protection in context of the rash of gang-hits. Heed's work was ineffective at VPD, and he ran off to cozy West Van. Some commitment to crime fighting in Vancouver.
It seems completely bizarre to me that as you travel the province telling people to not vote for STV you are also trying to complicate the issue by telling them not to vote split and to vote one way or another for strategic reasons! This is the reason that proportional systems are the best system and why they are advocated by all political scientists and indeed forced upon newly democratizing countries in order to introduce representative systems. Almost every country in the world has some form of proportionality in their system. They are all more complex than first-past-post - thankfully! Am I too assume that at the same time you want us to vote against STV you are also against false majorities?! You have too much profile to be so hypocritical at such a crucial time in provincial history. Yes to STV! It is the only way out of this mess!
Wally Awful also is running into a voters wall in Delta South and now it has been revealed that the premier ordered TransLink to run an hourly to 1/2 hourly bus service from Tsawwassen Town Center to the Tsawwassen F. N. (bus terminates at Falcon Way)
What is interesting the service sees maybe 2 or 3 customers a day (that's right 2 or 3 customers a day!) and passes Wally Awful's homestead at Tsatsu Shores! Maybe his daughter takes it to school and back?
The Premier has also promised $17 million to the Whitecaps for their training facility at John Oliver park; oh yes, just after the Liberal dominated Delta Council kicked out the BritLions rugby club after they invested over a $1 million on the site!
Where is the god damned Sun or province? What the hell is Bill Boring doing? Maybe there are offers of an "Order of Canada" if he remains blind to everything!
Oh yes, vote for Gordo, the most corrupt politician in BC!
Why have so many BC Liberal insiders move to the IPP industry where they have dished out $30 billion in contracts for electricity that BC Hydro could produce at a fraction of that.
Geoff Plant, former BC Liberal Attorney General, now chair of Renaissance Power.
Mark Grant, BC Liberal executive director, resigns December 12, 2008 to join Rupert Peace Power.
David Cyr, former Assistant to BC Liberal Minister Mike de Jong, is now a director at Plutonic Power.
Robert Poore, recently worked under the Provincial Revenue Minister of the Province of BC, now is a senior director at Plutonic Power.
Tom Syer, who has held a variety of senior positions in the BC Government including Gordon Campbell’s Deputy Chief of Staff, is now a director at Plutonic Power.
Bill Irwin, after holding key positions in the BC Ministries of Land and Water, and Crown Lands, now is a director at Plutonic Power.
Bruce Young, has held several high profile positions with the BC Liberal party and lobbied his own party on behalf of Katabatic Power is listed as a director of Atla Energy.
Stephen Kukucha, former senior policy advisor for the BC Ministry of Environment, is now president and CEO of Atla Energy.
Paul Taylor, after his work as President and CEO of crown corporation ICBC as well as high level positions in the BC Government, is now President and CEO of Naikun Wind Energy Group.
Michael J. O’Conner, former President and CEO of Crown Corporation BC Transit, now holds senior positions at Naikun.
Jackie Hamilton, formerly held various BC Government environmental assessment and regulatory management positions, is now a VP at Cloudworks Energy.
And last but not least, Bob Herath, former Assistant Regional Water Manager for the BC Ministry of Environment is now with Syntaris Power. Bob Herath signed water licences in 2006-7 that are now owned by the same company he left gov't for in 2007. Syntaris Power
Bill,
Today's column is nothing more than NDP talking points, seemingly handed to you directly by Carole herself. You even have the gall to submit it under a column title that includes the word "news". I submit you should replace that word with "NDP rhetoric", or resign such crud to an Internet blog and make an apology to Gordon Campbell and the current government. You owe it to 24 and the people that read the newspaper to do one or the other if this is the type of rubbish you come up with.
Gee thanks Anonymous 6:16 - I feel absolutely awful about taking those notes from Carole!
Now why don't you try doing something useful for your party - or is it your employer - and make factual arguments against what I've written.
That might actually make for a debate.
Campbell has been campaigning on 'the-big-lie' - the BC Liberals can manage the economy better. G.W. Bush did the same thing in 2004 - 'War is not the time to be changing leaders.'
Why have the NDP been so silent on this critical issue?During the next 6 days James must hammer away at Campbell's business credentials (he has none). The NDP might want to start by reading Will McMartin's May 4, 2009 Tyee article.
I wonder what ever got into Stonewally's head, to live in Tsatsu Shores! And he is a lawyer and ex judge. That development was in deep trouble as the band was trying to put a sewer system into a bird sanctuary. The fed took offence. Then they tried to force the local government to provide services such as fire and other and the court told them to get lost. When they whined to DIAND , their problems were shifted to the Federal Environment Ministry who told them to cease and desist. In my recollection there is no Federal Head lease at Wally's place which can get nasty should arguments arise. I do recall some guy from the band wanting to pay Delta a huge amount of money for the services and again were told to get lost. Delta said honour our municipal bylaws or go away. How do I know? Well I was representing non Indians living on reserves at the time, and sitting next to the guy at the self Taxation Conference where I was a presenter, speaaking on such issues and representing a lot of folks. Go for it Wally and when things go pear shaped your local MLA will tell you, sorry but I can't help you. Time to clean house over at the Ledg.
Gordo isn't talking about the numerous plans for private power plants on public rivers.
http://saveourrivers.tv/powerplay_player5.html
The media chose not to report the direct intervention of Don Brenner (CJ, Supreme Court) in the Kitimat power controversy. Brenner decided that a private power company could sell excess power, without compensation to the people of Kitimat, and BC. And, Brenner saw fit to take the extraordinary step of despatching his Associate Justice - Pat Dohm - to handle the
Walls-Millard corruption case, before the criminal courts. The two convicts - connected to the Libs - were spared jail time.
Gordo should be on the ropes, and fighting for his political life. But today's Sun gives him an 11 point lead. I see the NDP snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. If elected the Libs will put 20 private dams on our rivers within 4 years, and Carol James keeps the issue on the back burners.
sabina - thank you. You echoed my point of view beautifully.
This article baffled me for the same reasons.
Profits Maximus Service Minimus
"Contracting out much of the administration of the Medical Service Plan and PharmaCare programs was supposed to provide better service at a fixed price. Now it appears payments to the company that won the contract are escalating far beyond what was budgeted." [...] "a Health Ministry spokesperson said in an e-mail that the accounts will show another surge with a payment to Maximus of $51.2 million for the fiscal year.
That's a 22 per cent increase since last year's already high payment, and about 60 per cent over the $32.4 million a year expected when the contract was announced." [...] Victoria-Swan Lake MLA, Rob Fleming, said: "I know from people trying to register for MSP or make billing enquiries, they're waiting a horrendously long time on the phones."
He added, "Gordon Campbell has staked his reputation on the delivery of public services through this model."
The Tyee - by Andrew MacLeod - May 6, 2009
Interesting story about problems with the IPP bandwagon this morning - apparently CBC used FOI to get some reports from ministry officials about problems with the construction phase of several sites - but the ministry officials now (afraid for their jobs) ain't talking until after the election.
I did hear a couple mouthpieces for the industry doing damage control this morning though.
Some openness!
Some accountability!
http://www.publicpowerbc.ca/insiders-move-ipp-industry
Here is a little blurb I posted on "The Gazetteer" about Gordo "Early Life" in his biography on a BC Liberal site.__"Upon returning to Vancouver, Mr. Campbell worked for the City of Vancouver for three years as Executive Assistant to Mayor Art Phillips. In 1976 Mr. Campbell left the Mayor’s office to work for Marathon Realty. While working at Marathon, Mr. Campbell took night courses at Simon Fraser University and received his Masters Degree in Business Administration. After five years at Marathon Mr. Campbell started his own business, Citycore Development Corporation which would go on to build several projects in Vancouver. __During this period Mr. Campbell remained active in Vancouver politics, joining the Downtown Stadium Committee which successfully lobbied the government to build BC Place Stadium at its current location in downtown Vancouver. On the heels of this success in 1984 Mr. Campbell ran for and was elected to Vancouver City Council." __Notice how he was a lobbyist, even though it was for his own project. It is interesting that his outfit, Citycore Development Corp., was involved in building BC Place Stadium. This is a building in need of major repairs, and a legacy to his development work. It points out to us the quality of his work, work that requires 100's of millions of dollars to repair. _And he the audacity to whine that Carole James doesn't have business experience. Look at what his business experience is costing the taxpayers of BC.
Oops, 2nd last sentence should be, "And he has the audacity to whine that Carole James doesn't have business experience."
Today, I read a report that Campbell's Liberals plan to go forward with offshore drilling after the election.
I also read about the the proposal by WestPac LNG to build a liquified natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal and a gas-fired generation plant on the north end of Texada Island.
http://www.texadalng.com/
This is from a government that claims it will reduce greenhouse gases? Campbell does not lead the Liberal Party. It must be the Canadian branch of the Republican party.
Overriding policy: say anything; truth matters not.
"Premier Gordon Campbell and 16 other MLAs will soon be served with a request to produce any e-mails they have related to the controversial $1 billion sale of B.C. Rail.
Defence lawyers in the Basi-Virk trial Thursday said they had filed a so-called third-party records application for the e-mail accounts of Campbell and other MLAs."
The Province by Keith Fraser - May 7, 2009
Another reason to turf them out: the creation of the $223 million Public Affairs Bureau and its 200-plus staffers in the Legislature basement, whose job it is to gather and control information and disseminate disinformation and "spins" - at public expense. Considering all the other outsourcing of services going on, it might be worth having a look at who works there in the capacity of rank-and-file information mole, and who's the big info-cheese. Where are they from? Are they party hacks? Imported consultants from TO or the United States or Alberta? Or just some college kids willing to sell out in order to establish themselves with the ruling system?
Who are they, and why does the BC government what is effectively the largest newsroom in the country (does CBC HQ's newsroom in Toronto even have that much staff? Radio-Canada's in Montreal?)
Why does news get nationalized when everything else is getting privatized? Because it's necessary to staying in power, but no profit in it. So therefore financially unattractive to privatize, so the huge cost must remain that of the taxpayer (since the party doesn't have the money, despite all the kickbacks from the people they give government contracts to in reward for their campaign-funding support).
Latest poll results show 65% of voters believe Gordon Campbell would be better at managing the economy than the NDP.
Given the BC economy is one of the worst in Canada since last year that result alone shows how misinformed Canadians have been by the BC's extreme right wing mainstream media.
The NDP has no better issue than IPP's to show that Gordon Campbell may actually have the record for the worst financial manager in Canadian history beating even Joey Smallwood for stupidity by throwing away as much as 50 billion dollars in taxpayers money. That's four convention centre cost overruns every year for forty years.
Why is it that the NDP and media pundits are not shouting these numbers from the rooftops, in political speeches, in newspaper, radio and TV ads? Instead NDP silence on these issues confirms in people's minds the BCLiberal's financial expertise myth when the truth is these rubes couldn't run a lemonade stand.
Check this out for details.
http://publicpowerissues.blogspot.com/
To start we have Plutonic's $4 billion Bute inlet project which produces 3000 Gwh annually at an average annual cost of to ratepayers of 400 million dollars. Running that $4 billion at BC Governments 4% 30 year bond issue rate comes out to 200 million a year - half the cost.
Campbell's innovative Buy High Sell Low power policies buying power at 12 cents a kwh and selling it at 2 cents will force our power rates to almost triple over the next three years to cover BCHydro's up to 50 billion in IPP losses. And Gordo promises to keep buying. Will that be 50 billion be 100 billion by the next election?
BCHydro sells its own surplus power during the spring freshette and buys during in the off peak markets at low rates. Now it has to dump up to15000 gwh of IPP power that it buys at as much as 12 cents and must sell at 2 cents or less for an estimated loss of $1400 million every year.
During the forty year IPP contract timeframe keeping spot prices low, we have solar PV power in the California desert at 1.7 cent a kwh dropping to .8 within a few years, nuclear power at 2 cents dropping to one cent in five to ten year time , and to a tiny fraction of a cent when nuclear fusion might just rear its ugly head in the ten to fifteen year time frame.
Today the spot market reflects fuel saving energy producers can realize by buying off the sport market and slowing or shutting down coal and natural gas generators. With a nuclear/wind/solar environment in the US there are no fuel savings so producers will be a lot less likely to buy off the spot market. Prices will drop to almost nothing over the near/long term making it unlikely BCHydro will be able to use any of its IPP power in the five to ten year time frame of its 40 year contracts.
So in the last days "Get on it" Start shouting these numbers from the rooftops, in political speeches, in newspaper, radio and TV ads.
http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/
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