- Cassandra photoWhat the hell is going on at Elections BC?
That's the question I'm asking today as the deadline for the independent regulatory authority to announce the results of the Fight HST citizens Initiative petition approaches - and Elections BC says it will not issue a public statement.
Instead they will contact Fight HST and Initiative proponent Bill Vander Zalm [pictured with me above at our Fight HST launch rally April 6] to tell him what is going on with the petition signed by 705,643 voters.
At this time it is unclear what Elections BC will tell Vander Zalm - that the Initiative passed or failed - or most ominously, that they will not release the results!
That would presumably be because a coalition of big business HST supporters is going to court in an attempt to overturn the citizens Initiative.
If so, that would be outrageous.
Elections BC is the body responsible for authorizing and regulating the Initiative - as required by legislation.
Short of a court order there are no ground for Elections BC to fail to do its duty.
Stay tuned here and in the media as we learn what is happening.
.
25 comments:
June 30, 2010 comment:
"People seem to forget that there is a new CEO in town, not bound by the decisions of the previous officer. The petition and subsequent recall campaigns are DOA as the recall and initiative act aren't worth the paper they are printed on."
Mike de Jong isn't politically stupid. Do you really think that this "last day, last minute" appointment was a coincidence? Meanwhile, the NDP was too excited about summer vacation to raise any fuss.
Well now that it's passed and Elections BC has decided to not follow the legislation (over to committee) but instead will wait until court cases are heard, it's time to be outraged!
"WE ONLY CHEAT WHEN WHEN WE CAN'T WIN" . . .
the First Commandment and motto of the Liberal Party of BC and now the standard operating procedure of Elections BC and the other Campbell government appointed fart-catchers.
And the BC business community are prepared to "bareback" anything Gordon Campbell has to offer.
The GREAT SATAN
Its clear now that Big Business is running the Province and the desires of the people/voters mean nothing. It will be hard but every single Liberal MLA has to be recalled, starting with Generalissamo Campbell.
So, I see the little fascists have found their method of delay. Put your corporatist buddies up to the job of challenging the ability of the BC Government to make decisions all so you can say "its before the courts" "I won't comment." and then the MSM toadies like Vaughn Palmer will scurry away from their duty to do anything of value by parroting the Liberal decree and then falling silent. Better they fall on their own swords...
Thanks for all your hard work, Bill!
I simply cannot recall the last time I felt this kind of fury...ice cold fury. I will now spend every moment I can working to recall every MLA in the province. Starting with Gordon Campbell and Carole James.
If they won't listen when we do what we can legally, and in good faith...perhaps they'll listen to other methods.
That's why Hansen was looking so smug when Neufeld resigned. You all knew the Libs would do anything to stall.
Gordon Campbell's lackey, Craig James, has just taken the well-respected, internationally admired Elections BC and destroyed any credibility it had. It will be extremely difficult to trust and work with them in the next election. I don't believe he has the authority to make that call according to the legislation, and he should be challenged.
So the vein of corruption has grown into Elections BC.
What a surprise. Will there be enough anger now from over 700,000 voters to stop paying attention to the rules and start to make our own. Like Campbell and his cronies do?
Like others I am almost speechless with anger. How dare they not follow through with the requirements of the act.
This is so obviously concocted by Campbell and the big businesses, is just isn't funny. Big Business deciding what happens in British Columbia is not on. This is the sort of thing that large civil unrest stems from and I fully expect spontaeneous expression of anger from a lot of people.
It will take a day or two of sobering thought by many, but I am pretty certain that both Campbell and the big businesses have no idea how much anger there is. Today, British Columbia left the realms of a democratic society and entered into an arena - a real life David and Goliath scenario.
Thanks
JW
OK, tomorrow each of us should make at least one phone call to a Lieberal MLA.
And repeat that the day after to the same MLA, or another Lieberal MLA.
And the day after.
And the day after.
And again next week.
Every week.
Until the message gets through:
--- GET OUT OF OFFICE LIEberals
Norman C.
ps Now do people understand how damaging it was to change our democratic system to only one vote every 4 years???
And, do people get it when they hear, see, read Mainstream Media always making comments about how "No one wants an election...."
Damn it, I do! And I want one now!
Norm
Anti-HST petition succeeds, but hits a snag with Elections BC
by Andrea Woo and Tiffany Crawford, Vancouver Sun
The anti-harmonized sales tax petition has been validated in all B.C. ridings, but an angry Bill Vander Zalm, who led the anti-HST campaign, said Wednesday it could be stalled for years.
Vander Zalm, a former B.C. premier, said acting chief electoral officer Craig James had told him that Elections BC will not act on the successful petition pending completion of a case before the courts.
Well Bill. It's a good thing I started my own blog at How Bad Is The Record because I know you wouldn't print what I have said.
But I've had it with these Liberals and their band of lapdogs. ANT more shenanigans and I will be pumping up for a General Strike. Money talks and the lack of it will make business sit up and listen.
I can hardly wait until Premier Liar responds to the actions of his toady chief electoral officer. It will most likely be " Heck of a job Craig baby". What a nauseating Government we are stuck with.
Section 10 of the Recall and Initiative Act states:
Referral of initiative to select standing committee
10 If the chief electoral officer determines in accordance with the regulations that
(a) the initiative petition meets the requirements of section 7, and
(b) the proponent has complied with Part 4,
the chief electoral officer must send a copy of the petition and draft Bill to the select standing committee.
This is MANDATORY language. There is NOTHING in this Act which allows the chief electoral officer to decline to do that which the LAW compels him to do.
@Anon 9:35 pm
It's apparent that the chief electoral officer is invoking para. 170 of the R & I Act:
"Emergencies and Other Extraordinary Circumstances"
170 (1) The chief electoral officer may, by specific or general order, make exceptions to this Act and the regulations under this Act in accordance with the purposes of this Act if, in the opinion of the chief electoral officer, this is necessary because of an emergency, a mistake or extraordinary circumstances in relation to proceedings under this Act.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the chief electoral officer may make orders extending a time period or establishing a new date in place of one set under this Act and giving any other direction the chief electoral officer considers appropriate in relation to this.
http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/39thparl/session-1/legis/index.htm
Coincidence? I think not.
I am stunned by the decision rendered by EBC. I dealt with them years ago and generally they have been sticklers for the legislation with little, if any wiggle room.
In the past they have always rendered decisions which while candidates and political parties may not have liked them, in the final analysis they were in hindsight correct but not this time.
While I understand the situation they feel they might be in with the pending court decisions, those decisions should have no bearing whatsoever on their independent processing and reporting the results to the appropriate committee of the house under the existing legislation.
They are calling into question their independence from the political process and the integrity of Elections BC. It is also now calling into question the changing of the Chief Electoral Officer at a critical point in the petition process.
The Legislative Act is very clear on how they are to proceed and proceed they must. It is not up to them to summarily determine that they can withold this petition pending any court decisions.
I would suggest strongly that there is more afoot here than we are seeing. If they are waiting for a decision on the petition portion then I suspect the recall campaigns could be in danger of being disallowed as well.
Wasn't there a quote going around a while back which basically stated that Campbell and the BC Liberal Party would do whatever it takes to gain and remain in power.
I suspect the reason Hansen cancelled the mailer was because they had a stooge in place to act as the Chief Elections Officer. That combined with the frivolous court action brought forth by the big business bullies has been orchestrated to circumvent the whole initiative and by extension any semblance of democracy we may have thought we live under.
This just exposes once again that the notion we live in a democracy couldn't be further from the truth.
As far as I'm concerned we should initiate 84 recall campaigns. The only one that hasn't been a disgrace to date is Vicki Huntington.
http://www.leg.bc.ca/bcmlacomp/media/PDF/IPRMLAC-Final-Report-07Apr30.pdf, p.iii
Coincidence?
" extraordinary circumstances "
Damn lawyers..likely the only provision that would cover since the court cases are being defined by EBC as an "extraordinary circumstance".
This is a case where one would expect extreme caution is used in applying a specific definition. I can only imagine the kind of pressure that has been placed on C.E.O.
He will have to wrestle with his conscience on this one, yup perhaps he can do it, but should he have. By doing so, EBC becomes a reluctant active part of the political process rather than an independent regulator of the process.
The political fallout on this is not going to be pretty.
These fools have no idea of the anger they are fomenting. Tear down this wall.
It appears that James is not upholding his office. The law says that once the petition is verified, and he has done this, it must be sent to the Legislature. The spirit of the law is being hijacked.
James is allowing Big Business interets, the only people to actually benefit from the HST, to stall and perhaps kill this initiative.
I expect that if big business manages to derail the petition that recall will then be successful. Watch foir big money to flood into Liberal MLAs so they can fight recall efforts.
What a slap in the face to all those people that helped with the petition and of course for those who signed it.
Campbell and Hansen, got rid of Harry Neufeld, for being honest. And when they did, my mind immediately flew, to Elections BC, and the HST petition. I knew for a fact, Campbell and Hansen, would use their dirty tactics. And boy was I right. Either Craig James is another, Campbell lap dog, or was threatened by a vendetta, of losing his job, as Neufeld lost his. Do not anyone forget, Harper's part in the HST, he is the other snake in the grass. Harper's boy Campbell, is his lap dog, and Campbell falls all over himself, to suck up to Harper. Campbell's face beams, whenever he is in Harper's presence.
Anonymous said...7:13 PM PDT
Do not anyone forget, Harper's part in the HST, he is the other snake in the grass. Harper's boy Campbell, is his lap dog, and Campbell falls all over himself, to suck up to Harper. Campbell's face beams, whenever he is in Harper's presence.
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Aah yes the other turd in the toilet bowel with Campbell,Harper.
I guess Harpo feels the Quebec support is now there, so to hell with B.C. voters, the BC HST will resolve into further largess for the Ontario and Quebec firms.
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