Bill Tieleman on CBC TV NewsNetwork - Connect with Mark Kelley - on F35 controversy - 5:05 p.m.

Bill Tieleman with Mark Kelley

I will be appearing on Connect with Mark Kelley on CBC TV's NewsNetwork today at about 5:05 p.m. on the F35 fighter jet controversy erupting today.


The online video of this appearance can be found at this link.


UPDATE - Conservative budget cuts have forced CBC to cancel Connect with Mark Kelley!  See my post on this sad development.


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Dialling for Disaffection Dollars - BC Liberal MLAs and their Party contributions - or lack thereof

BC Liberal MLAs level of disaffection clear from low or no donations to BC LIberal Party in past year

Me? Donate my own money to the BC Liberal Party?
Are you flipping kidding?

BC Premier Christy Clark has made headlines yet again for the wrong reason - because she didn't give the BC Liberal Party she leads one thin dime of a donation in 2011.

Rather an astonishing lack of leadership, especially given the $9.5 million the BC Liberals raised last year.

Clark was quickly taken to the political woodshed and coughed up $550 today but the damage has been done.

Unfortunately, the hapless leader of an unhappy party is far from alone on the Chintz-O-Meter.

In fact, with a few notable exceptions, one could easily argue that the BC Liberal Party donations for 2011 indicated exactly how disaffected each MLA actually is with their current situation.

For MLAs making over $101,000, cabinet ministers making over $150,000 and especially a premier making well over $193,000 plus golden pensions, it looks downright miserly to give nothing and skinflint to give less than $1,000 - or under 1% of basic salary.

On the other hand, how pleased can Rich Coleman, Linda Reid and Ben Stewart be giving more than $4,000 each while their colleagues sit on their fat wallets?

Here are the numbers taken from Elections BC's financial donation records online.

2011 contributions to BC Liberal Party

Christy Clark	0
Kash Heed	0
Joan McIntyre	0
Randy Hawes	$375.00
Don McRae	$375.00
Blair Lekstrom	$400.00
John Les	$405.00
John Slater	$405.00
Gordon Hogg	$430.00
John van Dongen	$430.00
Ron Cantelon	$550.00
Kevin Falcon	$550.00
Bill Barisoff	$625.00
Pat Bell	$650.00
Mike de Jong	$650.00
Terry Lake	$650.00
George Abbott	$665.00
Norm Letnick	$705.00
Douglas Horne	$725.00
Richard Lee	$750.00
Bill Bennett	$810.00
Eric Foster	$810.00
Steve Thomson	$855.00
Rob Howard	$900.00
Colin Hansen	$950.00
Margret MacDiarmid	$950.00
Mary McNeil	$955.00
Jane Thornthwaite	$1,025.00
John Rustad	$1,110.00
Kevin Krueger	$1,125.00
Shirley Bond	$1,145.00
Ida Chong	$1,225.00
Naomi Yamamoto	$1,225.00
Harry Bloy	$1,230.00
Donna Barnett	$1,280.00
Marc Dalton	$1,300.00
Murray Coell	$1,500.00
Mary Polak	$1,580.00
Stephanie Cadieux	$1,705.00
Ralph Sultan	$2,350.00
Pat Pimm	$2,545.00
Moria Stilwell (Including Dr. Moria Stilwell Inc)	$3,020.00
John Yap	$3,090.00
Dave Hayer	$3,435.00
Rich Coleman	$4,150.00
Linda Reid	$4,660.00
Ben Stewart (Including Quail’s Gate)	$6,845.00

Fixing Canada's Ugly Politics - the Case for Mandatory Voting - Improve Democracy and Public Engagement

32 countries have mandatory voting - isn't it time
Canada joined them

A Fix for Ugly Politics - Mandatory Voting

Force the vote and halt devious robo-calls, attack ads and apathy.

Bill Tieleman’s 24 hours/The Tyee column

Tuesday April 3, 2012

By Bill Tieleman

"The right to vote is only meaningful when you use it."

- Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former chief electoral officer of Canada

There is a very simple way to quickly put an end to robo-call scandals, dramatically increase voter participation, reduce negative political advertising and strengthen democracy -- without spending any additional money.

The solution: compulsory voting in elections.

How would it work?

On fraudulent robo-calls or live calls that attempt to mislead voters by directing them to the wrong polling location, like the ones being investigated from last year by Elections Canada, there would simply no longer be any point. 
Since all voters would be required to participate by law, discouraging a very small number would be not only next to impossible but useless.

That's because robo-call mischief only works in close races with low turnout where it makes a difference if a small number of voters can be dissuaded from voting by illegal or at least immoral means.

Compulsory voting kills bad robo-calls dead.

Mandatory voting could also seriously reduce attack ads, since part of their intent is voter suppression -- discouraging supporters of the party or leader being trashed from voting by ruining their reputation.

Since voters must cast ballots, suppression isn't possible. And they may conversely decide to punish the party that sponsors highly negative campaigning while rewarding those that provide constructive reasons to support their policies.

Best of all, making voting the law means the overwhelming majority of eligible voters participate. And because they have to vote, more citizens spend more time examining public issues and the parties' positions on them, boosting democratic engagement.

Canada's democratic disgrace

As a result of compulsory voting, Australia enjoyed a 93 per cent turnout in 2010 and 95 per cent in 2007. And Australia hasn't had a turnout less than 91 per cent since 1925, the first election after compulsory voting was introduced.

Belgium and Luxembourg also use compulsory voting and have participation rates in recent years averaging over 91 per cent.

Canada, by embarrassing comparison, is a democratic disgrace.

Our high point in voter participation was 79.4 per cent in 1958 and hasn't even been in the 70 per cent range since 1993, a span of seven federal elections.

In the federal election last year just 61 per cent voted, with only 59 per cent in 2008.

British Columbia is also democratically disengaged, with a turnout of only 51 per cent in 2009 -- and 58 per cent in 2005.

Big carrot, small stick

Compulsory voting isn't unusual worldwide. Currently 32 countries require eligible citizens to vote in elections, and of those 19 fine or otherwise penalize anyone who does not participate.

Australia's penalty for not voting is quite minor -- a $20 fine. Yet that seems enough to encourage all but a handful of eligible voters to go to the polling stations.

Objections that compulsory voting infringes on civil liberties ring hollow when all Canadian are obligated to pay taxes, serve on juries and obey other laws.

And voters in Australia can spoil their ballot or leave it blank if they do not want to actually vote. Exemptions for religious and other legitimate reasons are respected.

Let's turn around the decline in democracy -- introduce compulsory voting.

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Thomas Mulcair Is Ready to Rumble! New NDP leader will challenge Stephen Harper in Parliament

His NDP victory promises a battle royale in Parliament and trouble for Liberals, Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois.

Bill Tieleman's 24 hours/The Tyee column

Tuesday March 27, 2012

By Bill Tieleman

(View full Tyee version of article, links and comments.)

"Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don't ever apologize for anything."

- Former U.S. President Harry Truman, 1884-1972.

Thomas Mulcair's election as leader of the New Democratic Party and leader of the official Opposition means two clear things.

First, Parliament will see a battle royale like it has not experienced in many years.

Second, Mulcair is big trouble for the ruling Conservatives, the flagging Liberals and the nearly dead Bloc Quebecois.

NDP members on Saturday decided they were in the biggest fight of their party's existence -- and wanted the toughest, fiercest and most threatening parliamentarian possible as their leader to take on Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

They picked Mulcair, whose nickname was "grizzly bear" when he sat as a provincial Liberal environment minister in the Quebec National Assembly.

And Mulcair's assignment includes not just savaging the Conservative government but also taking out the third place Liberal Party and keeping the Bloc Quebecois a spent separatist force in la belle province.

Because in choosing Mulcair, the NDP is going all in -- aiming to be in position to challenge the Conservatives for power in the 2015 federal election.

Smooth moves

It's a tall order and the fight has already started with the Conservative party issuing talking points to its MPs that trash talk Mulcair, claiming he is an "opportunist" with a "divisive personality."

Mulcair easily brushed this off during interviews immediately after winning the leadership with 57 per cent on the final ballot, laughing on television at Conservatives trying to label him an opportunist when he joined an NDP in 2007 that had no Quebec MPs, no organization and few members.

As for the "divisive" tag, Mulcair didn't need to even address it after leaving a stage where he raised the hand of his main opponent Brian Topp after the victory and shook hands with former leader Ed Broadbent, who had been sharply critical during the campaign.

Mulcair also wisely announced that Vancouver-East MP Libby Davies, a Topp endorser, would return as deputy leader, a post she and Mulcair jointly held under former leader Jack Layton.

Besides, Harper has given the term divisive new meaning in national politics since taking office and antagonizing wide and growing groups of Canadians, something that he will turbocharge with this Thursday's expected slash-and-burn Conservative budget.

Taking up Jack's fight

Thomas Mulcair is not the late, lamented Jack Layton, nor was any of the other contenders.

Jack himself wasn't the Layton of 2011 back in 2003, when he became NDP leader.

But Jack's eight years of leadership and learning created the conditions for Mulcair and the NDP to attempt what the party has always dreamed of -- forming a national government.

It will be an epic battle through 2015.


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Bill Tieleman gone to Mexico March 26 to April 2; John van Dongen gone to BC Conservatives for rest of political career!

Hola amigos!

I am on a week's holiday in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, so comments to my blog may be delayed somewhat. Thanks for your patience.

And then I find out BC Liberal MLA John van Dongen quit to join the BC Conservatives on my travel day!

Who is next - and can they please wait till I get back!

Hasta luego!

Bill Tieleman

Congratulations to Thomas Mulcair on a great win to become the NDP's leader and Canada's Leader of the Opposition!

Thomas Mulcair wins New Democratic Party leadership!

The late Jack Layton, Bill Tieleman and Thomas Mulcair,
outside Hotel Vancouver, September 28, 2007

Congratulations to Thomas Mulcair, the new leader of the NDP and Canada's new Leader of the Official Opposition!

Tom is a worthy successor to our friend Jack Layton.  Tom's Parliamentary skill, experience in government and opposition and fierce determination will put Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the defensive - and acting Liberal leader Bob Rae on the sidelines.

It has been a long, gruelling campaign and every one of the NDP's candidates for leader has done an admirable job building the party as they toured across the country giving their own vision for Canada's future.

Now is the time for the NDP to unite behind Thomas Mulcair and provide an alternative government for Canadians to consider, a constructive alternative to the confrontational, divisive and regressive Conservative administration.

Good luck - bon chance - Tom and thanks - merci - to Brian Topp, Nathan Cullen, Peggy Nash, Paul Dewar, Niki Ashton and Martin Singh for all your efforts.

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NDP leadership ballots show two different approaches to future of party

UPDATED - THIRD BALLOT


It looks very clear that Thomas Mulcair will take the NDP leadership in the upcoming fourth ballot after posting 43.8% support on the third round, versus 31.6% for Brian Topp and 24.6% for Nathan Cullen, who is now forced off the final vote.

Topp needs to take three-quarters of Cullen's former support to win, while Mulcair requires just one-quarter to succeed.  It is certainly do-able but really hard to see it happening.

Cullen ran an impressively strong and surprising campaign and can be proud of his efforts.  Initially seen as likely to be an also-ran without even a large base of regional support in BC, Cullen showed himself to be a potential future leader and a force to be reckoned with in the House of Commons in the days ahead.

One wonders if Cullen's controversial "electoral cooperation" plan that gained him much attention ultimately helped or hurt his campaign but without question NDP members responded to his personality and fresh approach in a major way.

Regardless, the NDP has to be breathing a big sigh of relief that the animosity some feared might break out on the convention floor between campaigns has not materialized.

Less happily, the apparent hacker attack on the online voting system has seriously slowed down the process by hours and possibly discouraged many eligible voters from participating, reducing turnout.  One can only hope that what happened is clarified and if it is indeed an attack, the culprits be found.

Guest NDP badge from 1961 founding convention - still called
the "New Party" then before name of New Democratic Party decided

UPDATE - SECOND BALLOT

A very tough first and second ballot result for Peggy Nash, as well as for Paul Dewar, Niki Ashton and Martin Singh.

Peggy worked so hard on this very long campaign and showed great grace in accepting the results of the third ballot.  I am disappointed in the result but not in her impressive efforts.

Paul, Niki and Martin all made significant contributions and have a bright future ahead.

Nathan Cullen, Brian Topp and Thomas Mulcair - well done - each of you has run strong campaigns and deserve to see that recognized by NDP members, as has happened.

Good luck to all!


ORIGINAL POST AFTER FIRST BALLOT

Second and third ballots will determine which route lies ahead for future of New Democratic Party

Fascinating results from the NDP leadership first ballot show the two competing approaches for the future of the party:

1) Move to the centre to better compete with the Conservatives and win in 2015 while further marginalizing the Liberals or:

2) Focus on social democratic principles and build support for a more left of centre alternative.

Thomas Mulcair, Nathan Cullen and Martin Singh fall into the first approach.

Peggy Nash, Brian Topp and perhaps Paul Dewar and Niki Ashton take the second view.

And that, given the first ballot vote, appears to me to be the significant philosophical battle underway today - both in the leadership campaign and in the party itself.

But none of this should be overemphasized.  The most centrist NDP imaginable is still way to the left of the most liberal Liberal Party, even under ex-NDPer Bob Rae.

The second ballot will show whether Mulcair will be the eventual winner or can be defeated by the combined second and third choice ballots of candidates dropping out.

Mulcair needs to get most of Singh's votes -  as Singh urged well before the convention began - and pick up enough from Dewar and Ashton to get close to 40% and appear the unstoppable force.

My candidate, Peggy Nash, had an unquestionably disappointing result but is staying in and now needs to get ahead of Nathan Cullen based on the second choices of Dewar, Ashton and Singh, plus any live votes moving around.

Her route to victory is now more difficult but not impossible.  I predicted a final Mulcair vs Nash vote and that's still potentially in the cards.

Cullen has to stay in the race and get closer to Topp to position himself as able to challenge Mulcair in the final ballot.

Topp has to gain some second ballot support and solidify his position as the only alternative to Mulcair, then pick up a fair number of votes from whoever is forced off the ballot.

Lastly, all NDP supporters have to be disappointed with the low turnout in this first ballot, which is unlikely to increase in subsequent votes.

With just over 65,000 first ballot votes cast of just over 130,000 members, the NDP has only achieved a 50% turnout - ironically just about the same turnout as in the last federal election.

Apparently online voting is not having the desired effect of increasing participation.

For those of us political junkies who grew up on the drama of delegated conventions with their dramatic candidates moving across the floor to rivals and the abundance of straw hats and other bumpf, perhaps one-member, one-vote isn't the future of politics after all!

Here are the first ballot results:

Thomas Mulcair: 19,728 votes (30.3 per cent)

Brian Topp: 13,915 votes (21.4 per cent)

Nathan Cullen: 10,671 votes (16.4 per cent)

Peggy Nash: 8,353 votes (12.8 per cent)

Paul Dewar: 4,883 votes (7.5 per cent)

Martin Singh: 3,821 votes (5.9 per cent)

Niki Ashton: 3,737 votes (5.7 per cent)

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Christy Clark's bad week includes BC Liberal MLA walking out while she was speaking in Legislature, new poll, no by-elections call

Why the Delay Calling By-Elections, Premier?

Premier Christy Clark may need divine intervention to have a prayer of winning
 delayed by-elections, get out of troubles! BC government photo

With Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope by-election deadlines near and the NDP ahead in yet another poll, Christy Clark faces internal caucus dissent and external problems with own allies - apparently including an BC MLA

Bill Tieleman's 24 hours/The Tyee column

Tuesday March 20, 2012

By Bill Tieleman

"For Premier [Christy] Clark to wait so long for political, not practical, reasons is a disgrace." 

-- Tri-Cities News editorial on delay in Port Moody-Coquitlam by-election.

It was another week of big problems for B.C. Premier Christy Clark.

Those include the resignation in disgrace of cabinet minister Harry Bloy, and Clark's new communications director Sara MacIntyre's controversial attempt to block media from asking questions at a photo opportunity.

The week also saw more questions about the blown $40-million deal with Telus to rename BC Place and the reappearance at the Port Moody-Coquitlam campaign office of a BC Liberal Party executive member who resigned for bringing a convicted attempted assassin to the B.C. legislature for the budget speech -- on a ticket from the premier's office.

Clark, who counted Bloy as her only provincially-elected supporter during her leadership bid, isn't exactly making new friends in caucus. Victoria sources say BC Liberal MLA Joan McIntyre walked out of the legislature's chamber Thursday while Clark was speaking, and a rumour later circulated that McIntyre was unhappy with the premier's personal attack on NDP leader Adrian Dix when Clark attempted to defend Bloy.

Reports also persist that McIntyre's West Vancouver-Sea To Sky seat is in play. Former West Vancouver mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones has said she won't challenge currently elected candidates, but that doesn't preclude the possibility that Clark would have -- or even has -- asked McIntyre to step aside. Would Clark prefer Goldsmith-Jones, or even former CTV news anchor Pamela Martin, who now works in Clark's office for $130,000 a year doing "outreach"?

McIntyre did not respond to email and telephone requests for comment.

Deadlines encroaching

Reflecting all of the above, it was another week where Clark failed to call two byelections in vacant ridings lacking any elected representation in Victoria.

But don't get the idea that Clark thinks it's a disgrace that Port Moody-Coquitlam hasn't had a member of the Legislative Assembly since Oct. 1, 2011 or that Chilliwack-Hope lost its MLA on Jan. 9, 2012.

Clark's response to media questions on why she hasn't scheduled a byelection more than five months after Port Moody-Coquitlam BC Liberal MLA Iain Black quit?

"Well the holdup is that I haven't called it yet and I will in a couple of weeks, so, probably -- you'll find out. I'll let you know when I know," Clark nonchalantly said on Friday.

We will definitely know by April 7 -- because that's the absolute deadline by law for calling the byelection, where former long-time Port Moody mayor Joe Trasolini is expected to win. 

But while Clark hasn't found the time to call the byelections, she has spent a lot of spare hours campaigning in both ridings -- formerly safe BC Liberal seats now threatened by both the New Democrats and BC Conservatives.

Clark was in Hope on March 5 to tour around with BC Liberal candidate Laurie Throness, a former federal Reform and Conservative party staffer facing strong challenges from both the BC Conservatives' John Martin, a criminologist and newspaper columnist, and the NDP's Gwen O'Mahoney, a community support worker who took 33 per cent of the vote as candidate in the 2009 provincial election.

The BC Liberals are hoping Throness' long history with right-wing politics -- including a stint as ex-Conservative cabinet minister Chuck Strahl's chief of staff in Ottawa -- will stem the tide against the party in a riding comfortably held by former B.C. Attorney General Barry Penner. 

When asked by local media when that vote would happen, Clark again replied without giving a date: "Every day we're closer... the community needs an MLA sooner rather than later."

Clark must send Chilliwack-Hope voters to the polls no later than July 30, according to Elections BC.

Libs in rocky waters

And Clark also spoke at the Feb. 17 nomination meeting for Port Moody-Coquitlam BC Liberal candidate Dennis Marsden. The reason why voters in both ridings are being denied representation is very simple: the BC Liberals are in deep fear of losing both seats. 

Yet another indication came when Justason Research released a new poll on Saturday showing the NDP at 45 per cent support, well ahead of the BC Liberals at just 31 per cent. The BC Conservatives sit at 14 per cent and the Greens at eight. 

That means Clark's party has dropped 15 points since the 2009 election victory under ex-premier Gordon Campbell. 

The polling results and lengthy delay are raising concerns in the BC Liberal caucus about Clark's tenuous future.

The reports about McIntyre being asked to give up her seat so that the party can win at least one of the then-three ridings needing new MLAs are indicative of a desperate mood in the premier’s office.

But is even McIntyre’s riding still safe enough to hold? 

Another poll that makes it more questionable was released by Forum Research in late February and put the B.C. Conservatives neck and neck with the B.C. Liberals, at 22 per cent versus 24 per cent for Clark’s party.  The NDP were at a comfortable 42 per cent.

If Clark convinced a sitting B.C. Liberal MLA to step down and then lost a third by-election, it wouldn’t take a shark to tell there was political blood in the water.

And that could mean either a provincial general election or a B.C. Liberal leadership challenge – or both.

This already interesting year in B.C. politics is going to get even more fascinating in the next few weeks.

Another poll that makes it more questionable was released by Forum Research in late February and put the BC Conservatives neck and neck with the BC Liberals, at 22 per cent versus 24 per cent for Clark's party. The NDP were at a comfortable 42 per cent.

If Clark manages to lose both byelections she delayed to the last minute, it wouldn't take a shark to tell there was political blood in the water. And that could mean either a provincial general election or a BC Liberal leadership challenge -- or both. 

This already interesting year in B.C. politics is going to get even more fascinating in the next few weeks.

Note: This is an updated, edited version of my Tyee column.

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