BC Political Discussion - BC Election 2017 May 9th

[Pinion]

Conservatives need to get a foothold since our province is too dumb to understand STV.

I will grudgingly vote NDP even though Horgan is completely uninspiring, just like Dix before him. At least Bowinn Ma seems like useless than Yamamoto. And Ma actually tried to talk to me in my condo, which no politician has ever done in 10+ years (unfortunately I was just going out).

My wife is leaning Green after being a similarly unenthuisastic NDP voter forever, but that seems like a throwaway vote on the north shore.

I expect the BC Liberals to easily win.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

As long as the BC Conservatives never get a strong holding I will be happy, they are the one party that socially leans pretty far right, and I never want that to be a major part of politics in BC.

There's a fine line between social and fiscal leaning. I mean, is it fiscally or socially right wing to starve funding from schools, transit, and disability/welfare payments? At the same time you use that savings to cut income taxes, and have among the lowest minimum wages in the most expensive place to live.

The major social right policies (abortion, gun control, religion, etc.) are all federal laws anyway. What can the BC government really do that is socially right/left wing?

[GMD]

I'd guess I'm like a lot of people on this board, pro-development (as a general rule), and anti-corruption.

You'd think there would be at least one party in the running that could tick both of those boxes, but you'd be wrong. If there was one, they'd probably win in a landslide.

[LeftCoaster]

At least the Liberals tick one of those boxes

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

There's a fine line between social and fiscal leaning. I mean, is it fiscally or socially right wing to starve funding from schools, transit, and disability/welfare payments? At the same time you use that savings to cut income taxes, and have among the lowest minimum wages in the most expensive place to live.

The major social right policies (abortion, gun control, religion, etc.) are all federal laws anyway. What can the BC government really do that is socially right/left wing?

That crazy shit always starts at the local levels and trickles upwards, good to keep it caped where it is currently

I don't really care too much for the Liberlas, so I definitely understand their shortcomings as listed above, but the NDP on the flip side has this wonderful wish list while also being against industry / the resource sector... So how do we pay for it? If they were proposing all these social spending increases while also supporting industrial activities (responsibly of course) then I would probably support them.

Also find it funny how both the Liberals and Vision Vancouver tick the same boxes when it comes to pro-development and anti-corruption, yet Vision can hide behind their green feel good policies that give all the locals the warm and fuzzies...

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I don't really care too much for the Liberlas, so I definitely understand their shortcomings as listed above, but the NDP on the flip side has this wonderful wish list while also being against industry / the resource sector... So how do we pay for it? If they were proposing all these social spending increases while also supporting industrial activities (responsibly of course) then I would probably support them.

Also find it funny how both the Liberals and Vision Vancouver tick the same boxes when it comes to pro-development and anti-corruption, yet Vision can hide behind their green feel good policies that give all the locals the warm and fuzzies...

If you have a booming economy, low unemployment, and positive budget balances, that's awesome. But everybody should be benefitting. Under the Liberals, they aren't. The poor, and the middle class, both more impacted by things like tolls, ICBC rates, Hydro rates, MSP, etc. are both getting screwed. So where is the money going? Tax cuts at the high end and for corporations?

I don't know what the NDP would do. I would certainly hope they keep Site C, and let LNG happen if the economics are there, but how will the average BC resident really be worse off with them in power? I can't think of anything apart from economic recession, which may or may not be within their control, or a potential RE meltdown, which wouldn't really be their fault for stepping into the situation that exists today.

I agree with you about VV, but they are putting their money where their mouth is, at least with respect to social housing and green initiatives (although you can argue those are somewhat dubious at times). In the grand scheme of things, municipalities don't collect a lot of tax revenue, and the vast majority of their expenditure is fire/police/schools/garbage/sewer/water/roads. They can't make a massive impact apart from planning, which is a slow process to see any real change

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I agree with you about VV, but they are putting their money where their mouth is, at least with respect to social housing and green initiatives

Correction. They are putting other people's money where their mouth is.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Correction. They are putting other people's money where their mouth is.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/idiom

[Xerx]

Anyone think there might be a chance for a hung parliament or a coalition government?

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Correction. They are putting other people's money where their mouth is.

It's easy to make promises with other peoples' money.

[red-paladin]

Originally Posted by Xerx

Anyone think there might be a chance for a hung parliament or a coalition government?

I give it a 33% chance of a minority (Liberal or NDP) or coalition (NDP + Green) government.

[Old and cynical]

How does one reconcile voting liberal when after 16 years they have put B.C. Hydro in debt to the tune of 76 billion dollars.Oh and I forgot to add, another 30 billion onto the provinces debt.Please don't believe me, do a little digging it's easily available online.If the liberals get re-elected and I believe they probably will'where do you suppose our hydro rates will go? It will be addressed by the liberals by the only way they know....privatize it.Think before you vote.vote for the next generation, not yourself....Good day

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by Old and cynical

How does one reconcile voting liberal when after 16 years they have put B.C. Hydro in debt to the tune of 76 billion dollars.Oh and I forgot to add, another 30 billion onto the provinces debt.Please don't believe me, do a little digging it's easily available online.If the liberals get re-elected and I believe they probably will'where do you suppose our hydro rates will go? It will be addressed by the liberals by the only way they know....privatize it.Think before you vote.vote for the next generation, not yourself....Good day

People I know are voting for the BC Libs because they have either a very stable job or are new homeowners and/or investors.

In their opinoon...The BC NDP are deadset on pissing off the business community and we know many large companies will flee when they impose an increase in corporate taxes.

Lets not forget many homeowners have seen their property values increase...and are in no way going to jeapordize this.

The Libs are far from ethical but they at least present opportunities if you aren't poor. If you are struggling, unemployed or poor than you should really consider moving. Sounds harsh but this is the reality in many large cities.

[sunsetmountainland]

NDP fails to make a convincing case to B.C. voters

The conventional political wisdom – that governments are not defeated so much as they defeat themselves – might well apply Tuesday. But the fairer test for British Columbians, and the one more apt to apply, is whether any new vision has emerged that promises a better province.
It is simple in any 16-year governance to find grievances. So much has been done under the BC Liberals and there is so much of a record to cherry-pick. The advantage for challengers is the freedom to discuss how they would govern in theory, even fantasy, without evidence of their competencies or the weight of accountability for their records.

With that licence in mind, though, there are important questions to consider: Are we in decline? Is our government ignoring what ails us? Are the alternative proposals clearly going to serve our well-being better in the next four years? Are challengers clearly more capable than those they would replace?

The door was ajar in this campaign for John Horgan’s NDP. Even with the country’s best-performing economy in this term, there might have been sufficient fatigue to try something new – but only if it would apply novel ideas to our challenges without tainting the economic success story.
At the end of its fourth term in opposition, though, the NDP still has not found the plot. Rather than inject inspiration, it has conducted a lacklustre, underwhelming campaign of insufficient hope and specifics to merit power’s reins.

A vital element in any evaluation of political competence is a campaign platform’s provision of candid financial detail. On that score, BC under the NDP would run a clear risk of heavier taxation on a much wider array of British Columbians than might expect or deserve it, amid an unclear plan of how to – and who will – pay for the promises.

Cases in point: such big-ticket items as Medical Service Plan premiums, BC Hydro rates and ICBC rates. Rather than unveil a wondrous and relieving path, the NDP has shovelled the messes into a large container for eventual review, an age-old tactic that doesn’t compute in 2017.

Moreover, the party’s social-program ambitions have the pretention of imminent gratification but the reality of glacial speed. The child-care program and housing commitments take a decade and are not in themselves problem-solving. The $400 annual rental rebate proposal might be the most superficial idea for a serious problem in recent memory. There is no substantial industrial strategy, either for tech or resources. And the hardly radical commitment by the Liberals for B.C. to join the ride-sharing economy has been treated like sacrilege.

Which begs the question: Was this the best the NDP could come up with after all this time?

And further: If that’s the case, should they assume the seat of power?

That a change in government is necessary is particularly difficult to argue when unemployment is the lowest in the country, when economic growth is the highest, when modest measures to dampen the excesses of the housing market have largely turned the trick, and when there are plans to address the unbridled nature of political financing.

To the issue of political conventional wisdom: The government hasn’t defeated itself. To the more apt concept: The opposition hasn’t adequately argued its case.

https://www.biv.com/article/2017/5/ndp-fails-make-convincing-case-bc-voters/

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Correction. They are putting other people's money where their mouth is.

That's what every elected party does. If the majority of Vancouverites disagree with their choices, then they will elect someone else. They've been re-elected twice, however.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Jebby

It's easy to make promises with other peoples' money.

Well maybe next time we'll elect a party that doesn't need taxes to fund their programs...

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

The Libs are far from ethical but they at least present opportunities if you aren't poor. If you are struggling, unemployed or poor than you should really consider moving. Sounds harsh but this is the reality in many large cities.

If Liberal policy choices don't benefit you, your only option is to move?

I am not poor, nor unemployed. I am middle class, and yes that is more of a struggle here than it should be. Previously, I was a provincial Lib voter but not this time around. I wouldn't be surprised by how many people agree with that sentiment on Election Day.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Old and cynical

\It will be addressed by the liberals by the only way they know....privatize it.

Sounds like a good argument to vote Liberals every election.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

If Liberal policy choices don't benefit you, your only option is to move?

I am not poor, nor unemployed. I am middle class, and yes that is more of a struggle here than it should be. Previously, I was a provincial Lib voter but not this time around. I wouldn't be surprised by how many people agree with that sentiment on Election Day.

Ditto.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

If Liberal policy choices don't benefit you, your only option is to move?

I am not poor, nor unemployed. I am middle class, and yes that is more of a struggle here than it should be. Previously, I was a provincial Lib voter but not this time around. I wouldn't be surprised by how many people agree with that sentiment on Election Day.

It is a struggle for most but many people are just happy to see their property values sore- hence why they will continue to vote liberal unless the market crashes. I knew a bunch of people that were going to vote NDP do a 180 last minute and vote for the Liberals. Why? They fear any change the NDP would bring in which could impact them.

What % of BCers do not own a home or are not doing well financially vs those who simply own a home? That's what the election will come down to.

If you are struggling...there isnt any point in trying to carve our a career or life in Vancouver.