BC Political Discussion: Election 2024 & 43rd Parliament

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

You do realize much of the private health care which exists in BC today first came on-stream during the Glen Clark NDP government. The Cambie Surgical Centre, which opened in 1996, was used by the Clark government to take the pressure off the public health system by referring ICBC and WCB patients.

And the Campbell and Christy Clark administrations took us the other 90% of the way there by shrinking the budget/staff, closing hospitals and reducing graduate numbers.

The neocon playbook is to shrivel a public sector until it stops working well, turn the public against it, and then sell it off to their donors (until the public gets sick of that and has the government renationalize it at a higher cost, e.g. Dynalife in Alberta); it's only now with the Horgan/Eby administrations that we're getting money dumped back into health.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Really?
After a weekend like we just had, .......and also with the increased severity of the forest fires that we've now become accustomed to in the summers?
(not to mention the now frequent and typically lethal "heat domes")

And with a major party leader who's a climate change denier?

You really think the average person doesn't think about it that much?

Watch "Don't look up."

Hell, it's going in the completely opposite direction in Alberta.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-ucp-...o2-abandoning-net-zero-targets-1.7080000

A proposal to stop labelling carbon dioxide as a pollutant and instead celebrate it as a "foundational nutrient for all life on Earth" will be up for debate at the United Conservative Party's (UCP) annual general meeting(opens in a new tab) in November.

The resolution, which includes abandoning Alberta’s net-zero targets, flies in the face of the scientific consensus(opens in a new tab) that carbon dioxide emissions created by humans burning fossil fuels is one of the primary drivers of global warming.

You have to abandon the idea that people care about the future. People want immediate returns from governments and right-wing governments tend to offer that.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Really?
After a weekend like we just had, .......and also with the increased severity of the forest fires that we've now become accustomed to in the summers?
(not to mention the now frequent and typically lethal "heat domes")

And with a major party leader who's a climate change denier?

You really think the average person doesn't think about it that much?

As I said, the voters just said they don't care.

When times are tight it's hard to get all riled up about it knowing that China and India cause way more pollution and whatever pocketbook hit cooked up by the NDP here isn't going to make a meaningful difference.

[Migrant_Coconut]

A big problem is the 4-5 year terms: they're biased toward short-term decisions that pay off in time for the next election (or goes bad just in time for another party to take the blame for it) and against long-term decisions that won't kick in for another cycle (in which case another party might get voted in and take the credit).

I'd argue that 6 years would be enough time for an incumbent to have to deal with the consequences of their actions... or inactions.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Really?
After a weekend like we just had, .......and also with the increased severity of the forest fires that we've now become accustomed to in the summers?
(not to mention the now frequent and typically lethal "heat domes")

And with a major party leader who's a climate change denier?

You really think the average person doesn't think about it that much?

NDP hasn't been doing much over the past 8 years when it comes to countering climate change. Green-washing is what the government is good at. Hasn't David Eby decided to get rid of the Carbon Tax as well? I am amazed people still believe in him and the party.

I am also very uncomfortable that John Rustad is a climate change denier, and do not think that he is premier-material as well. However even if he is, there is nothing much to undo in this province since NDP has already decided to forego the Carbon Tax, etc. Millions will still be relying on their private vehicles to commute to work, although more will also swtich to electric vehicles since oil price is still at an all-time high. The worst they can do is to bring back plastic utensils, bags and cups, which the private sector can counter by working on to improve the recycling technology and techniques.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

The full quote is "This website skews older and more centre-right," while the posters on the other end of the political spectrum say it leans too far left. One figures the two sides cancel each other out.

The Vancouver forum is probably centre to centre left. The Canada forum is comparatively centre right to right depending on who is posting most frequently in the thread.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Vin

Millions will still be relying on their private vehicles to commute to work, although more will also swtich to electric vehicles since oil price is still at an all-time high.

I sold my car to live a cheaper life when I went back to school, especially since I was now paying for a U-Pass. Things were okay until overcrowding on the system made some parts of my commute intolerable. I work part-time in Surrey and heading in that direction on Skytrain is the absolute worst.

I regret selling my car now and anyone taking transit must be considering driving instead. The provincial government can impact this by investing more but the federal government’s current immigration policy means that any new capacity will quickly become overcrowded again.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by Vin

NDP hasn't been doing much over the past 8 years when it comes to countering climate change. Green-washing is what the government is good at. Hasn't David Eby decided to get rid of the Carbon Tax as well? I am amazed people still believe in him and the party.

I am also very uncomfortable that John Rustad is a climate change denier, and do not think that he is premier-material as well. However even if he is, there is nothing much to undo in this province since NDP has already decided to forego the Carbon Tax, etc. Millions will still be relying on their private vehicles to commute to work, although more will also swtich to electric vehicles since oil price is still at an all-time high. The worst they can do is to bring back plastic utensils, bags and cups, which the private sector can counter by working on to improve the recycling technology and techniques.

Look at the Federal Liberals. All these token measures including the carbon tax and stressing the need to meet emissions targets but mandate federal workers to go back into offices. There's been a significant increase in traffic in many regions with the 2.5-3 mil newcomers contributing to this. A lot of students/temporary foreign workers immediately buy vehicles for sidegigs to survive.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Vin

NDP hasn't been doing much over the past 8 years when it comes to countering climate change. Green-washing is what the government is good at. Hasn't David Eby decided to get rid of the Carbon Tax as well? I am amazed people still believe in him and the party.

I am also very uncomfortable that John Rustad is a climate change denier, and do not think that he is premier-material as well. However even if he is, there is nothing much to undo in this province since NDP has already decided to forego the Carbon Tax, etc. Millions will still be relying on their private vehicles to commute to work, although more will also swtich to electric vehicles since oil price is still at an all-time high. The worst they can do is to bring back plastic utensils, bags and cups, which the private sector can counter by working on to improve the recycling technology and techniques.

You sound like a John Rustad supporter who just doesn't want to come out and say flat out that they are a John Rustad supporter.

Which is all well and good, and obviously your right if that is the case.

It's just that it's a rather odd position to be slamming NDP for inaction on, or for only paying lip service to climate change for 8 years......only to turn around and pretty much say (....without actually saying) that the answer therefore should be.....Mr. "Climate Change Denier"

[BaddieB]

No matter who wins the Surrey pandering is going to be insane. Expect lots of money for new schools, more funding for transit, etc

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by BaddieB

No matter who wins the Surrey pandering is going to be insane. Expect lots of money for new schools, more funding for transit, etc

Money for new schools and transit in Surrey ought to happen anyhow, regardless of who's forming government. I wouldn't really call necessary improvements to be "pandering" but "providing the bare minimum to get Surrey up to snuff". And then they can start providing more funding for more school space in other cities while they're at it.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Money for new schools and transit in Surrey ought to happen anyhow, regardless of who's forming government. I wouldn't really call necessary improvements to be "pandering" but "providing the bare minimum to get Surrey up to snuff". And then they can start providing more funding for more school space in other cities while they're at it.

Yes, people don’t realize how much worse the situation is in Surrey.

[BaddieB]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Money for new schools and transit in Surrey ought to happen anyhow, regardless of who's forming government. I wouldn't really call necessary improvements to be "pandering" but "providing the bare minimum to get Surrey up to snuff". And then they can start providing more funding for more school space in other cities while they're at it.

Not saying it's a bad thing, just that a lot of money is going to get thrown there whether it needs it or not.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Vin

Hence more bike lanes and more homelessness/drug use in Victoria in recent years. You can literally see changes to a City run by the various types of governments. Don't get me wrong, I do love the bike lanes but I hate the latter. It's just a matter of deciding who can bring in the most benefits because no matter who you choose, there will always be disagreements and things that disappoint since no one is perfect.

The NDP has definitely brought much harm to my area of work and residence in downtown Vancouver. During Covid they bought up previously profitable hotels and turned them into slums (SRO's). The act of assisting to house people in need itself is fine, except that those making the decision did not attempt to enforce stricter rules to make the neighbourhoods cleaner and safer, but just left the neighbourhoods rotting and becoming filthy. These hotel purchase initiatives were supposed to be temporary until they could build enough proper housing for those housed. However these slums are now permanent fixtures since BC Housing hasn't been doing anything much, while the drug use and homelessness situation is getting worse day-by-day.

If they can do that to Vancouver, they can also turn every city/town centre into slums. We are starting to witness that in Victoria these days too, and what's happening around Pandora/Quadra is definitely spreading to other areas like Douglas Street. I can always see the stark decline every time I am in various Victoria neighbourhoods. I am sure you are familiar about the Comfort Inn issue in Victoria as well, as the place is draining Victoria's resources by wasting tax-payer's money on emergency responses, crime prevention, weapons bust, etc.

If we vote in the NDP with a huge majority, we are simply sending them the signal that the rot they caused over the past decade was acceptable. The only way to derail them is to give the Conservatives more power to counter their arrogance.

I am familiar with the Comfort Inn in Victoria. I know the former general manager (her father owned the building) when it was a hotel. The family made out well selling it to the Province at the start of COVID. During the first two years of COVID the last thing you would want to have owned was a hotel and would have needed deep pockets to make it through that period.

I also live near another hotel (that was temporarily leased by BC Housing) and now is back to being a hotel. That property required extensive renovation to get it back in a state that it could be used as a hotel again.

I think there is a broad fentanyl/opioids issue across North America. The NDP did not create that problem. We can debate if their strategy was more or less effective in addressing the issue than other regions. I look at the Lighthouse in downtown Saskatoon, and it is the same issue under a far more right leaning administration.

So what exactly are the BC Conservatives going to do to fix the problem that the NDP is not doing already. They policy talks about hiring more police, increasing sentencing guidelines, having mandatory mental health treatment, etc. Basically what the US has been doing. How well has that worked for the US?

I agree there is a problem. Just not convinced they have a better plan. More wishful thinking than anything else. If we lock up more people for longer, things will get better. Not convinced that works.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by casper

I am familiar with the Comfort Inn in Victoria. I know the former general manager (her father owned the building) when it was a hotel. The family made out well selling it to the Province at the start of COVID. During the first two years of COVID the last thing you would want to have owned was a hotel and would have needed deep pockets to make it through that period.

I also live near another hotel (that was temporarily leased by BC Housing) and now is back to being a hotel. That property required extensive renovation to get it back in a state that it could be used as a hotel again.

I think there is a broad fentanyl/opioids issue across North America. The NDP did not create that problem. We can debate if their strategy was more or less effective in addressing the issue than other regions. I look at the Lighthouse in downtown Saskatoon, and it is the same issue under a far more right leaning administration.

So what exactly are the BC Conservatives going to do to fix the problem that the NDP is not doing already. They policy talks about hiring more police, increasing sentencing guidelines, having mandatory mental health treatment, etc. Basically what the US has been doing. How well has that worked for the US?

I agree there is a problem. Just not convinced they have a better plan. More wishful thinking than anything else. If we lock up more people for longer, things will get better. Not convinced that works.

The NDP did cause these problems by approving open drug use, as well as the catch-and-release programs over their eight years of rule, among many other damaging policies. Even though they back-tracked on open drug use during the final year of their tenure, many feel that the act was just a desperate ploy to attract votes. I do not think they are accountable for their actions, and neither are they introducing policies to enforce the law to massively reduce street lawlessness and crime. Overall, I just don't feel that the NDP is serious in tackling these issues.

Of course, like many others, I am hoping a new administration can do better in these areas. At this point, no one can say the Conservatives are unable to pull it off since they haven't been a government in this province for decades, and it seems that many are not even going to give them a chance to prove themselves.

You may think that the drug/fentanyl problem is a North American problem affecting everyone equally. The fact is that it is disproportionately affecting our province more than others. Visiting Toronto, Montreal or Calgary, one just don't feel the degree of rot that we are seeing in our own cities.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

You sound like a John Rustad supporter who just doesn't want to come out and say flat out that they are a John Rustad supporter.

Which is all well and good, and obviously your right if that is the case.

It's just that it's a rather odd position to be slamming NDP for inaction on, or for only paying lip service to climate change for 8 years......only to turn around and pretty much say (....without actually saying) that the answer therefore should be.....Mr. "Climate Change Denier"

Your kind of definition is what breeds extremism. No one is saying you need to agree with 100% of what a person thinks, right? We all need to grow our own.

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

I sold my car to live a cheaper life when I went back to school, especially since I was now paying for a U-Pass. Things were okay until overcrowding on the system made some parts of my commute intolerable. I work part-time in Surrey and heading in that direction on Skytrain is the absolute worst.

I regret selling my car now and anyone taking transit must be considering driving instead. The provincial government can impact this by investing more but the federal government’s current immigration policy means that any new capacity will quickly become overcrowded again.

Overall, I think all forms of government would like to invest in a good public transport system. Problem is whether there is enough money in our government coffers. To fill these up, the government need to be creative to attract a lot more business investments in this province for that to happen. Many happy-go-lucky governments seem to rely only on the Feds to fund public transportation instead of tapping into FDIs or other form of business investments. That is one of the biggest drawbacks with a welfare province such as British Columbia. Everyone is looking for a handout when there is less to go around these days.

You are right that public transport money will eventually dry up, and welfare-supporting NDP will definitely not help in the long term.

Not relying on a car and still able to get around with ease is one of the best things you can achieve in life as a young person. You'll be amazed that the money saved can actually propel you to save up for your first investment home a lot quicker than those who rely on their own vehicles. You can always start driving when you finally start having your own family.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Yes, people don’t realize how much worse the situation is in Surrey.

Olympic Village chiming in.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Vin

The NDP did cause these problems by approving open drug use

I've been out of the loop on this since it launched, but I don't recall the federal exemption making drug consumption decriminalized.

[Burquitlaman]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

I've been out of the loop on this since it launched, but I don't recall the federal exemption making drug consumption decriminalized.

BC had a three-year Criminal Code exemption for personal possession of drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines and for use in public (edit: up to 2.5 grams). The NDP ended the pilot early and they asked the Feds to end the exemption, but the exemption was there for quite a while.

Also, BC has always been relaxed about drug use. Police has traditionally looked the other way. This back and forth with hard drugs is going to make that attitude worse. Now that it's criminalized again, it'll take a while before enforcement catches up. You don't go from heroin in public use being okay one day to I'm going to arrest you if you don't put that away the other, specially in BC.

btw, even with the exemption backtrack, there are exceptions to it: from my understanding, if you're homeless, you can still shoot up wherever you're camped at, legally.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Burquitlaman

BC had a three-year Criminal Code exemption for personal possession of drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines and for use in public (edit: up to 2.5 grams). The NDP ended the pilot early and they asked the Feds to end the exemption, but the exemption was there for quite a while.

Also, BC has always been relaxed about drug use. Police has traditionally looked the other way. This back and forth with hard drugs is going to make that attitude worse. Now that it's criminalized again, it'll take a while before enforcement catches up. You don't go from heroin in public use being okay one day to I'm going to arrest you if you don't put that away the other, specially in BC.

btw, even with the exemption backtrack, there are exceptions to it: from my understanding, if you're homeless, you can still shoot up wherever you're camped at, legally.

Right but what I'm getting at is all I've read (and what you wrote) is regarding possession, not consumption.