BC Political Discussion - BC Election 2017 May 9th

[Bcasey25raptor]

Originally Posted by csbvan

I'd like to see a minority government for a change. Get the Liberals out of power, like any decade plus long government they have overstayed their welcome, and replace them with an NDP minority propped up by the Greens. That would push the NDP a little more to the centre on economic issues.

According to CBC's vote compass, the Greens are to the left of the NDP, where did this myth that the greens are moderates come from? It's ridiculiusly wrong based on the evidence.

An NDP minority propped up by the greens would be dragged further left, not right.

[Bcasey25raptor]

$400 renters rebate, NDP I like you, This would help me a HELL of a lot.

[Bcasey25raptor]

Greens sound extremely nice to me, very left wing

"Key measures of the Green party’s Covering the Basics Strategy include:

1. Beginning the transition to liveable incomes with an increase in Persons with Disabilities (PWD), income assistance and shelter allowance rates. Rate increases by 10% effective October 1, 2017, rising to 50% above the current level on April 1, 2020.

2. Introducing a basic income support for youth aged 18 to 24, who are transitioning out of foster care, at an estimated cost of $60 million per year.

3. Drawing on experience in other jurisdictions to design a basic income pilot to test whether giving people a basic guaranteed income is an effective way to reduce poverty, improve health, housing and employment.

4. Establishing an arm’s-length fair wages commission, that will be tasked with establishing a new minimum wage and overseeing regular rate reviews. The commission will bring forward recommendations regarding strategies to address the discrepancy between minimum wages and liveable wages.

5. Working with the Federal government to provide a Low-income Benefit of up to $205 per month for low income families.

6. Rolling Medical Service Plan (MSP) premiums into the payroll tax and personal income tax to ensure that they are administered in a more equitable and progressive manner.

“We have a mounting problem of inequality in this province,” said Weaver. “Much of the wealth increase over the past few years has gone to the already-wealthy, while many struggle to make ends meet. We have seen a rise in child poverty and in the use of food banks.”

Weaver will take part in a “Rally for Change” with David Suzuki, 7-9 p.m., at the Victoria Conference Centre (720 Douglas Street).

The Green Party also announced the release of its first “major campaign ad” featuring Weaver’s personal background, motivation for entering politics and vision for British Columbia. The video can be viewed on the B.C. Green Party Facebook page."

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

$400 renters rebate, NDP I like you, This would help me a HELL of a lot.

The Liberals' "no way in hell should the public subsidize people in penthouses" response rings awfully damn hollow when they just raised the $570+ annual homeowners' grant to dwellings valued up to $1.6M.

If there's ever been any doubt whatsoever that the Liberals just don't care about urban renters, who make up more than half of the Metro Vancouver households I should add, this was made transparently clear today.

[Bcasey25raptor]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

The Liberals' "no way in hell should the public subsidize people in penthouses" response rings awfully damn hollow when they just raised the $570+ annual homeowners' grant to dwellings valued up to $1.6M.

If there's ever been any doubt whatsoever that the Liberals just don't care about urban renters, who make up more than half of the Metro Vancouver households I should add, this was made transparently clear today.

Yep, agreed. The BC Liberals are tone deaf and don't really care about anyone but the rich and corporations.

I wish BC had a centrist Liberal party like we have in Ottawa.

[WarrenC12]

I would vote for a government that:

1. Removed all homeowner grants, including seniors.
2. Ended MSP.
3. Brought back HST, including the enhanced low-income rebates.
4. Slowly increased carbon tax.
5. Rebalanced income tax rates on brackets over $75k to compensate for any revenue impacts resulting from the first 4 actions, assuming they will need to increase a little.

The goal should be to simplify the tax structure, not dribs and drabs of boutique tax credits and paltry rebates.

[jlousa]

I concur on most of those points and a simiplified tax code would be a huge benefit to most citizens. I disagree with getting rid of the home owners grant though as it's a simple way of providing a surcharge on investment properties. Look at the property tax with the grant as the base amount, and those without the grant as an investment tax.

[Bcasey25raptor]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I would vote for a government that:

1. Removed all homeowner grants, including seniors.
2. Ended MSP.
3. Brought back HST, including the enhanced low-income rebates.
4. Slowly increased carbon tax.
5. Rebalanced income tax rates on brackets over $75k to compensate for any revenue impacts resulting from the first 4 actions, assuming they will need to increase a little.

The goal should be to simplify the tax structure, not dribs and drabs of boutique tax credits and paltry rebates.

Yeah I can back all of these. Seems reasonable enough.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by jlousa

I concur on most of those points and a simiplified tax code would be a huge benefit to most citizens. I disagree with getting rid of the home owners grant though as it's a simple way of providing a surcharge on investment properties. Look at the property tax with the grant as the base amount, and those without the grant as an investment tax.

I don't like how the home owners' rebate isn't means tested.

Investors already pay capital gains, and marginal income tax on rents. So the typical landlord/investor pays enough IMO.

I also support the "vancant homes" tax, and higher property tax that could be offset by income taxes filed in Canada.

[Bcasey25raptor]

Too close to call has updated their projections for the BC Election






http://www.tooclosetocall.ca/p/bc-election-2017.html

[Bcasey25raptor]

I told you the greens were left of the NDP

http://www.theprovince.com/news/politics...ises+income+security/13298027/story.html

[ryanmaccdn]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

Too close to call has updated their projections for the BC Election






http://www.tooclosetocall.ca/p/bc-election-2017.html

Those look identical to the 2013 election predictions ... maybe you should state they are 2017's??

[GlassCity]

CBC has a poll-tracker out too done by Eric Grenier:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-2017-poll-tracker-1.4054593

As of today predicting an NDP majority.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

CBC has a poll-tracker out too done by Eric Grenier:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-2017-poll-tracker-1.4054593

As of today predicting an NDP majority.

Polls are worthless nowadays. I said this during the 2013 BC election and most recently during the 2016 US election.

All this will do is result in a more complacent NDP voter base and allow the "right" to mobilize and strategically vote. I foresee an overwhelming Liberal majority with "rural BC" emphatically voting for the Liberals.

[Bcasey25raptor]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Polls are worthless nowadays. I said this during the 2013 BC election and most recently during the 2016 US election.

All this will do is result in a more complacent NDP voter base and allow the "right" to mobilize and strategically vote. I foresee an overwhelming Liberal majority with "rural BC" emphatically voting for the Liberals.

If the polls remain so close I doubt NDPers will be complacent.

I can see a Liberal victory but I still believe the results will be close.

At this point, flip a coin, NDP or Liberal

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Polls are worthless nowadays. I said this during the 2013 BC election and most recently during the 2016 US election.

All this will do is result in a more complacent NDP voter base and allow the "right" to mobilize and strategically vote. I foresee an overwhelming Liberal majority with "rural BC" emphatically voting for the Liberals.

Polls were not useless during the US election on a large scale. Nationwide Clinton won by slightly less than predicted, well within the margin of error.

[Metro-One]

I really hope that the Liberals win one more term.

I really want to see the 99 project go through (the tunnel needs to be replaced and the scale of the project, save for maybe reducing two lanes on the bridge deck itself, is completely appropriate for our metro area. Not to mention how much would have been wasted if cancelled at this point) and the Liberals are also going against Surrey's LRT wishes by pushing for Skytrain, not LRT, to Langley (I worry that the NDP if elected will simply pander to Surrey and support LRT). Also I feel that the NDP in their modern incarnation (pandering to the south coast special interest groups) will be bad for the economy in the more rural parts of BC. The condescending tone many have on this forum who support the NDP towards those living in rural areas is ofte quite ignorant and ironic given their self proclaimed social enlightenment.

That said I don't want the Liberlas to be in power beyond one more term. I really hope that the NDP moderate a little (becoming a proper centralist party, allowing the Greens to become the far left party) but currently, despite some good policies that I do support, they do have too much of the American Left style identity politics (mixed with strong anti-industry) which is just toxic IMO.

[sunsetmountainland]

Originally Posted by Pinion

BC Liberals are conservatives, and rednecks always vote conservative.

Is this your position on why you would not vote B.C. Liberals? I hope not?

[sunsetmountainland]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

*Sigh* no. #spindoctor

NO spin doctor. My question to you what is wrong with having a balanced budget?

[Bcasey25raptor]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I really hope that the Liberals win one more term.

I really want to see the 99 project go through (the tunnel needs to be replaced and the scale of the project, save for maybe reducing two lanes on the bridge deck itself, is completely appropriate for our metro area. Not to mention how much would have been wasted if cancelled at this point) and the Liberals are also going against Surrey's LRT wishes by pushing for Skytrain, not LRT, to Langley (I worry that the NDP if elected will simply pander to Surrey and support LRT). Also I feel that the NDP in their modern incarnation (pandering to the south coast special interest groups) will be bad for the economy in the more rural parts of BC. The condescending tone many have on this forum who support the NDP towards those living in rural areas is ofte quite ignorant and ironic given their self proclaimed social enlightenment.

That said I don't want the Liberlas to be in power beyond one more term. I really hope that the NDP moderate a little (becoming a proper centralist party, allowing the Greens to become the far left party) but currently, despite some good policies that I do support, they do have too much of the American Left style identity politics (mixed with strong anti-industry) which is just toxic IMO.

Do you have a source to backup that the liberals oppose lrt instead of skyrrain in surrey?

I doubt the NDP would really be all that different on these projects to be quite honest.

Frankly the amount of poverty in BC and the abhorrent treatment of the disabled by this government tells me that I don't give 2 shits about a bridge or LRT when people are going hungry and homelessness is rampant.

By that's me, and I can't afford to wait 4 more years.