New BC Political Discussion - POST BC Election 2017

[misher]

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columni...plan-could-result-in-provincial-pressure

Vaughn Palmer: Municipal pushback on housing plan could result in provincial pressure

The last point in the plan commits to working with “TransLink and local governments in Metro Vancouver to increase density and improve the availability of affordable housing around transit stations.”
“The challenge is some municipal councils want to have it both ways,” he conceded Thursday. “They want to demand provincial participation, provincial dollars, whether it be on SkyTrain or other forms of transit — but not make the same choices about how do we take advantage of those significant transit investments to building housing around that transportation corridor.”

What if local government balks at provincial priorities on housing while still wanting the province to pay for the transit?

Vancouver’s chief city planner recently told the Globe and Mail how “we have held the line” against pressure for increased density as a way to help pay for the SkyTrain extension.

“We are not funding the line through charges on extra density,” Gil Kelley told reporter Frances Bula. “We’ve been pushing back pretty hard.”

At what point, I asked Horgan, does the province tie its transit dollars to specific targets for density and types of housing?

It is too soon for that, with newly elected mayors and councils all over Metro Vancouver, indicated the premier.

“It’s reasonable for us to wait that out and see, those who want to work with us, will work with us and those who don’t, well we’ll have to find another way.”

He may not have all that much time to wait them out. Horgan’s No. 1 promise in the last election was housing affordability.

He won’t get there just by increasing taxes and reducing demand. He also needs to increase the supply of housing for low- and middle-income individuals and families.

[WestCoastEcho]

This article from Prince Rupert slipped into my view regarding BC Rail:

https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/union-costs-among-top-issues-in-2004-bc-rail-sale-1.23788875

In the article, it indicates that recently released cabinet documents indicated that the sale of BC Rail by the then Liberal government was in part, due to uncompetitive labour costs, and an unwillingness by BC Rail to address the concerns raised.

The sale of BC Rail by Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberals was necessary in part because union agreements were pricing the provincial asset out of the freight market, recently released cabinet documents say.

“It is estimated that BC Rail is 15-18% uncompetitive with other major railways in Canada primarily because of its inability (or previous unwillingness) to address the significant changes required in work practices, union structure and collective issues,” a June 2003 Ministry of Transportation report to cabinet said.

It looks like the Liberal government did try to explore other options for BC Rail, but the changing legal landscape under federal law severely eroded BC Rail's competitiveness, with no clear option forward but to sell.

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by misher

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columni...plan-could-result-in-provincial-pressure

Good. The more pressure, the better.

Does the provincial government actually have significant leverage aside from withholding transit dollars?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Well, this happened (link).

What’s ahead for B.C.’s labour laws? Kids at work

VANCOUVER—When Helesia Luke meets new people, and the conversation inevitably turns to children at work in B.C., what she has to say is often met with disbelief. People tell Luke she must be mistaken: 12-year-olds can’t be allowed to work on construction sites, in restaurants and in mines in this province.

But they are, Luke tells them, and they’re getting injured, sick, and distracted from school. She knows because she’s been trying to get the law changed ever since work for children aged 12-14 became allowed with parental permission 16 years ago.

The rules were brought in by the BC Liberals in 2003, along with a number of reforms aimed at cutting red tape for employers. Prior to 2003, employers were able to hire kids under the age of 14 if they applied for a special permit and were approved. B.C. and Yukon are the only two Canadian jurisdictions that don’t set an absolute minimum working age.

That’s likely to change this spring, when Minister of Labour Harry Bains is expected to introduce highly anticipated legislation to update the province’s labour laws for the first time in almost two decades...

[misher]

Horgan backs down from promise to step in if gas prices get too high, was 1.71 on my way to work today, am not happy:

Asked several times about runaway price hikes, Horgan insisted it wasn’t the fault of the carbon tax, even to someone driving by who yelled at him about it. He took pains to say his pipeline objections don’t have anything to do with the gas prices. “You can’t put diluted bitumen in your pickup truck.”

He also said government regulation of gas prices doesn’t work.

Then he handed the whole issue over to the federal government, saying the consumer-protection branch should step in and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government should do more to show it cares.

That’s a bit of a retreat from his earlier stance that he’d monitor prices over the summer and then step in if the price doesn’t ease. The price has gone up since those remarks. But Horgan said Tuesday that government intervention, as in the Maritimes, doesn’t have a material impact.
“It’s a supply-and-demand issue.”

https://www.vancourier.com/les-leyne-harsh-gas-price-lab-experiment-gets-paved-over-1.23800251

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Well, this happened (link).

Oh how I miss those quaint, Dickensian BC Liberals with their child labour.

[misher]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Oh how I miss those quaint, Dickensian BC Liberals with their child labour.

BC in general as the law existed like that for both parties since 2002. Honest I'm beginning to feel that its good to switch every 4 years so you can't solely blame one government for things that happened more than 4 years ago. Even going before 2002 underage labour was allowed.

Personally I think children should be allowed to work with parental permission. Its very common that children help their parents whether its helping out around the farm, house, office, shop, etc. I realize this is open for abuse, but so is the parental system in general. Generally I think the government should be relatively hands off when it comes to what happens within a family unless signifigant abuse occurs.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by misher

BC in general as the law existed like that for both parties since 2002. Honest I'm beginning to feel that its good to switch every 4 years so you can't solely blame one government for things that happened more than 4 years ago. Even going before 2002 underage labour was allowed.

Personally I think children should be allowed to work with parental permission. Its very common that children help their parents whether its helping out around the farm, house, office, shop, etc. I realize this is open for abuse, but so is the parental system in general. Generally I think the government should be relatively hands off when it comes to what happens within a family unless signifigant abuse occurs.

The minimum work age was 15 prior to 2003. Under the Campbell administration, Bill 37 was passed in '03 and came into effect '04. Not pointing any fingers, just getting the facts straight.

I can understand farmwork or housework, but we're talking manufacturing, construction and trade jobs here. Those jobs need oversight and stricter rules at the very least... and I believe Western society already fought for and won those in the 19th century.

[Galaxy]

The NDP Governments time would be better spent on improving worker safety and pushing for increases in wages than to spend their time on changes such as this. I am sure as more automation comes into effect in the years ahead there will be less need for even young people to work a lot of tasks as machines will be more efficient and reliable than even the young workforce.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

The NDP Governments time would be better spent on improving worker safety and pushing for increases in wages than to spend their time on changes such as this. I am sure as more automation comes into effect in the years ahead there will be less need for even young people to work a lot of tasks as machines will be more efficient and reliable than even the young workforce.

Farming is actually quite dangerous for workers, young people included.

- Agriculture ranks as Canada’s third most hazardous industry
- terms of absolute numbers of fatalities, there is no more dangerous occupation
- There were 1769 agricultural fatalities in Canada from 1990-2005
- Agricultural machines were involved in 70.9% of fatalities
- Of those fatally injured as a result of agricultural work, 91.6% were male
- For children aged fourteen and under the following were the most predominant causes of farm-related fatalities:

Machine runovers 41.9%
Drownings 15.2%
Machine rollovers 11.1%
Animal-related 6.5%
Crushed under an object 5.1%

[misher]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

The NDP Governments time would be better spent on improving worker safety and pushing for increases in wages than to spend their time on changes such as this. I am sure as more automation comes into effect in the years ahead there will be less need for even young people to work a lot of tasks as machines will be more efficient and reliable than even the young workforce.

Well the thing is its generally the machines that are causing the safety issues as mezzaine pointed out.

[Galaxy]

I totally know how dangerous farms are as I grew up on a farm in Langley and lived on the farm for 18 years of my life. I think because I went through that period I see how important improving safety is and if the government spent more time and energy to improve safety for all works young and old then it would benefit society as a whole. I've seen some really nasty injuries and even know quite a few people that have died working on farms so it's extremely dangerous. I have also seen over the years some of the efforts to improve working conditions and I think the government could do even more to improve the working conditions of all people at work in general.

In regards to machines even they are getting safer as the government has spent more time in the past like early 1990's machines didn't even have a protective covering over the gears and peoples hands and sometimes hair got caught in the gears and this has since changed. More safety precautions will help all workers and that is a good thing.

[Sheba]

B.C. increasing minimum work age

The B.C. government is raising the minimum age of workers from 12 years old to 16 years old and says it will better protect the safety of 16 to 18-year-olds in the workplace.

“We are the last jurisdiction left in Canada doesn’t comply with the international laws when it comes to child labour,” Labour Minister Harry Bains said.

“Right now they are able to work any jobs, mining, construction. We are making sure our youth are protected from dangerous work.”

The province will still be building regulations to determine what is dangerous work for children.

“When British Columbians head out to their workplace, they need to know their safety and rights are being protected in law,” Bains said.

“We are making improvements that are long overdue — bringing back basic rights and protections that were gutted by the old government.”

The province says the legislation addresses concerns raised after employment standards changes were made in 2003 under the previous BC Liberal government. The government says children as young as 12 were put at risk of serious workplace injuries.

Both the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and the International Labour Organization recommend Canada’s minimum work-start age should be 16.

The legislation provides exemptions that allow 14-year-olds and 15-year-olds to perform light work that is safe for their health and development, including stocking shelves at grocery stores and babysitting.

“We are pleased that these long-overdue changes to B.C.’s child employment laws are being brought forward,” said First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition co-ordinator Adrienne Montani said.

“For the past 15 years, employers have been allowed to hire children for inappropriate and dangerous work and too many of them have gotten injured doing those jobs each year. We look forward to working with government to ensure children’s health and safety is prioritized in the new regulations under this act and to seeing robust monitoring and enforcement of employers’ compliance.”

The changes are part of a suite of changes put forward by the NDP on Monday.

[bluefox]

Just another day in the Legislature...



Comparing people who may be affected by a bill that strengthens farmland protection to Holocaust survivors... on a day remembering the Holocaust...

Remind me why Coleman keeps getting elected again? Isn't he supposed to be in jail or something?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by bluefox

Comparing people who may be affected by a bill that strengthens farmland protection to Holocaust survivors... on a day remembering the Holocaust...

Remind me why Coleman keeps getting elected again? Isn't he supposed to be in jail or something?

I assume that the bill concerns the ALR? In which case, the confiscation of Deutschjuden private property was in the 30s, so he doesn't even have that one right.

I mean if you're going to invoke Godwin's Law, at least get your dates straight.

[CivicBlues]

He could be referring to Japanese Internment, you know something the Canadian government actually participated in during the 1940s?

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by bluefox

Just another day in the Legislature...



Comparing people who may be affected by a bill that strengthens farmland protection to Holocaust survivors... on a day remembering the Holocaust...

Remind me why Coleman keeps getting elected again? Isn't he supposed to be in jail or something?

Not only that, Wilkinson's apology didn't mention Coleman at all, and he worded it so that if you didn't know what was going on you'd think he was berating the NDP for linking an ALR bill to the Holocaust. Wilkinson, Coleman, and the whole BC Liberal party is as slimy as ever.

[whatnext]

Rich Coleman goes rogue and speak in favour of anti-abortion rally, telling crowd he will "pray for them". Are we seeing the cracks in the BC Liberal coalition:

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2019/05/14/First-Cracks-BC-Liberal-Coalition/

[Migrant_Coconut]

He's in the wrong party; Christian Heritage seems more his speed.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

He's in the wrong party; Christian Heritage seems more his speed.

He seems like the kind of fat bloated old entitled white guy that would wield his man power over womens' rights to their bodies.