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Posted Feb 13, 2018, 7:53 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Another great post taking place from the best place on earth!
Posts: 1,324
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluefox
The burden of proof is on you to validate your statement. We're waiting.
Were you asleep for the last 16 years?
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I would like to thank you for the opportunity to validate my statement. I would like to take this time to thank the former liberal governments from the past 16 years. The hard work as well as positive economic advancement towards our province of British Columbia is greatly appreciated.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/g...credit-ratings
It is very important to note that the fiscal responsibility that the liberals created. Even during the down turn in 2008/2009 they have been fiscally responsibility.
Also, let us not forget the jobs, in the year 2011 the government released the jobs plan. Since that date they have created over 200,000 jobs since the date of release. This makes British Columbia number 1 with the lowest unemployment rate in this country. With the high tech industry as well as movie industry helping to fuel this job growth.
I certainly do not wish to be myopic with my views as with success we face difficult challenges. Certainly we have a shortage of housing options. With success brings population challenges, more people are moving to British Columbia.
I understand that the liberal government did not get power in the last election because of the actual fact they were too successful.
They did not have a good plan or strategy for housing in the lower mainland. Even with the fact they had most of the votes the government finds itself in a minority government.
So bluefox, this is where I have been for the past 16 years!
This brings me forward to my debate against the N.D.P government. Since I have lived my entire life in British Columbia. I have a pretty good argument against the N.D.P.
The first scandal was "Robin Blencoe"
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Robin Kyle Blencoe (born November 12, 1947) was a politician in British Columbia, Canada.[1] He was elected to represent the riding of Victoria-Hillside in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1983, 1986 and 1991. He served in the Cabinet of Mike Harcourt as Minister of Municipal Affairs,[2] Minister of Government Services and the Minister Responsible for Sport and the Commonwealth Games. He was forced out of office due to a number of sexual harassment complaints,[3] which resulted in Blencoe v. British Columbia (Human Rights Commission),[4] a leading Supreme Court of Canada decision on the scope of section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and on the administrative law principle of natural justice.
Due to delays to the tribunal hearings the claims were not resolved for 30 months after the first filing in 1995. During this time Blencoe was subjected to vast media coverage that led to the end of his political career, and contributed to his and his family's social and psychological hardship. The Supreme Court of Canada rejected Blencoe's argument that the delay warranted a stay of the human rights complaint.[5] Following this decision, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal issued its decision on the original sexual harassment complaint. The Tribunal found that Mr. Blencoe had engaged in conduct towards an employee which was sexual in nature and unwelcome, and that this conduct had a negative work-related impact on the employee. The Tribunal issued a declaration that Mr. Blencoe not engage in similar activity in the future an ordered that he pay $5000 to the former employee.[6]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Blencoe
I grew up in Nanaimo I remember when "Dave Stupich" got elected. So this is the second N.D.P. scandal I recall. It's called "Bingogate" this is based on skimming charity funds from a non profit organization.
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A sensational discovery of missing documents has revived interest in an NDP scandal from the 1970s and 1980s, less than a week before British Columbians go to the polls.
Murray Smith, who is currently heading a commission of inquiry into the so-called Bingogate scandal, has revealed that several cartons of documents dealing with events under review were discovered late last month.
"I am deeply troubled that eight boxes of documents have come to light so late in the inquiry's proceedings, despite the determined efforts of commission counsel over many months to obtain full disclosure from the Ministry of the Attorney-General," Mr. Smith stated in a written decision on a procedural matter, released without fanfare late last week.
"It is too early to tell the significance of these documents, but I will proceed on the assumption that some of them are relevant to the inquiry's terms of reference and may impact adversely" on the interests of some people who may be held responsible for wrongdoing, he said.
Although the commission is expected to wind up its lengthy investigation later this year, Mr. Smith postponed proceedings for three weeks to allow interested parties to review the new documents.
The commission is looking into the diversion of money from a government-regulated charity to NDP politicians and party activities.
Former B.C. cabinet minister Dave Stupich, who was once a prominent member of the NDP, was sentenced to two years less a day for his role in the lottery and bingo affair.
Former NDP premier Michael Harcourt resigned as premier after the extent of Mr. Stupich's activities was documented in a forensic audit released in November, 1995. Former premier Glen Clark, who succeeded Mr. Harcourt, appointed the commission of inquiry in 1996 in an attempt to distance his administration from that of his predecessor.
Some of the documents relate to events in 1987 and 1988, a crucial period in the affair when allegations about Mr. Stupich's activities first surfaced. At that time, an investigation did not substantiate the allegation of wrongdoing.
Commission lawyer Lyndsay Smith told a radio reporter yesterday that the cartons of documents had been mislabelled in the B.C. archives system as records of the corrections branchA researcher who had decided to do a manual search for records and examine every piece of paper turned up the documents, she said.
Ms. Smith also said the cartons contained material she had not seen before. She could not say how important the information might be.
B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell said most British Columbians want to put Bingogate and other NDP controversies behind them..
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...rticle22399943
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One of the central figures in the Bingogate political scandal of the early 1990s died Wednesday.
Dave Stupich, the former B.C. New Democrat cabinet minister and onetime MP for Nanaimo-Cowichan, was 84. The cause of his death was not released.
Once revered as one of the most powerful politicians in Canada, Mr. Stupich was shamed publicly after masterminding the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society bingo scam.
The scandal led to the resignation of then-premier Mike Harcourt, although he was not implicated.
Mr. Stupich was first elected to the B.C. Legislature as MLA for Nanaimo-Cowichan in 1963 and spent the better part of the next 30 years serving as an MLA or MP for the Nanaimo region.
Provincially, he held two cabinet posts, serving as minister of agriculture and minister of finance. In the late 1950s, Mr. Stupich set up and controlled the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society, which raised funds on behalf of the NDP.
But after receiving a tip that something was amiss from Jacques Carpentier, head of the Nanaimo Commonwealth Bingo Association, RCMP launched an investigation into the society, including a forensic audit of its operations.
The investigation took years but when completed, found Mr. Stupich ran kickback schemes in which donations to charities were refunded to the society.
In 1999, Mr. Stupich pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years for his role in Bingogate. He was ordered to serve out his sentence on electronic monitoring at his daughter's home in Nanaimo.
Dale Lovick, who was the NDP MLA for Nanaimo from 1986 through 2001 and shared a constituency office with Mr. Stupich, looked back on his life with saddness.
"When I think in terms of Dave and his career, I think in terms of great tragedy," he said. "Here was a guy who, until a series of events late in his political career, was universally admired and respected.
"How sad his career ended as it did. He did more good than bad, that's for sure."
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...article702942/
Well of course a proper N.D.P scandal is the result of Glen Clark and Moe Sihota!
I am not sure if many can remember the "FastCat Fiasco" I grew up on Vancouver island as well I have a good memory. Some called it the billion dollar "boondoggle" 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Ferry_Scandal
Next N.D.P scandal again Glen Clark government when 10,s of thousands were leaving to greener pastures in other provinces.
This one is called "Casinogate"
Quote:
In March 1999, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police executed a search warrant and searched the Clark household.[5] The media was tipped off about the raid and television news showed live, primetime coverage of the premier pacing inside his house while the search was conducted. Two weeks later the RCMP conducted a search of the Premier's Office.[6]
The subsequent investigation spawned intense coverage by the media.[7] However, subsequent coverage also exposed numerous inaccuracies in the way the story was initially portrayed, with some critics alleging a media or RCMP conspiracy to smear him for ideological reasons.[8]
Clark resigned suddenly on the night of August 21, 1999, following allegations that he had accepted favours (in the form of free renovations worth $10,000, which he had actually paid for) from Dimitrios Pilarinos in return for approving a casino application.[9] He was later formally charged with committing breach of trust, a criminal offence.[10]
Conflict of interest commissioner H.A.D. Oliver concluded in 2001 that Clark had violated conflict of interest laws in British Columbia.[7] However, Clark was acquitted of all criminal charges by the Supreme Court of British Columbia on August 29, 2002,[10] with Justice Elizabeth Bennett ruling that while Clark had unwisely left himself open to a perception of unethical behaviour, there was no solid evidence that he had actually done anything illegal.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Clark
I am an honest person so I have some whom I respect in the N.D.P government as not everyone is bad. I would like to give kodo's to Dave Barrett may he rest in peace.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Barrett
Also, someone with great ethics and a personal drive to succeed is Mike Harcourt.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Harcourt
His let's boogie saying when he won made me laugh but not just me but Bob Saye and Sterling Faux on CFMI radio.
This is when he quit the N.D.P
Quote:
Former B.C. premier Michael Harcourt has quit the NDP, the party he led back to power after 20 years in the political wilderness, saying it has failed to bridge urban and rural areas and is not ready to govern.
"I just decided it's time for me to become an independent," Mr. Harcourt told The Globe and Mail on Monday, explaining he has allowed his membership to lapse. He held the leadership from from 1991 to 1996, and was the second NDP premier in B.C. history, after David Barrett in the 1970s. "I don't know whether it's a trial separation or a decree absolute."
In a rare rebuke from an ex-premier to his party, Mr. Harcourt cited several grievances, but pointed to the "astonishingly stupid decision" of leader Adrian Dix in mid campaign last spring to change position on a proposed expansion of a Kinder-Morgan pipeline between Alberta and the Lower Mainland.
Mr. Dix said he would oppose the expansion after saying he would wait until an application for approval was filed to take a position.
"Coming out against Kinder Morgan just finally did it for me. I thought that was so stupid and unnecessary," Mr. Harcourt said, estimating Mr. Dix's reversal cost the New Democrats 20 seats and alienated blue-collar workers in resource communities across the province.
But Mr. Harcourt said he had also become disillusioned with the NDP over its 2009 opposition to a B.C. Liberal-initiated carbon tax and a 2010 caucus coup that forced out Carole James, the party's first female leader.
The Vancouver lawyer was the city's mayor for three terms, and became premier in 1991. He stepped down in 1996, taking responsibility for a scandal involving the NDP use of funds raised through bingo for party needs, although he had no role in it. He is now involved with sustainability, planning and community issues.
The NDP will pick a new leader in September after failing to ride leads in the polls to victory in the 2013 provincial election. The Liberals under Christy Clark won a fourth straight majority, hammering Mr. Dix with negative ads, to which he declined to respond because he had made a commitment to positive campaigning, and casting themselves as responsible economic stewards.
Mr. Harcourt said a healthy democracy demands an occasional change of government and offered suggestions on what his former party needs: "A capable leader, with a vision that resonates with me and British Columbians, and a good talent pool to form a government and a cabinet. Until I see those three things in place, I am going to be an independent, sustainability democrat."
He said the party needs leadership that balances an understanding of the Lower Mainland with the resource realities of the province. "Vancouver is an important part of the province, but most communities, about 150 of them, survive on natural resources, and if you say, 'You can't log, you can't mine, you can't drill wells for gas or ranch,' you're ignoring 95 per cent of British Columbia and most of the communities that depend on natural resources."
In the 2011 leadership race that elected Mr. Dix, Mr. Harcourt said he was torn between supporting Mike Farnworth, a veteran MLA from suburban Port Coquitlam, and John Horgan, a Victoria-area MLA. Eventually, he backed Mr. Farnworth, deciding the former NDP cabinet minister could appeal to the most voters.
Mr. Horgan and Mr. Farnworth are the only two candidates in the 2014 race. Last weekend, Mr. Farnworth said he hoped Mr. Harcourt would support him again.
But Mr. Harcourt noted he never heard from Mr. Farnworth after endorsing him. "I would expect a phone call or, 'We want to talk to you about this or that on occasion.'"
On Monday, Mr. Harcourt said Mr. Horgan is "a very capable guy" with the most balanced approach on resource issues, and did some great work for the NDP government on the Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Power Corporation. But he added: "I am no longer a member, so I am not going to be voting."
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ticle17751648/
Now N.D.P Moe Sihota always in the middle of all the problems.
Quote:
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Sihota resigned as Minister of Labour in 1995 after the Law Society of BC suspended his license to practice for 18 months, due to finding him guilty of professional misconduct.[3] He was reinstated to Cabinet in 1996, but resigned again December of the same year due to new allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and conflict of interest. The new allegations were due to actions he performed while in office that benefited his friend and former Vancouver MP Herb Dhaliwal. In his memoirs, "A Measure of Defiance", former BC Premier Mike Harcourt commented that "Although the B.C. Law Society denied the allegation, the hint that the investigation of our outspoken environment minister was politically motivated was too strong to be dismissed that quickly. This was, after all, British Columbia, the heart of nasty, partisan politics. There was no public outcry over the incident and to most of his constituents, reporters and even political adversaries, Moe's credibility did not suffer seriously
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_Sihota
Great article from business in Vancouver
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Avoiding a deficit should be a BC NDP coalition budget priority
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B.C. Finance Minister Carole James will present on February 20 is the first real opportunity for the BC NDP government to outline its economic and fiscal priorities for the coming years. While the minister did produce a partial “budget update” last September, that document largely reflected decisions made by the previous Liberal administration.
When they arrived in office, the New Democrats inherited both a buoyant economy and what looked to be a healthy budget surplus pegged at $2.7 billion for 2017-18. That surplus has since dwindled, due to spending and taxation measures announced in September along with the worsening financial picture at ICBC. Six months ago, ICBC was expected to lose $225 million in the current year; now, the torrent of red ink stands at $1.3 billion. Because Crown corporation profits and losses flow directly to the government’s bottom line, the hemorrhaging at ICBC might eliminate any remaining budget surplus in the near term.
Against this backdrop, what should the minister be aiming for in her forthcoming budget?
First, leaving aside the mess at ICBC, she should strive to avoid an operating deficit. With the economy running at full tilt, there is no case for the government to be spending more on programs and services than it collects in taxes and non-tax revenues. Deficits can be justified during economic downturns, but not when macroeconomic times are good, as they are today.
Second, the NDP should embrace an ambitious capital spending plan, with a focus on infrastructure investments that make the economy more productive and facilitate the movement of goods, services and people. As the federal government rolls out the new Canada Infrastructure Bank, B.C. needs to ensure it is well positioned to leverage Ottawa’s commitment to boost infrastructure spending over the next several years.
A third priority is holding the line on taxes. Since last summer, the NDP has hiked both corporate and personal income tax rates and pledged to maintain the highest carbon price in North America. Meanwhile, the Americans are reducing regulations, cutting taxes and implementing sweeping reforms to the overall business tax regime. As a result, Canada – including B.C. – finds itself at a further disadvantage in the competition for capital investment and skilled people. The province has little room for large-scale tax cuts. But to enhance B.C.’s ability to recruit and retain talent, the government should modify the existing personal income tax schedules by lifting the income threshold at which the highest provincial tax rate applies, to $250,000 from $150,000 – similar to Ontario, and closer to the level in Alberta. It should also develop measures to offset the negative impact of B.C.’s escalating carbon tax on manufacturers and other export industries that can’t pass on higher energy input costs to their customers.
Premier John Horgan has indicated that housing will be the main theme of Budget 2018. There is widespread public concern about housing affordability, the role of non-residents in driving demand and distorting local markets and record-low rental vacancy rates. While there are no magic bullets, the government should act both to further temper housing demand – especially from non-residents – and to increase the “elasticity” of supply. The province can deploy a mix of sticks and carrots to induce municipalities to speed up approval and permitting processes, foster densification along transit corridors and free up more land for development. More than one-third of B.C. households are renters, so it’s important to address this part of the housing market, too. The NDP has promised to accelerate the development of non-profit, co-op and other forms of rental housing. Tax incentives could assist in attracting more private capital into the long-neglected rental housing sector. We are wary of the NDP’s proposal to introduce an annual renter’s grant, because this is apt to put more upward pressure on market rents and, ultimately, benefit property owners rather than renters.
Finally, Budget 2018 should acknowledge the central role that export industries play in underpinning B.C.’s prosperity. Energy, forestry, mining and agri-food collectively supply three-quarters of the province’s merchandise exports. There is a risk that a government with few elected members from resource-producing communities could overlook the needs of these industries. That would be a mistake. The province’s long-term economic success hinges on building and sustaining globally competitive traded industry clusters. In B.C.’s case, most of these are in, or are closely linked to, the broad natural resources sector. Tourism, advanced manufacturing and high technology also make significant contributions to B.C.’s export economy. But we won’t be able to pay our way in the world if our leading resource industries wither away. •
Jock Finlayson is the Business Council of British Columbia’s executive vice-president and chief policy officer; Ken Peacock is the council’s chief economist.
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https://biv.com/article/2018/02/avoi...udget-priority
Look forward to my future debates. 
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