New BC Political Discussion - POST BC Election 2017

[misher]

Originally Posted by Millennium2002

Funny enough, I instead see this news release when searching around for BC NDP:



Ideally, neither side should be throwing insults at each other or their constituents. End of story.

These were the remarks

Johal reportedly said that NDP MLA Jinny Sims represented “Surrey-Panorama, not Islamabad North”.

As for Paton, the Delta South MLA reportedly said that the South Asian community should “keep their kids out of gangs”, and to “give them the opportunity to work”.

Seems like the context in which these things were said changes these greatly.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Doesn't matter if it was Doug Ford in a Stay Puft suit, basic First World decency means you don't say it.

I didn't say it was ok, but I had to ask...

[whatnext]

Good news for John Horgan and the BC NDP team:

NDP most popular provincial party among British Columbians: Poll

Two years into their mandate and the governing NDP is the top choice among decided voters in British Columbia, according to a new poll by Research Co.

In an online survey, 39 per cent of respondents said they would vote for the B.C. NDP candidate in their riding if a provincial election were held tomorrow.

The B.C. Liberals are in second place with 30 per cent, followed by the B.C. Green Party with 21 per cent and the B.C. Conservative Party with nine per cent.

A little more than half of the respondents, 51 per cent, approved of Premier John Horgan’s performance, while 34 per cent disapproved of the job he’s done since he assumed office in July 2017. Green Leader Andrew Weaver’s approval rating stands at 42 per cent, while Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s rating sits at 34 per cent...

https://vancouversun.com/news/politi...olumbians-poll

[misher]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Good news for John Horgan and the BC NDP team:

NDP most popular provincial party among British Columbians: Poll

Two years into their mandate and the governing NDP is the top choice among decided voters in British Columbia, according to a new poll by Research Co.

In an online survey, 39 per cent of respondents said they would vote for the B.C. NDP candidate in their riding if a provincial election were held tomorrow.

The B.C. Liberals are in second place with 30 per cent, followed by the B.C. Green Party with 21 per cent and the B.C. Conservative Party with nine per cent.

A little more than half of the respondents, 51 per cent, approved of Premier John Horgan’s performance, while 34 per cent disapproved of the job he’s done since he assumed office in July 2017. Green Leader Andrew Weaver’s approval rating stands at 42 per cent, while Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s rating sits at 34 per cent...

https://vancouversun.com/news/politi...olumbians-poll

Intersting that the BC Conservatives are getting 9%. I do wonder how much the NDP will cannibalize Green votes. With the Liberals getting 39% (as you have to assume the Conservative voters will vote for the Libs) tied with the NDP it will require the NDP to take votes from the Greens to make it? I doubt this power sharing thing will occur for another 4 years.

I wonder if in two years the Greens will be regretting their decision or will they have benefitted from it.

[Sheba]

Halfway through term, B.C. NDP three-quarters of the way through election promises

Whether you like or dislike B.C.'s NDP government, one thing you can't accuse them of is going back on their promises.

With its second year in the legislature concluding on Thursday, CBC News has updated its Promise Tracker, which charts every tangible promise the NDP made in its 2017 election platform.

The government has followed through or made positive progress on 90 of the 122 pledges in its platform.

Another 18 are incomplete, while 14 have seen no progress.

...

Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver, whose support for the NDP has ensured its survival in a minority legislature the last two years, says he's pleased with the results.

"We've had quite a number of successes from our party's perspective. One of the things I think that many people have realized is minority governments can work," he said.

Unsurprisingly, B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson argues otherwise.

"We've got a government that made a lot of big promises, a lot of retail promises to people that would make their lives better. And they're just ignoring them," he said.

While Wilkinson highlighted the government's mixed results in "[replacing] Surrey portables with real classrooms," his greater criticism was reserved for things that have transpired since certain promises were made.

"We're seeing the NDP ignoring the housing issues, ignoring gasoline prices, and they're not too worried about prosperity because they keep taking more and more tax money out of your pocket," he said.

[misher]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Halfway through term, B.C. NDP three-quarters of the way through election promises

Not even close lol. That article is really off, even NDP supporters criticized it.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Halfway through term, B.C. NDP three-quarters of the way through election promises

Great, just shows what a government can get completed when they are not trying to cover up housing and government corruption that the Liberals did. Wilkinson is pathetic, the Liberals caused the problems that he is bitching about the NDP not fixing fast enough.

It's like causing a big traffic accident then blaming the tow trucks for not clearing the roadway fast enough.

[WestCoastEcho]

More dust-up with Darryl Plecas, prompting a meeting between all 3 party house leaders, meetings between the NDP and Liberals and the civil service:

https://vancouversun.com/news/politi...safeguard-data

A blow-up over Speaker Darryl Plecas’s move to “safeguard data” from the computer of the acting clerk of the legislature prompted an hour-long crisis meeting Wednesday evening involving government house leader Mike Farnworth and senior staff in Premier John Horgan’s office.

Plecas has hired an information technology firm to clone hard drives of senior staff members at the legislature, Postmedia News has learned.

The move would give Plecas a mirror copy of all the files on the work computers of the top civil servants that run the building, as well as files related to human resources, pay and benefits for MLAs and staff.

The Speaker taking a copy of that sensitive data prompted an emergency meeting of the house leaders of the legislature’s three parties Thursday morning. It also prompted Opposition Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson to convene two additional meetings with Farnworth Thursday morning prior to the legislature beginning its last day of the spring session.

And of course, Plecas is going after former chief justice Beverley McLachlin, calling her “pathetic” and said she was “stupid” for believing the sergeant-at-arms in her report on the spending scandal, per notes taken by Liberal house leader Mary Polak:
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...islature-staff

VICTORIA — Speaker Darryl Plecas called an investigation conducted by the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada “pathetic” and said she was “stupid” for having listened to the accused men, according to the Opposition Liberal house leader who was in the room at the time and took notes of the conversation.

Liberal house leader Mary Polak released 16 pages of detailed notes she took during a Wednesday meeting with Plecas, Green house leader Sonia Furstenau and NDP MLA Gary Begg.

In them, Plecas railed against the report by former chief justice Beverley McLachlin and promised to use B.C.’s police act to conduct his own probe into alleged wrongdoing involving officials in the building.

He called her report “pathetic,” according to quotations recorded in Polak’s notes.

He also called McLachlin “stupid” for believing sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz in his explanation of misspending allegations Plecas had levelled against him. McLachlin cleared Lenz of wrongdoing and Lenz, who is suspended with pay, has asked for his job back.

“I know how to make sure he doesn’t get his job back,” Polak quoted Plecas as saying in her notes.

He added later: “I’m not letting them get away with this.”

He said legal advice given to MLAs by labour lawyer Marcia McNeil (who helped sort out the government health firings scandal) was “a bunch of garbage.”

Apparently, the BC Liberals offered up one of their MLA's to replace Darryl Plecas as the Speaker, but the NDP refused.

This is getting interesting...

[whatnext]

Plecas is a wingnut. Unfortunately, unless a Liberal seat comes vacant that the NDP can flip, I can't see them taking the poisoned chalice offered by the BC Liberals.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Halfway through term, B.C. NDP three-quarters of the way through election promises

"We're seeing the NDP ignoring the housing issues, ignoring gasoline prices, and they're not too worried about prosperity because they keep taking more and more tax money out of your pocket," (Wilkinson) said.

That's a lot of irony to cram into just one sentence. I'm impressed.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

That's a lot of irony to cram into just one sentence. I'm impressed.

The king of bad takes. It's like they picked misher for Liberal leader.

[misher]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

The king of bad takes. It's like they picked misher for Liberal leader.

Honestly if I was the Liberal leader the NDP would be shaking in its boots.

1. Change name to the “Reformed Liberals”
2. Announce that we are retiring the old guard and revolutionizing the party. Retire a good chunk of candidates and get some young people into the party.
3. Announce that the Liberals are going back to their roots as the party defending people’s rights and representing the middle class
4. Announce that should the Liberals be elected, we will reform our criminal justice system to keep illegal money out of our province with the province lobbying the federal government to setup a criminal money task force that the province will foot the bill for.
5. Announce that BC is open for business, taxes on business are slashed by half, personal provincial tax rates on the middle class are slashed by half. Create a higher tax bracket on incomes over $300,000.
6. Announce new rules making criminals liable for the cost of their crimes and make it so that any asset purchased with criminal money over 20% can be seized and sold.
7. Make fentanyl illegal and work to form a fentanyl task force. Any detected fentanyl or person found to be using fentanyl is traced back to the dealer. Require drug users to give up their dealers. Lobby the federal government to institute the death penalty for any fentanyl dealer. Ask for cases involving fentanyl to not be thrown out even if their rights are violated (so someone deemed to be searched illegally if they are carrying fentanyl they still go to jail).
8. Lobby international companies to setup headquarters here, offer to waive taxes on them for a set period.
9. Require cities with rental vancancy rates under 5% in the province to construct 1% of their total dwellings as rental annually, failure means that the province does it and charges the city the cost.
10. Waive most rental restrictions and rules on new rental buildings for 20 years.
11. Waive the FBT if the condo is rented out for 10 years.
12. Remove the speculation tax but give cities the power to choose whether to put it in.
13. Cancel Site C
14. Move to lower pay and benefits for MLA’s.
15. Put in a limit of 20% international students and revoke funding if universities go over that.
16. Require that 50% of all public worker pension plans are invested in an affordable housing corporation that will build rentals for people.
17. Reduce sales tax to 5%.
18. Make it illegal to give the homeless money directly, all has to be given to charity.
19. Create a central facility for homeless and drug addicts that houses them (at their option) and provides services for the province. Somewhere land is cheap and labor is plentiful.
20. Ban welfare immigration. Basically unless you’ve been a resident of the province for a year you cannot claim welfare. An approval process will exist to appeal this for special circumstances.

[WestCoastEcho]

Apparently, things went haywire in the Legislature:

https://twitter.com/robshaw_vansun/s...53189237055488

Rob Shaw
@robshaw_vansun
Holy moly. Before the house adjourns @maryforbc accuses Plecas of contempt of the house. Says behaviour and conduct of the Speaker with respect to employees is improper. Raises it as a point of privilege. Disassociates herself from his actions and any potential lawsuits.

https://twitter.com/MacleanKay/statu...52860588216320

Maclean Kay
@MacleanKay
There’s more! @Mike_de_Jong
and @shirleybond
raise on points of privilege saying the Speaker has breached individual privileges of members of the house, and of contempt for the house. #bcpoli

https://twitter.com/MacleanKay/statu...53334829780993

Maclean Kay
@MacleanKay
It’s not just them, as it looks like all BC Liberal MLAs will read the same statement officially disassociating themselves from the Speaker in the event he is faced with legal action. Plecas calmly recognized each in turn. #bcpoli

https://twitter.com/MacleanKay/statu...56460802641921

Maclean Kay
@MacleanKay
Here’s what (most) BC Liberal MLAs are reading: #bcpoli

Per the tweet thread by Maclean Kay, who is the Editor in Chief at the Orca, by the end of it, most of the Liberal MLA's had stormed out of the chamber after the Speaker cuts them off and allows the NDP to move a reading of a bill.

The Legislature is clearly divided, even more so than normal, especially after this crazy day.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by misher

Honestly if I was the Liberal leader the NDP would be shaking in its boots

LOL good one. Drinking on a Thursday night again?

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

LOL good one. Drinking on a Thursday night again?

Just promise dollar beer and subsidized gas...

[misher]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Just promise dollar beer and subsidized gas...

No but I’d give up on government weed stores and instead just put a tax on it like tobacco. Let the private sector do the rest.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by misher

Honestly if I was the Liberal leader the NDP would be shaking in its boots.

More like quivering with excitement because your ideas are completely crazy. I mean I'm not going to touch on all of them but:

3. Announce that the Liberals are going back to their roots as the party defending people’s rights and representing the middle class
7. Make fentanyl illegal and work to form a fentanyl task force. Any detected fentanyl or person found to be using fentanyl is traced back to the dealer. Require drug users to give up their dealers. Lobby the federal government to institute the death penalty for any fentanyl dealer. Ask for cases involving fentanyl to not be thrown out even if their rights are violated (so someone deemed to be searched illegally if they are carrying fentanyl they still go to jail).

3. "Hey we care about defending your rights."
7. "Hey your rights don't matter."

[misher]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

More like quivering with excitement because your ideas are completely crazy. I mean I'm not going to touch on all of them but:



3. "Hey we care about defending your rights."
7. "Hey your rights don't matter."

I'm all for defending the rights of people who deserve it.

I just think fentanyl dealers don't deserve them. And if we show that this specific crime is much riskier for criminals they'll probably get the message and switch to a different drug.

Just like we have harsher punishments for those who commit a crime with a weapon.

[GMD]

Originally Posted by misher

Honestly if I was the Liberal leader the NDP would be shaking in its boots.

1. Change name to the “Reformed Liberals”
2. Announce that we are retiring the old guard and revolutionizing the party. Retire a good chunk of candidates and get some young people into the party.
3. Announce that the Liberals are going back to their roots as the party defending people’s rights and representing the middle class
4. Announce that should the Liberals be elected, we will reform our criminal justice system to keep illegal money out of our province with the province lobbying the federal government to setup a criminal money task force that the province will foot the bill for.
5. Announce that BC is open for business, taxes on business are slashed by half, personal provincial tax rates on the middle class are slashed by half. Create a higher tax bracket on incomes over $300,000.
6. Announce new rules making criminals liable for the cost of their crimes and make it so that any asset purchased with criminal money over 20% can be seized and sold.
7. Make fentanyl illegal and work to form a fentanyl task force. Any detected fentanyl or person found to be using fentanyl is traced back to the dealer. Require drug users to give up their dealers. Lobby the federal government to institute the death penalty for any fentanyl dealer. Ask for cases involving fentanyl to not be thrown out even if their rights are violated (so someone deemed to be searched illegally if they are carrying fentanyl they still go to jail).
8. Lobby international companies to setup headquarters here, offer to waive taxes on dead.
9. Require cities with rental vancancy rates under 5% in the province to construct 1% of their total dwellings as rental annually, failure means that the province does it and charges the city the cost.
10. Waive most rental restrictions and rules on new rental buildings for 20 years.
11. Waive the FBT if the condo is rented out for 10 years.
12. Remove the speculation tax but give cities the power to choose whether to put it in.
13. Cancel Site C
14. Move to lower pay and benefits for MLA’s.
15. Put in a limit of 20% international students and revoke funding if universities go over that.
16. Require that 50% of all public worker pension plans are invested in an affordable housing corporation that will build rentals for people.
17. Reduce sales tax to 5%.
18. Make it illegal to give the homeless money directly, all has to be given to charity.
19. Create a central facility for homeless and drug addicts that houses them (at their option) and provides services for the province. Somewhere land is cheap and labor is plentiful.
20. Ban welfare immigration. Basically unless you’ve been a resident of the province for a year you cannot claim welfare. An approval process will exist to appeal this for special circumstances.

Man, almost all of these ideas are bad, but cancelling site C? Seriously? Why stop there, why not dynamite the existing dams? After all, we won't need much power after people leave when you drive the province into bankruptcy cutting every tax in half...

[Sheba]

8. Lobby international companies to setup headquarters here, offer to waive taxes on dead.

We tax the dead? Oh no next thing you know it'll be illegal to die!