New BC Political Discussion - POST BC Election 2017

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by misher

Even tenant advocates are wondering why the government has stopped evictions altogether as rent becomes voluntary and we rely on basic human decency...something that usually fails.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5512151?__t...mpression=true

Maybe you should give up trying to make inflamitory comments? You got the wrong link - it should be this one - and the headline doesn't explain the tenant advocate's statement, which was "the Vancouver Tenants Union noted that Premier Horgan conceded he could not guarantee that any rental aid will actually be paid by April 1, when the next rent is due.

“Every person should think towards the future, see where they are going to be in a few months and decide if it makes sense to pay rent,” said Mazdak Gharibnavaz, a steering committee member of the Vancouver Tenants Union, in a March 25 interview on CiTR 101.9 FM’s station at the University of British Columbia."

So tenant advocates are not questioning why the government stopped evictions.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by misher

While Canadian pension funds on average only have 25% of their assets in stocks....BC’s public sector pension is way above that:



https://thelogic.co/news/why-axis/ca...content=widget

I think that BCIMC's big recent push into real estate (through QuadREAL) is an effort to lower the exposure to equities. With that said, I'm a lot less concerned about institutional investors, especially giants like quasi-sovereign wealth funds like national- and sub-national pension plans, than I am about retail (individual) investors.

[whatnext]

Bad news for the BC Liberal fan club:

Former B.C. cabinet minister Jinny Sims cleared of all criminal wrongdoing
BY RICHARD ZUSSMAN GLOBAL NEWS
Posted April 3, 2020 12:01 pm

Surrey-Panorama MLA Jinny Sims has been cleared following an investigation into allegations of criminal wrongdoing.

Special Prosecutor Richard Peck said RCMP found no evidence to support any of the allegations against her and that they had closed their investigation.

“As a result, he has concluded that there is no further action to take with respect to the matter and he has concluded his involvement,” according to a statement from the BC Prosecution Service...

https://globalnews.ca/news/6774959/f...al-wrongdoing/

[misher]

Thats one way to bailout the hotel industry. At 18.5 mil for 65 rooms that puts a price at $285k a room for a 33 year old building. Avg hotel room size is 325sqft. Assessed at $14.175 mil in 2019. Sold for $18.5 mil.

A bit sketchy that the BC NDP is offering $4.2mil more than assessed when RE is supposed to be crashing, especially hotels. You'd expect hotels to be worth a lot less than last year.

I don't want to throw out the corruption allegation but the numbers are fishy.

BC government buys Comfort Inn Hotel in Victoria for $18.5 million

The province said the longterm use of the site will be determined through engagement with the community. In the short term, the building, located at 3020 Blanshard Street, will provide approximately 65 rooms of temporary accommodations with wraparound supports for people currently living in encampments on the Pandora Avenue corridor and Topaz Park.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-g...toria-homeless

[whatnext]

John Horgan and the NDP seem to be more popular than ever as a result of their handling of the pandemic:

Support for Premier John Horgan is at the highest point reached by any political leader in B.C. in the eight years pollster Insights West has been conducting surveys.

Horgan's approval rating now sits at 68 per cent, which is 17 points higher than seven months ago.

B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson's rating has dropped five points since November and is now at 30 per cent, according to the results of an online survey of 830 B.C. residents.

Insights West president Steve Mossop says the results appear to be a strong endorsement of Horgan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which nearly a third of British Columbians surveyed say is currently the No. 1 issue in the province...

...If an election were held today, 47 per cent of respondents say they would vote for the NDP.

Only 29 per cent of respondents say they would cast a ballot for the B.C. Liberals, the lowest figure for the party since the 2017 election.

Support for the Greens and Conservatives has also fallen since November...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...emic-1.5649222

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

John Horgan and the NDP seem to be more popular than ever as a result of their handling of the pandemic:

Support for Premier John Horgan is at the highest point reached by any political leader in B.C. in the eight years pollster Insights West has been conducting surveys.

Horgan's approval rating now sits at 68 per cent, which is 17 points higher than seven months ago.

B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson's rating has dropped five points since November and is now at 30 per cent, according to the results of an online survey of 830 B.C. residents.

Insights West president Steve Mossop says the results appear to be a strong endorsement of Horgan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which nearly a third of British Columbians surveyed say is currently the No. 1 issue in the province...

...If an election were held today, 47 per cent of respondents say they would vote for the NDP.

Only 29 per cent of respondents say they would cast a ballot for the B.C. Liberals, the lowest figure for the party since the 2017 election.

Support for the Greens and Conservatives has also fallen since November...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...emic-1.5649222

Meet your new leader of the Liberal party Bonnie Henry.

[Feathered Friend]

Longtime NDP MLA Shane Simpson not seeking re-election
The riding has been represented by a New Democrat since its creation in 1991

THE CANADIAN PRESSSep. 4, 2020 5:00 p.m.NEWS

British Columbia’s minister of social development and poverty reduction says he won’t run in the next provincial election.

Shane Simpson, who represents Vancouver-Hastings in the legislature, says he believes it’s the right time for change.

https://www.pqbnews.com/news/longtim...g-re-election/

Any thoughts on who will enter the fight for this safe NDP seat? It seems Nikki Sharma is going to toss her hat into the ring, but I can't imagine she'll be the only one. No matter who wins, I wonder if they'll get to keep the cabinet post too.

https://twitter.com/NikiSharma2/stat...798268928?s=20

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://www.pqbnews.com/news/longtim...g-re-election/

Any thoughts on who will enter the fight for this safe NDP seat? It seems Nikki Sharma is going to toss her hat into the ring, but I can't imagine she'll be the only one. No matter who wins, I wonder if they'll get to keep the cabinet post too.

https://twitter.com/NikiSharma2/stat...798268928?s=20

As with most political landscapes post-election it's going to depend on the seat distribution of the NDP caucus, who runs again, new faces, etc. We already know we're going to have a new finance minister too. So things will change at least somewhat. If we again see the 2017 scenario but on steroids, where the NDP sweeps the urban ridings and holds the island, but then is basically shut out of all of the rural ones, the chances of a first-term MLA in Metro Vancouver getting a position in the cabinet are obviously a lot higher.

At this point if the polls are truly representative of public sentiment and the NDP are in the high 40s-low 50s with a 15-20 point polling lead, there are going to be a ton of interior seats flipping orange and less chance of a Minister Sharma.

[CanSpice]

Sonya Furstenau has been selected as the new leader of the BC Green Party. [source]

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by bluefox

As with most political landscapes post-election it's going to depend on the seat distribution of the NDP caucus, who runs again, new faces, etc. We already know we're going to have a new finance minister too.

Two B.C. NDP cabinet ministers say they won’t run again

Two ministers in B.C. Premier John Horgan’s cabinet have announced they will not run again in the next provincial election.

Scott Fraser, Indigenous relations and reconciliation minister, and Doug Donaldson, forest and natural resources minister, both released statements on Monday saying they will not run again as MLAs.

...

Fraser, who represents Mid Island-Pacific Rim, has served as an MLA since 2005 and in cabinet since 2017.

“Over the past year, I have had many discussions with those close to me about my decision not to seek re-election,” Fraser said.

“It was a tough call to make because I love my job, but I realize it is time for me to spend more time with my loved ones and allow space for the leaders of tomorrow to step forward.”

...

Donaldson has served the riding of Stikine since 2009. The 63-year-old has served as forests minister since 2017.

“After 22 years in public life, it’s time to get back to the balance of spending more time on the land with family and friends, both in the backcountry and at home on Gitxsan territory,” he said.

They join Social Development Minister Shane Simpson and Finance Minister Carole James, who announced they are not running again as well.

It is unclear whether Horgan will have a cabinet shuffle before the next provincial election, whenever it may be called.

...

[logicbomb]

October election.

Can the NDP take a majority or will the BC Liberals take it in an upset?

I think the Liberals can take it if they present a platform that deals with crime and COVID19 economic recovery. They must attack the NDP for cancelling or stalling on the infrastructure projecrs.

My hunch is the Greens get 1 seat. NDP 41 and Liberals 45.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

October election.

Can the NDP take a majority or will the BC Liberals take it in an upset?

I think the Liberals can take it if they present a platform that deals with crime and COVID19 economic recovery. They must attack the NDP for cancelling or stalling on the infrastructure projecrs.

My hunch is the Greens get 1 seat. NDP 41 and Liberals 45.

Liberals have a long hill to climb IMO. Horgan is riding high, Greens have a new leader and less votes. If NDP goes big on Climate and the Environment as part of COVID recovery, they will do well.

Wilkinson was ineffective pre-COVID, and nothing has changed on that front.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

October election.

Can the NDP take a majority or will the BC Liberals take it in an upset?

I think the Liberals can take it if they present a platform that deals with crime and COVID19 economic recovery. They must attack the NDP for cancelling or stalling on the infrastructure projecrs.

My hunch is the Greens get 1 seat. NDP 41 and Liberals 45.

Don't you mean: October election? It's not a given.

I'm surprised to see so many cabinet ministers bailing when their chances are good. Could it be they got too comfy in opposition and didn't like the workload that comes with a ministry?

[casper]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

October election.

Can the NDP take a majority or will the BC Liberals take it in an upset?

I think the Liberals can take it if they present a platform that deals with crime and COVID19 economic recovery. They must attack the NDP for cancelling or stalling on the infrastructure projecrs.

My hunch is the Greens get 1 seat. NDP 41 and Liberals 45.

It is the wrong time for an election. Sothern BC may be ok but it starting to get cold in the North. Wrong time to be going door to door talking politics.

Having a pandemic is also not compatible with having an election.

The idea of deliberating having an election now is a sign of poor judgment and any part that does this should be voted out of office.

I say that being someone who is more likely to vote Liberal than NDP but given how well the NDP have managed things I could be persuaded to vote for them if they have in an election in the spring.

[casper]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Don't you mean: October election? It's not a given.

I'm surprised to see so many cabinet ministers bailing when their chances are good. Could it be they got too comfy in opposition and didn't like the workload that comes with a ministry?

It is always easier to be critical and a back seat driver than it is to actually be responsible for making it work.

Take some of the major issues in the province.

Trans-mountain creates good paying union jobs (important to the NDP); it has many but not all of the first nations supporting it and has the environmental part of the party upset. This is a no-win file. Similar dynamics at play with other pipelines.

The BC Ferries service is a can of worms that everyone is scared to touch.

Housing, Education and Health Care all have conflicting interests of strong unions, limits on new funding and are highly level of importance to the public.

They have to deal with hard issues and go back home to their community and sell the decisions.

[s211]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

October election.

Pure political opportunism, which I detest regardless of which political party is taking advantage of a situation for its own gain. The NDP is riding a Dr. Henry wave, pure and simple.

Taking advantage of COVID to increase one's political power is sickening, again regardless of which party is doing something like that.

[Sheba]

B.C. transportation minister joins growing list of NDP MLAs not seeking re-election

B.C. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena has joined a growing list of B.C. NDP cabinet ministers who have announced they will not be seeking re-election, fuelling speculation about a snap provincial election.

Trevena made the announcement Sunday, saying in a written statement: "It is time to move on and take on new challenges." She has represented the North Island for four terms, or 15 years.

"As a minister I have had an incredible team dedicated to making B.C. better," Trevena said.

Trevena is the seventh NDP cabinet minister to announce she's not seeking re-election this term.

The others are:

* Shane Simpson, social development minister
* Michelle Mungall, minister of jobs, economic development and competitiveness
* Judy Darcy, mental health and addictions minister
* Scott Fraser, Indigenous relations and reconciliation minister
* Doug Donaldson, forest and natural resources minister
* Carole James, finance minister

James announced in March that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The others made their announcements more recently.

The announcements are the latest in a series of public statements that some say indicate a fall election is in the making.

...

The number of high-profile cabinet ministers who have announced they will not be running again is "a little puzzling," says Gerald Baier, associate professor of political science at the University of British Columbia.

Baier says it does appear that Horgan is laying the groundwork for an election, and believes the premier may have talked to his cabinet and asked, "Who's with me?"

"And that's precipitating a lot of people saying 'Well, I'm done. Because I don't want to hang around for another election,'" said Baier.

Or it could mean the government is giving their constituencies time to get their ducks in a row before next year, he added.

Either way, until the writ is dropped — or not — it's all conjecture, Baier said.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by casper

It is the wrong time for an election. Sothern BC may be ok but it starting to get cold in the North. Wrong time to be going door to door talking politics.

Having a pandemic is also not compatible with having an election.

The idea of deliberating having an election now is a sign of poor judgment and any part that does this should be voted out of office.

I say that being someone who is more likely to vote Liberal than NDP but given how well the NDP have managed things I could be persuaded to vote for them if they have in an election in the spring.

BC has had plenty of Fall elections, right through early December. This isn't 1890 where you'd have to get in your buggy and drive miles to vote.

People should take note of today's National Post article:

Premiers’ approval ratings on the slide, poll finds: The time is now to call an election
'It may never be as good as it has been for a very long time to come,' John Wright of Maru/BLUE said of the ratings
Author of the article: Devika Desai
Publishing date:Sep 21, 2020

Most Canadian premiers have seen their approval ratings dip since June after skyrocketing in the early days of the pandemic, a new poll states.

The poll, which was conducted by market researcher Maru/BLUE, gauged the opinions of 5,344 Canadians toward respective premiers between Aug. 28 and Sept. 8 and compared the findings with similar data collected in early June.

The poll includes a margin of error of 1.6 percentage points.

With the exception of Manitoba premier Brian Pallister, whose ratings had increased by nine per cent, all provincial leaders saw their ratings dip, some by almost 15 percentage points.

John Horgan, the premier of British Columbia, holds the highest approval rating of 69 per cent, a drop of two percentage points...

...New Brunswick Premier Higgs, for example, won a majority in a September election despite an approval rating of 55 per cent, a 16 per cent drop from that recorded in June.

In the remaining quarter for the year, Wright predicted that leaders, both provincial and federal, will focus on “retooling the entire fiscal and service provisions” to accommodate the billions of dollars spent to help Canadians survive the pandemic, rather than build the economy.

And this retooling could come back as a reckoning for premiers, Wright warned.

“For some premiers, cashing in their approval chips now for a full mandate may be the best strategy they have. It may never be as good as it has been for a very long time to come,” he said. (bold mine)

https://nationalpost.com/news/politi...-4d9246d68cf6/

[logicbomb]

What an idiotic decision. Pure and simple.

I have NDP supporting friends that lost respect for Horgan et al. I can see many abstaining or voting Green.

They are going to get stomped due to vote splitting with the Greens. The liberal base is united and strong despite having a leader that has the personality of a sponge.

2017 was essentially a protest vote against the Christy Clark.

Again, shame on Horgan and the NDP. Selfish assholes.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

What an idiotic decision. Pure and simple.

I have NDP supporting friends that lost respect for Horgan et al. I can see many abstaining or voting Green.

They are going to get stomped due to vote splitting with the Greens. The liberal base is united and strong despite having a leader that has the personality of a sponge.

2017 was essentially a protest vote against the Christy Clark.

Again, shame on Horgan and the NDP. Selfish assholes.

On the contrary, I know several former Liberal supporters that have become keen on the Horgan government, now that they've finally proven that Horgan isn't Glen Clark.

Based on all the polling data, if the NDP call an election it's probably theirs to lose right now, or at the very least it will become a referendum on calling an election during COVID-19.