New BC Political Discussion - POST BC Election 2017

[retro_orange]

After all the biased nonsense in the previous political thread, I thought I would take the initiative to start a new thread for our future political discussions in regards to BC politics.

I will not shut down anyone who thinks differently from myself, so those who feel they would get shut down for posting elsewhere are more than welcome to post your views on our current situation with the NDP and Green political parties in power.

Whether the other thread gets closed or not, hopefully this thread will have more prominence from this point on.



Sincerely,
-retro_orange

[trofirhen]

retro ....
Thanks for starting this new thread. The election is over, and it's time to move on.
Also, perhaps here we could embrace a wider range of politically related topics, particularly focussing on urgent matters like housing for those without gobs of cash.
I hope this thread succeeds. It is very timely to start it.

[Caliplanner1]

Thanks for the fresh/independent start. Hopefully we can avoid acrimony by simply sticking to clear/verifiable (if/when possible, SCHOLARLY) data and facts towards the benefit of mutual intellectual growth/honesty.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Or if we're arguing ideology, posters need to remember to attack the argument - not the person making it. Name calling and insults (and meaningless talking points or rhetoric, while we're at it) are just unnecessary.

Good thinking, retro.

[Caliplanner1]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Or if we're arguing ideology, posters need to remember to attack the argument - not the person making it. Name calling and insults (and meaningless talking points or rhetoric, while we're at it) are just unnecessary.

Good thinking, retro.

Yes, we should indeed strive to focus on the merits/demerits of a position/argument based on the evidence provided and not let personal attacks cloud/distort the value of the given debate.

[waves]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

S. 44 was not relevant to matters at 3rd reading, matters of confidence, etc.

Yet, it doesn't say this in the legislation, and therefore there is no legal obligation to follow it, regardless of convention.

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

Frankly, a political panel would not understand the BC Constitution Act and implications thereto IMHO (if they even brought it up). Budgets, Throne Speeches, etc. are also "Final Decisions of House"

So Martyn Brown, former chief of staff of Gordon Campbell, Norman Specter Deputy Minister for Bill Bennett, and Elizabeth Cull who has served as both Minister of Health and Minister of Finance have no idea what they are talking about?

Not sure where you are getting "Final Decisions of House" from because that specific wording is not mentioned in the constitution, in Craig James' speech, nor anywhere else I can find.

[Sheba]

I for one am looking forward to the next year. We've had a long time of the Liberals turning their backs on Metro Van - not surprisingly they lost votes here. It'll be interesting to see what the NDP / Greens announce for our region.

I doubt it's always going to be a tie between the two sides and the speaker has to be the tie breaker absolutely every time. If they have any sense (and when it comes to politics that's always debatable) the NDP will put forward some things that the Libs at least somewhat agree with.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Alternatively, the Liberals could convince one or two Greens (not having a whip or really anything to make them vote as a bloc) to vote against the NDP.

"Political gridlock" seems like hyperbole at this point... especially compared to the situation down south for the last eleven years.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I for one am looking forward to the next year. We've had a long time of the Liberals turning their backs on Metro Van - not surprisingly they lost votes here. It'll be interesting to see what the NDP / Greens announce for our region.

I doubt it's always going to be a tie between the two sides and the speaker has to be the tie breaker absolutely every time. If they have any sense (and when it comes to politics that's always debatable) the NDP will put forward some things that the Libs at least somewhat agree with.

Especially given the Liberals' throne speech, the NDP should have no problem finding unanimously supported legislation at all!

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Especially given the Liberals' throne speech, the NDP should have no problem finding unanimously supported legislation at all!

B.C. Liberals cite windfall revenues as grounds to adopt NDP/Green proposals

New promises included $1 billion in new child care spaces, a rent-to-own housing program, a $100-a-month increase in welfare rates, and a ban on corporate and union donations that would extend to municipal elections.

On education, the Liberals pledged to restart a “Royal Commission on Education” for the first time since 1987 to examine major reforms to the system. They would also review the per-pupil funding formula for school districts and fully fund new playground upgrades. The government would restore adult basic education programs and ESL courses, which had been cut in recent years.

Social reforms included a poverty reduction strategy — something the Liberals have argued for years was unnecessary. Children in government care would get basic income support from the age of 18 to 24 while transitioning to independence, as well as free post-secondary education.

On health care, the Liberals promised a minister of state for mental health — echoing the NDP pledge for a ministry of mental health — a reduction in surgical waiting times, more doctors, more residential care beds, a new hospital for Surrey and a previously promised cut to MSP rates.

Oh to see the Liberals vote against any of that...

[Migrant_Coconut]

^ If only it hadn't taken an election for them to realize that funding education (or at least not slashing it) was a good idea...

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by waves

So Martyn Brown, former chief of staff of Gordon Campbell, Norman Specter Deputy Minister for Bill Bennett, and Elizabeth Cull who has served as both Minister of Health and Minister of Finance have no idea what they are talking about?

I'm guessing you've read this:

Martyn Brown: How long will John Horgan's new B.C. government last?

How long will John Horgan’s new one-seat majority government last? It’s British Columbia’s new favourite guessing game.

Christy Clark’s heaviest hitter has already weighed in.

"Knowing how the house works and all the details, I know that the government won’t last very long," Rich Coleman told the Langley Times.

Of course, he is also the same guy who as the B.C. Liberals’ campaign cochair confidently predicted, "I believe we’ll have more seats after this election than we have today, after we come out of May 9, 2017."

Cue the laugh track.

Then, as now, B.C.’s former gas-man-in-chief tried to reassure all and sundry that he had everything well in-hand: from the LNG pipe dream, to his party’s reelection, both of which he personally presided over with spectacular incompetence.

I expect he will have plenty of time in the wilderness to reflect on his party’s floundering and failures.

My guess is the Horgan administration will govern B.C. for at least the next three years, ably backed by Andrew Weaver’s Green team.

Contrary to what the Liberals are hoping, there is every reason to believe that the NDP-Green alliance’s confidence and supply agreement will work out much better than Premier Pixie Dust would have her bewildered followers imagine.

[waves]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I'm guessing you've read this:

I hadn't no, but I have since now. The reason I mentioned him was because Stingray dismissed him and the other guests on the CBC radio segment as uneducated pundits (paraphrasing). I would beg to differ.

On a different note, his piece you linked to does bring up one point that I think has had the importance downplayed possibly out of celebration by the NDP that they will govern and the Liberals in their dismay that NDP will govern:

It would be easy for the NDP government to start treating ... consultation requirements [with the BC Greens] as a perfunctory exercise that minimally impacts its decisions. Big mistake.

Horgan and his entire team must always bear in mind that they would not be where they are without Weaver’s leadership and his colleagues’ active support. The commitment they have already made to making the new partnership work is extraordinary and laudable.

The challenge of seeking the Greens’ input before decisions are made will be time-consuming and often frustrating. It will necessarily oblige the government to make compromises it would rather not have to accept.

The key to the life of the government, in my opinion, rests on the integrity of the consultation framework, from inviting the Greens’ meaningful input, to shaping government decisions in ways that truly respect and honour that advice.

In this sense, the Greens play a massively important role here those who support some of the NDP platform but not all of it, including the Liberal supporters. The Greens have said they want to make decisions based on evidence and one example where I see this having a positive influence where most SSP commentators agree on is with Surrey Rapid Transit. Right now there is no evidence that LRT would be better than BRT or Skytrain and the Greens could hold the NDP to account for that. A second more direct example is with tolls that the NDP wanted to eliminate.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I'm guessing you've read this:

Wow that was a very impartial and well written article...

I thought this new page was supposed to heighten the level of discourse from the last one.

[Bcasey25raptor]

NDP appointed Geoff Megg's as chief of staff.

Yeah this already looks like a disaster and Horgan hasn't even been sworn in yet.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Wow that was a very impartial and well written article...

I thought this new page was supposed to heighten the level of discourse from the last one.

We're not insulting each other...

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

NDP appointed Geoff Megg's as chief of staff.

Yeah this already looks like a disaster and Horgan hasn't even been sworn in yet.

Vancouver Councillor Geoff Meggs to be John Horgan’s chief of staff

Three-term Vancouver City Councillor Geoff Meggs has resigned in order to take a job as Premier-designate John Horgan’s chief of staff.

Meggs was first elected to city council in 2008.

“When the [premier-designate] calls you and says I’d like you to work on the agenda that I ran on which included making B.C. more affordable, improving the province in so many ways — it’s very hard to say no,” Meggs said of the transition.

MLA Carol James, who speaks for the transition team, said the former councillor’s intimate knowledge of Metro Vancouver was a key asset.

“Having that mix is critical, no question.”

...

The BC NDP made the announcement Tuesday, also revealing to other hires to key positions in Horgan’s inner circle.

NDP campaign director Bob Dewar, who had served as Horgan’s chief of staff in opposition, will stay on as special advisor to the premier.

And Don Wright will serve as Deputy Minister of Executive Council, Cabinet Secretary, and Head of the Public Service, replacing Kim Henderson who has been let go.

Wright was BCIT president until he left to be Deputy Minister to Adrian Dix in 2013. When the NDP lost that election, he moved on to become CEO of Central One Credit union, a position he will resign on Friday.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

NDP appointed Geoff Megg's as chief of staff.

Yeah this already looks like a disaster and Horgan hasn't even been sworn in yet.

I hope you guys supporting the NDP know what you're getting yourself into.

The Liberals had a lot of problems but this could get ugly, fast.

Originally Posted by Sheba

We're not insulting each other...

I suppose that's something...

[Metro-One]

Oh fuck no.....

Geoff Meggs?

The worst guy from Vision?

I guess we can pretty much expect our entire highway network to be neglected, not just the much needed Massey tunel replacement being cancelled.

Seriously, with him being a big part of the show I wouldn't be surprised to see projects such as the North Shore #1 improvements and the Sunbury Interchange projects being shelved.

I may be fear mongeting a bit but it is not outside of the realm of possibility now.

[Bcasey25raptor]

Honestly I just want the NDP in fopr enough time to fix our minimum wage and welfare state and rental regulations.

After that, don't care who wins.

But Geoff meggs? Are you freaking serious?

Yeah this is going to be a disaster.

[Cypherus]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Oh fuck no.....

Geoff Meggs?

The worst guy from Vision?

I guess we can pretty much expect our entire highway network to be neglected, not just the much needed Massey tunel replacement being cancelled.

Seriously, with him being a big part of the show I wouldn't be surprised to see projects such as the North Shore #1 improvements and the Sunbury Interchange projects being shelved.

I may be fear mongeting a bit but it is not outside of the realm of possibility now.

You're not fear mongering. Geoff lives in a hi-rise in False Creek away from all the traffic troubles South of the Fraser deals with. He won't be happy until everyone is smoking weed while walking to work.