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TORIES THUMPED ON HST IN BY-ELECTION

Stephen Harper's Conservatives were thumped on the HST issue in the by-election riding of New Westminster-Coquitlam.

Campaigning on an anti-HST platform, the NDP's Fin Donnelly captured more than 50 per cent of the vote over Tory candidate Diana Dilworth. Donnelly said he spoke to thousands of voters since the summer and their biggest concern is the HST.

It's a signal British Columbians don't believe Harper's line that the HST is soley the decision of the BC Liberal government.

There are indications Harper is avoiding introduction of the HST bill fearing it will become the focus of the election in both Ontario and British Columbia. This latest by-election result is more evidence for those concerns.

QUICKEST VACCINATION PROGRAM FOR PHYSICALLY FIT

The eyesight of Canadians may be failing, because what they are seeing isn't happening.

Dr. David Butler Jones, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada says, in a full colour Globe and Mail ad (at what cost?) that the H1N1 flu vaccination progam is the "largest and quickest mass immunization campaign in Canadian history."

The fact that you are seeing 4 - 5 hour line-ups created by a bottleneck delivery system is not happening. Do not be concerned that the vaccine is trickling in and that most vaccinations will be available after the flu's peak. This is the "quickest" immunization in history. An immunization using a small number of govt health clinics rather than the countless medical walk-in clinics across the country.

Never mind that this highly-controlled govt delivery system is ensuring NHL hockey teams and Olympic torch bearers are getting vaccinated well ahead of those most in need.

Perhaps Dr. Butler Jones meant to say it is the largest and quickest mass immunization campaign for the most physically fit in Canadian history.

Regardless, take the word of Canada's Chief Public Health Officer. Those bottlenecks and line-ups aren't happening. Better get your eyes checked.

GOVT SPENDING IRRESPONSIBLE, OUT OF CONTROL

Nov, 2009 - The bad news just keeps coming. A report released today says BC Ferries CEO David Hahn's $1 million annual salary is more than double his peers in the public sector. In addition, the ferry corporation's directors pay themselves retainers that are five times higher than comparable levels at Crown corporations.

Plus, a report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reveals BC municipalities' spending is out of control, increasing by 44%, while population and inflation grew by only 25%. One hundred and twenty nine out of 153 municipalities spent beyond their means.

Both reports are indicators that the BC government's policy of self-determination in the form of independent community charters for municipalities is an abject failure, resulting in uncontrollable costs to taxpayers.

The BC Ferries debacle highlights the gold-plated compensation offered employees of the provincial govt, including Crown corporations.

The BC govt's deficit this year is $2.8 billion, and the debt is $34 billion , $4 billion higher than under the NDP when they were booted from office in 2001 for fiscal incompetence. Despite a decade of a strong economy in North America, the Liberal govt did nothing to pay down the debt, and actually increased it.

In light of these reports, the reason becomes obvious - misguided policies and administrative mismanagement by BC's elected representatives.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FOR THE PEOPLE WORKING FOR YOU

Nov, 2009 - Apart from earning wages significantly exceeding the wages of average working stiffs in the private sector, you can look forward to the following benefits should you decide to join BC's privileged class in the govt - the people working for YOU!

The question is why would anyone retire? And if they did, how would they know?

Overview of Benefits for Regular Employees, Legislative Assembly of B.C.

• Vacation - regular employees receive 140 hours vacation to start.
• Statutory holidays - gives you the equivalent of 11 days (77 hours) off each year to recognize special days.
• Special leaves - allows you to take time away from work for urgent personal matters including bereavement leave, household emergency or care for a sick child.
• Maternity, Parental and Pre-Adoption Leave - pays you an allowance when you are caring for your newborn or preparing for an adoption.
• Sick Leave - covers your pay when you’re ill and unable to work.
• Long Term Disability - pays a substantial portion of your salary when you’ve been ill or injured for an extended time.
• Medical Services Plan – covers your family’s BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) costs.
• Fitness Incentive – 75% reimbursement of fitness membership or classes fees, up to a maximum of $250 per annum per employee.
• Extended Health – pays a significant portion of your family’s healthcare costs not covered by MSP such as prescriptions, eye care etc.
• Dental – pays a significant portion of your family’s dental care.
• Employee & Family Assistance – counseling services to help you and your family when the need arises.
• Life Insurance – personal life insurance equal to three times your annual salary.
• Spouse and Dependent Insurance – optional life coverage for your family members.
• Workers’ Compensation – provides replacement income and covers health care costs when you’ve had an accident or injury at work.
• Employment Insurance- provides replacement income for the birth or adoption of a child, or an illness or injury that doesn’t qualify for sick pay.
• Public Service Pension – income for when you retire.
• Canada Pension – income for when you retire or if you become disabled.
• Employee Recognition – recognizes employee ideas and initiatives that improve operations or service.
• Environment Committee – a staff committee meets regularly and actively assesses opportunities to improve practices and play an active role in the greening of our workplace and to practice stewardship both at home and work.
• Safety Committee – a staff committee meets monthly to ensure that occupational and health initiatives and programs are effective in every worksite.
• Training and development - our staff stays current with emerging practices, trends and technology by branch or corporate sponsored training across a wide range of topics.

LET THEM EAT TAMIFLU

In addition to spending a million dollars on Olympic games tickets for their friends and insiders, the BC govt is ponying up another half a million of taxpayers' money to entertain high rollers at the posh Terminal City Club in Vancouver. Apparently the bill could reach up to $650,000.

Let's put this in real world terms. There are many British Columbians hoping to rent out their homes during the Olympics. The Vancouver Sun reports a couple offering to rent their house for $3000 during the two weeks, and there are thousands of other homes available.

So the Terminal City Club deal is the equivalent of renting up to 200 homes during the Olympic Games with $50,000 left over for snacks.

Who engages in that kind of excess, especially while cutting back essential services like surgeries? Only completely disconnected, self-absorbed tin-pot dictators drinking their own bath water - Slobodan Milosevic, Kim Jong-il, Imelda Marcos.

The BC Liberals continue to exhibit zero leadership and horrendous judgment, especially during a time of economic hardship and a life-threatening flu pandemic. Sure, rent a facility and cater a few receptions to entertain international investors during the Olympics.

Just don't demand solid gold fixtures in the bathrooms while your subjects stand in line for essential services.

HURRY UP AND WAIT

Nov, 2009 - It's a typical government operation. British Columbians are waiting 4-5 hours in massive line-ups to receive a simple vaccination shot. By restricting vaccine delivery to special flu shot clinics, those with high risk are now at higher risk from the bottleneck created by the government.

"I can't believe that any MP on any side of this House could look at the line ups in his or her riding and be able to say that this response to the pandemic is being executed properly or blame some other jurisdiction," says federal Liberal health critic Carolyn Bennett.

In addition, it appears Canadians were misinformed about how much vaccine is actually available in a timely way. In August, the Canadian govt said it had ordered 50 million doses of the vaccine. Yet the vaccine is trickling in and the govt is extending vaccination timelines for the general public into the middle of December.

Clearly, neither the government, nor the public health system, is equipped to address a widespread medical issue in a timely and efficient manner.

This should come as no surprise. After 7 months, the BC government finally legislated an end to the strike by paramedics. They provide an essential public service, and the right to strike should not even be on the table. Yet the paramedics announced their strike in April, when the BC govt was fully aware of the swine flu pandemic. It took the govt 7 months to act.

We can only hope it doesn't take them 7 months to deliver the flu vaccine.

"QUICKER, FASTER, BETTER" HEALTH CARE FOR NON-BRITISH COLUMBIANS

Oct, 2009 - If you want "quicker, faster, better" health care in BC, try leaving the province and offer to pay extra, say...from Saskatchewan.

The BC government is cutting British Columbians' surgeries to accomodate Canadians from other provinces because there's more money in it. BC's Health Minister Kevin Falcon said his ministry is bringing in 400 patients because he is able to "charge a premium."

He claims the extra money will help British Columbians get access to medical care "quicker, faster and better." Of course, that might be more easily accomplished by not cancelling British Columbians' surgeries in the first place.

If the government can charge a "premium" for medical services, why can't the private sector?

The minister's thinking is a mirror image of BC's health care system - convoluted, screwed up, and unsustainable.

BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Oct. 2009 -Socialists often complain about the money, power and influence of big business. However, in reality, the most powerful, influential organization with unlimited resources is government.

The BC government is a multi-billion dollar corporation that writes its own laws. It is an organization that can deceive its shareholders (HST), and produce deceptive financial statements (budget deficit) with impunity. It is a corporation that can undertake illegal acts and make them retroactively legal.

A recent example of the BC government's power is their decision to overide the B.C. Supreme Court decision forcing BC universities to return millions of dollars in unlawfully collected parking fees.

The BC government is using its authority and legislation to retroactively legalize parking fines, towing, storage fees charged by UBC that the Supreme Court says they had no right to collect.

But rather than have universities refund the unlawfully collected millions of dollars in revenue, BC Attorney-General Mike de Jong introduced Bill 13, the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, which absolves the universities of acting illegally and retroactively legalizes their actions.

Now one might say it's only an issue of parking charges. But try using that argument when trying to explain an unpaid parking ticket.

There is a lesson here for us all. In the words by former NDP Minister Dave Zirnhelt, "Don't forget, the government can do anything."

NHL SHOULD FOLLOW NFL LEAD

Oct, 2009 - The NHL should take a page from the rulebook of the NFL and start better protecting some of their most vaulable player positions. The NFL realizes the value of quarterbacks in the game and they have invoked rules that significantly protect this valuable asset.

It's time the NHL recognized that assets like Roberto Luongo need to be protected from goons whose sole purpose is to hammer exceptional goalies, because they can't win any other way.

Opposing forwards are crashing the net and inhabiting the goalie's crease with impunity. One player actually skated behind Luongo in his crease while the player chased a puck in the opposite corner.

Ironically, a forward is careful not to touch a goalie if he comes out of his crease to play the puck, yet the same player will hammer the goalie while in his crease stopping the puck. What's wrong with this picture?

As a result of this topsy-turvy standard, net crashing has resulted in a hairline fracture to one of Luongo's ribs and he will miss at least the next two games.

There will be many more injuries to come unless the NHL starts clearing the goalie's crease of crashers and cracking down hard on the worst offenders.

While we are on the subject of the NHL and NFL, has the NHL noticed the visors/cages worn by NFL players? The visor offers maximum visibility and eye protection, while the cage protects the lower half of the face.

The prehistoric NHL culture refuses to adapt and protect the players, so it's up to the individual players to protect themselves. If they catch a stick or puck in the eye or mouth, they have only their own stupidity to blame. The protective equipment is available.

A SIMPLE PLAN

The Liberal government has the same problem the NDP government had a decade ago. There is no goodwill.

The media and the public are finding fault with everything the Liberals do because they have squandered all of their goodwill on deceit about the HST and the deficit. That is an issue of credibility, not policy. It can't be overcome by handing out grants or waving the flag at the Olympics.

Where are the forestry, mining, and other business reps that stood with Campbell two months ago to support the HST? They are laying low because they would rather not associate their companies with a party and government so despised by the public. It's bad for business.

In business, goodwill represents a real dollar value. It is your reputation and the value customers place on your brand. The BC Liberal brand is close to worthless right now. It's like a company that produced a seriously defective product and now everyone wants a refund and to be rid of it.

The test of the Liberal brand will come a little under four years from now during the next election. However, the Liberals don't have that much time. If the public mood doesn't change significantly within about two years, the Liberals, like the NDP, will take a serious beating at election time.

The NDP thought they could change public opinion by replacing Glen Clark and balancing the budget, but it didn't work. They were wiped out with the exception of two seats.

At the very least, all of the Liberals previously elected in close ridings will be thumped. Premier Gordon Campbell will not run again. He's not stupid. He is done and he knows it.

Who will replace him? How about this scenario...

Former Finance Minister Carole Taylor left political life prior to the last election, and Gordon Campbell's government was re-elected.

Campbell announces the HST, deficit, cuts, etc AND enjoys the world stage during the Olympic Winter Games. He hangs on a little longer to finish any additional nasty govt cuts, etc. He announces his resignation and there is a leadership convention starring....Carole Taylor - reinvigorated and ready for a challenge.

Carole can't be blamed for any of that nasty HST, deficit business and she is ready to right the good ship BC. Campbell is just a bad memory.

A simple plan.

Campbell may not be stupid...but is he that clever?

NEW POLICY DEVELOPMENT FOR OLYMPICS

The BC government has purchased 3000 tickets for the Olympic Winter Games plus rented several suites at GM Place at a cost to taxpayers of at least $1 million. Those taxpayers include parents of autistic kids denied treatment, seniors with cancelled surgeries, and charitable service providers.

When asked who would be attending, Mary McNeil, minister of state for the olympics said "we are still developing our policy."

So who buys a million bucks worth of tickets on a hunch? Scalpers? Perhaps the government planned to scalp those tickets to help make up for the $2.8 billion deficit. ; )

But more likely the planned recipients were Liberal cabinet ministers, MLAs and friends and insiders.

That was then and this is now. Since being busted, the minister is "developing" a new policy on attendees. We have a recommendation.

How about families, seniors, patients and charities?

DOGWOOD ALLIANCE ANYONE?

Albertans are mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach, like BC's Premier Gordon Campbell, is not very popular among voters. This holds true among Stelmach's conservatives in Alberta and Campbell's Liberals in BC.

So many conservative Albertans are looking to a new party called the Wildrose Alliance. They just elected Calgarian Danielle Smith as their new leader.

"My No. 1 job is to turn Alberta into a real democracy again," says Smith. Albertans are buying in. Two recent opinion polls place the Wildrose Alliance second to the Conservatives in most parts of the province - ahead of both the LIberals and the NDP. Since June, the Wildrose Alliance membership has increased to 11,670 from about 1,800.

In BC, there is also some talk about an alternative party.

Former federal Conservative MP Randy White announced he is joining BC's Conservative Party. White wrote, "For years in this province Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals said 'if you don’t vote for us you will get the NDP' and perhaps they were right. The situation today is that the BC Liberals are as bad as the BC NDP and neither are acceptable to British Columbia any longer."

In other words, he wants to turn BC into a real democracy again - where the government actually asks the public what they think about introducing the HST.

The challenge for BC's conservatives is their right-wing social agenda that may be out of step with an evolving and free society.

On that score, Smith seems to prefer more inclusiveness.

"Are we going to be a protest party, the NDP of the right?" asks Smith. "Or are we going to create a big-tent, mainstream right-of-centre, grassroots conservative party that is capable of catching one of those historic waves and sweeping us into government in 2012?"

Smith says she doesn't want the party divided by "little things."

Anyone for a Dogwood Alliance Party?

TAXPAYERS SHOULDER "UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP"

The BC Liberals' preoccupation with the public service rather than service to the public is the result of spending too much time in government. Every party lasting more than a term in power, eventually succumbs to getting too close to the bureaucrats working for them. The result is a government that is no longer of any use to the public.

Rather than implement structural changes to improve health care, which would also upset the senior public sector managers and unions, the government raises taxes like the HST to support an unsustainable system. And/or they engage in temporary reductions in surgeries and wards, reallocate staff, and wait for the storm to blow over.

Meaningful structural, sustainable change becomes unattainable with such a compromised government.

How else to explain a government spending $300 million annually to run retail liquor stores? Why is the govenment in this business and why are taxpayers paying for bureaucrats to stock shelves and operate cash registers?

In the meantime, small private rural stores throughout BC complain they can't make any money because they must sell at prices dictated by the government's liquor branch.

Taxpayers and small business operators get shafted while the government looks after their inner circle. Again, how else to explain the following stats:

84% of public service workers have pensions and 78% of these are considered gold plated.

Only 25% of private sector workers have a pension plan.

Yet we have federal and provincial governments claiming to be business-friendly and fiscally responsible. It just doesn't add up.

Perhaps the answer is found in BC Deputy Minister Jessica McDonald's recent letter of resignation - "I can now leave my position knowing in my heart that every step has been taken to continue building a strong public service and avoid any unnecessary hardship for individuals."

Indeed. The "unnecessary hardship" is being shouldered by BC's taxpayers and small business community.

OLYMPIC OFFICIALS PROFIT DURING HARD TIMES

Oct., 2009 - We said it earlier in the editorial - "BC GOVT RUN BY AND FOR BUREAUCRACY." If you are a member of the bureaucracy or the BC govt's inner circle, you are doing very well during these hard times experienced by the rest of us.

Vancouver Olympic Committee's senior staff will be pulling in a total of $30 million in bonuses to encourage them stay on until the 2010 Winter Games are finished.

VANOC maintains their operating budget is privately financed through sponsorships, however BC Finance Minister Colin Hansen admits his govt's commitment to the Olympics is at least $765 million.

So it's really a matter of which shell the money is under.

During hard times of cutbacks to health, education, and social services, this bonus is inappropriate.

The Olympics is supposed to be an economic boost for the entire province and economy, not a just handful of elite managers already being paid well to see their job through to the end.

Like the professionals they're supposed to be.

NO SHELTER OR FOOD, BUT BACKPACKS ARE GOOD TO GO

The BC govt is sponsoring television ads offering tips on the proper wearing of backpacks for kids. We were unaware of a backpack crisis needing immediate widespread attention via tv, the most expensive media available.

Shelter, food, and welfare crisis - yes. For a number of years, BC has had the worst child poverty rate in Canada.

Backpack crisis - no.

But now that their backpacks are on straight, BC's poverty-stricken kids can resume their search for adequate food and shelter.

DEFICITS TRACED TO SOURCE

OCT, 2009 - We think we may have traced the massive govt deficits and deficits to their source.

This week Stats Canada announced there were 36,000 public sector jobs added in September. Unfortunately, during the same period, 17,100 private sector jobs were lost.

Perhaps govt might consider adding to the public service ONLY AFTER private sector jobs have been created to pay for them.

Just thinking out of the govt box. ; )

HST TO PAY RISING COSTS OF HEALTH CARE?

At the UBCM convention last week, Premier Gordon Campbell said the HST was necessary to pay for the rising costs of health care. This week we learned senior health care officials are under investigation for alleged fraud.

Are these the rising costs to which Campbell was referring? ; )

Instead, how about Campbell's senior bureaucrats return those exorbitant pay raises they took last year.

BC GOVT RUN BY AND FOR BUREAUCRACY

OCT, 2009 - All of the signs are there. Premier Gordon Campbell's Liberal Party has done a 180 - from a government dedicated to an efficient and effective public service to a govt co-opted by the public service and in disarray.

They are a classic ivory tower govt relying on the public service to protect them from the people who elected them. The elected representatives are paranoid, defensive and mostly opposed to any change not approved by their bureaucratic underlings. They show all of the signs of the NDP in their last years before being obliterated.

Many members of the business community refuse to meet with some senior bureaucrats because they are arrogant and out of touch. The elected representatives are aware of this and are oblivious to the damage being done.

The focus on the public service is revealed in Deputy Minister Jessica McDonald's recent letter of resignation - "I can now leave my position knowing in my heart that every step has been taken to continue building a strong public service and avoid any unnecessary hardship for individuals."

This govt is not about providing service to British Columbians, it's about protecting the bureaucrats and ensuring nothing is done to cause them any upset.

From the "No Work Zone" lounge with the 50 inch plasma TV, pool table, nintendo, etc to the tens of thousands of dollars in pay raises for senior bureaucrats in 2008 while the public was hit by a recession. The focus has shifted from service to the public to the public service.

Cuts are being made to community groups while bureaucrats enjoy well-paid security. Services to children, seniors and patients are cut back while Campbell's govt spends $300 million annually to employ bureaucrats with Cadillac wages, benefits and pensions to stock shelves and operate cash registers in retail liquor stores.

Premier Campbell's govt has allowed municipal taxes to spiral out of control until major corporations are now simply refusing to pay. Now Campbell is talking about giving taxing authority to boards of education to create an even bigger mess.

Campbell's govt introduced the HST and a whopping $2.8 billion deficit but denied both until they were safely past the election in May.

For a number of years, BC has had the worst child poverty rate in Canada. During this time, Campbell's govt insisted it was paying down the debt. In fact, the debt is $38 billion, $4 billion more than under Glen Cark's NDP in 2001.

Bottom line - having increased the debt during a decade of prosperity, there is absolutely no excuse for a province as wealthy as BC to have the worst child poverty rate in Canada. End of story.

Now several senior health officials are being investigated for alleged breach of trust.

Health Minister Kevin Falcon says, "I can tell you there are hundreds of people right now in the ministry of health service that feel a cloud over their heads that's not fair."

There's a cloud alright, but that cloud is over the heads of arrogant elected representatives responsible for a navel gazing, self-indulgent public service and for a massive failure to deliver efficient, effective govt services to British Columbians.

CAPTAIN REPLACES FIRST MATE

Jessica McDonald, Premier Gordon Campbell's closest advisor and BC's top-ranking bureaucrat, is being replaced.

The change comes after 4 months of disastrous announcements, including the HST, a $2.8 billion deficit budget, and broken funding promises to community organizations. The Liberal government has lost the support of the public and much of the business community.

Replacing McDonald now is like replacing the first mate on the Titanic after hitting the iceberg. The passengers are more focused on abandoning ship.

BC LIBERALS AND NDP HATCHED SIMILAR DEFICIT PLANS

OCT, 2009 - We rummaged through past BC Free Press stories and stumbled upon striking similarities between this year's Liberal budget fiasco and the NDP's budget fiasco in 1996. Both governments hatched plans to top up budget deficits not revealed to voters during provincial elections.

April, 1996 - NDP Finance Minister Elizabeth Cull introduces an alleged balanced budget prior to the election.
Feb, 2009 - Liberal Finance Minister Colin Hansen introduces an alleged $500 million deficit in the budget prior to the election.

May 1996 - Before the end of the election, Cull’s deputy minister prepares a briefing note saying there is a deficit.
May 2009 - Before the end of the election, Hansen's deputy minister says the deficit will be much larger than $500 million.

May, 1996 - The NDP are returned with a majority after claiming throughout the election to have achieved a balanced budget.
May 2009 - The Liberals are returned with a majority after claiming throughout the election there will be no more than a $500 million deficit.

June, 1996 - Cull loses her seat and the NDP's new Finance Minister Andrew Petter admits to a reporter the budget contains a deficit.
Sept, 2009 - Hansen keeps his seat and admits what everyone had already suspected - the deficit is really $2.8 billion.

Both the NDP and the Liberals had secret plans to address their deficits after being elected.

The NDP's plan:
After the election, the NDP tried to transfer $500 million from Forest Renewal BC, but the public outcry and threats of class-action lawsuits forced them to back down. It was discovered via FOI documents that this plan was formulated prior to the election.

The Liberals' plan:
After the election, the Liberals announced the Harmonized Sales Tax, and will receive a $1.6 billion windfall from the feds. The BC government had opposed the HST prior to the election, but it appears they were working on a plan to implement the HST. For example, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in March he was talking to "other provinces" besides Ontario about implementing the tax. BC is the only other province announcing the HST since Flaherty's statement.

The NDP had accumulated a debt of $34 billion after losing the 2001 election.
The Liberals have claimed balanced budgets, yet the debt now stands at $38 billion, and is anticipated to be $51 billion by 2012/13.

In BC, the more things change, the more they stay the same