Power from the powerful

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Politically connected individuals took advantage of citizens’ desire for clean, renewable energy and the Liberals wrote contracts with “lucky firms” that bore no relationship to market prices, guaranteed massive private profits and ensured all financial risks stayed with the public. The contracts in British Columbia last as long as sixty years and allow prices that are as much as 5x market value. In addition, the contracts have annual inflation escalators, a privilege allowed no other commercial segment. All taxpayers get is more power to sell at a loss.

Unaffording the affordable

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Some BC politicians are not bright. Either that, or they are thoroughly dishonest. Maybe both. Liberals saw natural gas revenues drop from $11.5 billion in the five years ended March 2011 to $0.8 billion in the five years ended March 2017…

Keep the genie stuck in the bottle

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If the feds disclose evidence at a future trial that indicates provincial neglect and dereliction in pursuing crimes associated with gambling, what happens to public trust and support for both the BC Liberals and the BC NDP? The only question might be: Why did each of the two main BC parties hang themselves with their own noose?

Square the circle

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Rich Coleman flatly says to Mr. Holman that every file in government generates multiple pieces of correspondence. Now, think back to all those times that researchers and journalists used Freedom of Information to request documents and were told there was nothing.

Too timid to act?

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BC NDP’s unwillingness to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to investigate corruption in public administration is one more sign of timidity, a thing becoming the Horgan Government’s hallmark. We’ve seen much evidence of illegal money laundering at casinos and no significant penalties have been assessed against corporation or individuals. Business as usual continues and, good business it’s been for insiders.

Not only cream rises to the top

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Senior RCMP management failed to deal with many harassment complaints and that is costing taxpayers plenty. A class action settlement originally thought to involve 500 victims and a cost of $100 million, may now include 4,000 female employees. The final cost will be substantial.

Modus operandi

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When a big financial donor to Liberals wanted to acquire publicly owned BC Rail, Liberals pretended the railway was a money loser with little value and sold it, despite an election promise not to do so. Then, they quietly distributed the railway’s extensive land assets in sweetheart deals with friendly developers. After that, government spent millions of taxpayer dollars to induce guilty pleas and end the infamous BC Rail scapegoat trial.

A private room where customers deliver bags of cash

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Liberals believed Dirty Money involved “victimless crimes” so they chose to tolerate illegal behaviour that provided a boost to economic activity. The Campbell/Clark Governments were more interested in gaining political advantage. Families faced with unaffordable housing & others affected when thousands died from illicit drugs would describe it differently. The corruption was anything but victimless.

Good news, bad news

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Bill Good is in the news this week. David Ball wrote about this news reader turned political activist in the The Star Vancouver. In years past, Mr. Good was a favourite subject of this blog, even though he seemed to have little regard for bloggers…

Open letter to BC NDP

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The recent revelations about the supposed “decision process” regarding continuing with Site C, as detailed by Sarah Cox, are totally unacceptable. The public now knows that there never was any intention… to Stop Site C.

Government review of BC Hydro is specious

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Some may be able to moderate use of electricity from the provincial grid but almost no individual can stop being a BC Hydro consumer. That fact obliges politicians to ensure the company is operated with maximum efficiency for the benefit of every citizen, not the relative handfull that are rewarded by BC Hydro’s misconceived spending plans. Sadly, the Horgan Government does not agree. Utility policies and company management are almost unchanged during the last 11 months and the recently announced review is specious.

Canada inflating the carbon bubble

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Canada, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan are today committed to pumping billions of dollars into the inevitable carbon bubble. Delaying transition to renewables to extract additional wealth from fossil fuels is dangerous Smarter people than Notley and Trudeau prefer a different approach.

Corporate interest outranks public interest

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Many citizens — although not In-Sights readers — will be shocked to learn that credits owed natural gas producers soared by more than $1 billion from April to November 2018. That increase is two and a half times more than the total gas royalties received by government in the three fiscal years ended March 2018. The $3.2 billion balance owed to producers ensures that royalty revenues will remain at paltry levels throughout the Horgan Government’s present term.