BC Stats, the province’s statistical agency, reports that in 2016, the oil and gas extraction industry provided 16 out of every 10,000 jobs in British Columbia. That is 0.16%.
Fewer people were employed in oil and gas extraction in 2016 than in 2013, the year Liberals ran an election campaign promising untold wealth through natural gas development.
Since the industry is providing so few jobs, it paid only $15.6 million into treasury for exploration and drilling rights in 2016 and government paid and accrued more in production subsidies that it received in royalties, I have questions.
How in hell did this industry gain so much influence at the Clark Government’s cabinet table and why are we providing billions of dollar in subsidies?
Did the millions of dollars industry participants dumped into Liberal Party coffers purchase special influence?
BC’s government has been focused on serving fossil fuel companies (The Tyee: BC’s LNG Fraud) and offering special treatment (Vancouver Sun: Mount Polley cleanup heavily taxpayer subsidized) to mining companies. Meanwhile, manufacturing is largely ignored although it continues to employ nine times as many workers as mining and oil and gas production.
Categories: Methane Gas, Political Financing
in-sights.ca 
As Ben Parfitt of Policynote says:
Currently in BC, just one job is generated for every 1,020 cubic metres of wood processed, while in Ontario only 221 cubic metres of wood is needed to achieve the same result.
Moving up the value chain will require significant investments in new BC mills, and such investments are unlikely in the face of uncertainty. In other words, we need to know what’s going on in our forests now more than ever.
BC’s present Leo Liberal government has no plan to reverse this. They truly are a government of a bygone age.
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Thank you Anon, you have opened my eyes for bringing up what you did. There are many commenters on blogs that probably kick the liberals but do the buts!!! about the NDP. I will have to do a little research but I can think about 3 or 4 regular commenters that do this all the time . After I read their comments I wonder how can you dislike something so bad but eat it anyway.
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While there seems to be a desire to oust the Liberals, the conversation always drifts back to how much worse it will be under a NDP government. And of course, there is much pining for alternatives such as a government formed by a new political party or a government consisting entirely of independent MLA’s.
These ideas may merit pursuing but that is not going to happen because: Firstly, that requires the Liberals to be ousted. Secondly, only the NDP is in any position to form government. Thirdly, to create the atmosphere where a new political party or of the independent movement becomes viable in this province, it means that the only other major party has to be reduced to non-relevance at the voting booth as well.
The above view is really being promoted by “closet” Liberal supporters.
And that is exactly what the Liberal government wants the rest of the voters to believe because that is exactly the kind of sentiment which will keep it in power. The fear of the NDP, often unfairly characterized as being an ineffective opposition, is constantly being reinforced by those commenters, plays into the Liberals’ hands. The unfortunate consequence is that the notion that government are accountable and act in the public interest (ours) has gone out the window.
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Because the MSM ignores most anything the NDP say or do and continue to bring up untrue past beliefs about their ineptitude, voters (my friends) continue to believe it. I read many blogs that hate Christy and crew yet they do exactly what Palmer, Baldy and Smyth do all the time, poke the Liberals and smack the NDP. The NDP, love them or hate them are the only current party to take down the Liberals (the most corrupt government in Canada) in the upcoming election. Why do so many so called anti Liberals do this. I can read many things about John Horgan “if I look for them”, yet how often do I read (where are the NDP on this? , John Horgan who?, if Eby was the leader?, NDP silence on this issue?, etc.etc.) Anon you hit the nail on the head. It is like Liberal policy killed my mother but if I voted NDP they would kill my whole family.
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Life would be a blast if I didn’t have Chrispy Clark to hate. I wake up in the morning, full of piss and vinegar (especially on a day like today – the sun is shining; sparkling off the snow and while I’m preparing breakfast I just take a peak at my favourite blogs.
Three hours later my breakfast is cold and my outlook shattered. I won’t bore you with the stories of malfeasance, corruption, contempt (and that’s excluding any stories about Trump!), lies and disrespect. I’m a piece of crap! And its only going to get much, much worse in the next 3 1/2 months. Can you imagine just how much worse if Horgan was to strike back!
I was going to go South to avoid Winter. Since we didn’t have a Winter I may go South to avoid insanity.
Have great day!
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We must realize of course, that according to Rich Coleman’s patented formula, those 16 jobs will create 10,000 spin-off jobs.
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Hello Norm:
Christy Clark knows she is working for the millionaires club that represents Big Oil, Pharmacies, Real Estate, Media, Mining and Forestry. She doesn’t have to be brilliant to get re-elected. Photo ops wilthout substance and a 36% vote will do it!
She is a professional campaigner not a Leader. The Liberal report card indicates failures in all areas.
Wait until the taxpayers realize the cost of the first major oil spill. Her oily bankroll will disappear faster than the Captain of a leaking bitumen oil tanker. Then, the only way Oil will move to Asia will be with the undercurrents and tides along the Pacific coast.
Notice how she is hinting of incentive bribes for Environmentalists, First Nations and Educators, Health Care, and foreigners with permits.
Her Plan will be to focus job failures on: “the mean man, Mr. Trump.”
She represents the Empress with no clothes … but she knows – you are never fully dressed without a smile.
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