Before retirement, I worked in accounting and small business management. I have published commentary about public issues at IN-SIGHTS.CA since 2009.
Partly by necessity, partly by need to address other matters, my focus has not recently involved In-Sights or social media. However, I am again ready to write regularly on BC politics. You will see further examinations of the asset stripping work of Liberals as they seek another term to finish hollowing out British Columbia’s economy.
However, this is a province where government routinely spends billions annually to subsidize multinational resource and power companies and spent 14 years in the courts fighting delivery of educational services to children in need. This government, found by the land’s highest court to be contemptuous of constitutional rights, cannot be counted on to change its priorities.
A prominent BC Government supporter wrote last week that, by vote of 6-2, Canada’s high court effectively handed “the Liberals ass on a plate.” Indeed, Justice Beverley McLachlin and colleagues concluded a legal process that should trouble every citizen. Not just that, in setting public education policy, an elected provincial government government behaved like a tin pot dictatorship but that four British Columbia Appeal Court judges believed they could ignore clear precedents established by the nation’s Supreme Court.
On November 10, Canada’s highest court reinstated Madam Justice Griffin’s 2014 judgement that found BC had bargained with teachers in bad faith and breached the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She awarded BCTF $2 million in damages. This high court action should conclude a dispute that has gone on since 2002 but, as long as British Columbia’s government follows the circular pattern described by this article’s title, it will not. Contempt for teachers is only one aspect of BC Liberal antipathy for public education.
In 2016, BC started paying gas producers to remove and sell BC gas. By ordinary accounting standards, natural gas cost the province more than $400 million in the fiscal year ended in 2016. With the Liberal plan to provide massive amounts of electricity to gas producers at a fraction of the price BC Hydro pays to acquire power, the gas industry is at the centre of a looming financial disaster like no other before it in BC history.
I’ve been quieter than usual here and on social media but I am working on new reports and inquiries. My capacity has been somewhat limited recently but I’m hoping that will soon […]
Follow this link and read my commentaries about BC Hydro. Listen to CKNW on Wednesday after the 9am news. I’ll be talking with Jon McComb. ipp-purchases-and-market-prices
At The Gazetteer, RossK and friends are commenting about reports that Petronas does or does not aim to bail from the land of Sparkle Ponies. In my opinion, discussion of what’s been said or not said […]
BC Hydro has experienced flat demand for more than a decade. Nevertheless, the value of its assets have grown 250% and purchases of private power grew 280% since 2005. Add to this, the fact it has committed to spend another $10 billion or so to build the Site C dam. It is inexplicable.
truthiness n. informal the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true.
Canadian governments spend more than $20 billion a year on criminal justice. Little of that money is aimed at white collar crime.
BC Hydro has three particularly important types of customers. These consumers, all inside British Columbia, are categorized as: Residential, Commercial and light industry, Heavy industry. There are others outside the province but BC […]
BC Liberal government insisted they not be allowed to entertain other more environmentally sound and less expensive systems. Seems Ms. Clark has a list of eligible corporate sponsors for contract dispersals…
At my Tyee article BC Hydro: From Public Interest to Private Profits, a couple of commenters associated with BC Hydro and the Liberal Party dispute statistics. However, the numbers I use are from BC […]
An almost quote from James Boren, “Every Liberal has a right to fuzzify, profundify and drivelate. It’s a part of our freedom of speech…If people can understand what is being said in Victoria, they might want to take over their own government again.”
A reporter’s job is to get as close to the truth as possible, overriding personal biases and sifting through a rising churn of spin and lies to explain what happened and why it matters. At its highest levels, journalism informs (via scoops and insights that would otherwise be unknown), provokes (via new thoughts and action), and holds powerful people accountable (with no fear or favor).
Normzig, “No matter how many speeches are made or how many permits are issued and how many rainbow forecasts are shown, the only way BC is getting LNG plants anytime soon is […]
Perhaps a TV news anchor revealed more than he desired Friday. On Twitter, Chris Gailus explained why Global TV would not cover what might be one of Vancouver’s most significant news stories this decade: …it’s not a […]
In its last fiscal year, BC Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC) paid its top five executives $7.25 million. In its last fiscal year, Washington State Investment Board (WSIB) paid its top five executives $1.76 million. In Victoria, CEO Gordon Fyfe is paid almost five times the amount paid Gary Bruebaker, WSIB’s Chief Investment Officer…
Foot dragging? Know of anywhere with a huge coastline, lakes and rivers, lots of tourists wanting to sightsee, lots of…
Yes, I fully agree with this summary. I am also reminded of, what seemed to be, the suspect (and possibly…
Thanks, good summary of the fiasco. Mr Eby will likely resign his seat when the new leader is in place,…
Yes, a predictable loss... though it was interesting to see the Conservatives also attracting fewer votes than last time. I…
I hope Canada hurries up no tolerance based rules. I also hope this country has at least a clue of…