Andrew Nikiforuk wrote advice for Albertans in his recent article Eight Steps to Reform the Broken Petrostate: Behave like an owner: Alberta’s oil and gas resources belong to Albertans. The Tories’ “strip […]
Myth busting
Flawed analysis
Following the passing of Alberta’s Conservative party, Macleans writer Colby Cosh described a drawn-out illness that made the result inevitable. Followers of British Columbia politics will recognize symptoms also found west of […]
Give them what they wanted, then give them even more
. In April, listeners to Ian Jessop’s CFAX1070 program heard about how government pays more to facilitate mining than it receives in direct payments for metals and minerals. In the latter part […]
Albertans will choose
//storify.com/Norm_Farrell/natural-resources-different-approaches/embed?border=false//storify.com/Norm_Farrell/natural-resources-different-approaches.js?border=false[View the story “Natural resources, public assets, or corporate?” on Storify]
Two oil economies: Norway and Alberta – UPDATED
Norges Bank Using the Bank of Canada’s average rate of exchange for 2014, the Norwegian oil fund had a value of more than $1.2 trillion CAN as of March 31. The Government […]
Hard hitting journalism by Black Press
Truncated review processes that assume government should trust and work hand-in-hand with mining proponents, even ones proven to be callous toward civil responsibilities, are certain to result in more ecological mishaps.
Liberal transparency: secret agreements, no oversight
If politicians become so focused on reaping rewards for themselves, their friends and associates, they begin to act as British Columbia Liberals are acting now. Like furtive night prowlers, government members seek […]
Would you trust a prevaricator with $128 million?
Less than three weeks ago, a 2,100 ft² house on a 3,350 ft² lot in east Vancouver sold for $2.2 million though the asking price was $1.6 million. The Real Estate Board […]
Takin’ care of business
For each $1 million of Nestle branded water sold, BC is paid about $2. Mind you, this is a better rate of return than the province gains from resource companies mining for […]
The BC Liberal way: some pay, some don’t
//storify.com/Norm_Farrell/takin-care-of-business/embed//storify.com/Norm_Farrell/takin-care-of-business.js[View the story “Takin’ Care of Business” on Storify]
Changes inevitable for Teck Resources
Teck Resources and its associates invested more than $2.25 million in contributions to political friends in British Columbia. That was a good deal for BC Liberals but, whether or not it benefited […]
From outside the Liberal spin machine – RERUN
The following first published July 21, 2014: Does it surprise you to learn that British Columbia earned a net of only $61 million in gas royalties in the last two fiscal years? […]
Liberal astroturfing
Damien Gillis of The Common Sense Canadian talked with Ian Jessop on CFAX1070 about a group that is funded by government and industry. The audio segment is available below. We should pay […]
"Mix ideological agenda and dubious accounting"
Many British Columbians of my generation were involved directly with the forest industry. As a kid, I lived beside a log dump and, to mother’s futile distress, played regularly on log booms. […]
Sales tax not only way to pay for public services
CCPA Budget Submissions Natural Resource Royalties Reform, Iglika Ivanova, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, October 2014 BC used to collect well over $1 billion per year from natural gas royalties, but over […]
Speaking for the future – Updated
This week I got confirmation that new corporate funding has been assembled to counteract bloggers and writers in alternative media who reveal mismanagement of provincial assets and emphasize the public’s declining share […]
Anything wrong with this picture?
Canada’s governments say that natural resources are driving economic growth across the country. They just don’t specify which country. Resource companies don’t want to pay mining, income, sales and property taxes, they […]
PDF version of preceding article
I’ve had a number of requests for copies of this article by people wishing to share the information. Readers can download a copy from SCRIBD. Sorry poor people https://www.scribd.com/embeds/250344716/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true
Sorry poor people, we have other priorities
Clearly, government revenues from natural resources have declined substantially in recent years. This is in spite of rising metals and minerals prices and growth in production volumes. Here is an example. […]
Understaffed and incapable, by design
In The Tyee, Scott McCannell, executive director of the Professional Employees Association, asserts, The B.C. government has slashed professionals in the public service to the point where it doesn’t have a full […]
in-sights.ca 
[…] Recording TV programs, and then skipping through commercials during playback, I don’t often watch live television. Today, a 30-second…