B.C.Politics | Political Insider

BC Liberals: The Court Rules Against Them What Next? #bcpoli #canpoli

Clark: I wish I could just wave my hands and make this all go away!

So where do both parties go next in wake of last weeks court ruling in favor of the teachers over the BC Liberal Government?

If you believe the leaderless NDP ( Horgan is still still thinking and although everybody is afraid to say it,Mike Farnworth would be a disaster) they want all cabinet documents relating to the case released for the public to read.

Of course if the BC Liberals took them up on that they might include cabinet documents from the last NDP government ramming through the un-debated contracts that the Liberals tore up that got us unto this mess.( they won’t try to hard to make this happen and should be careful what they wish for)

If you believe the government, through Minister Fassbender, they haven’t had time to review the decision ( not sleeping and reviewing it over and over in your nightmares not withstanding) and are trying to buy time.

They can’t just say yes we were wrong and write a check on behalf of the taxpayers, after-all our fearless Finance Minister Mike de Jong has been touring the province ( gimme a break) telling people the budget will be balanced albeit it will be razor thin ( gimme another break) as long as the heavens line up.

So stroking a 2 million cheque will throw a huge screw into those plans not just this year but down the road too. ( hiring teachers and adding portables will come at a higher cost than that)

So what’s left?

1) BC Liberals will lay low until after the budget. ( they will have help in that next week the federal government will bring down their budget and take up most news space).

2) File an appeal based again on the former NDP governments aforementioned legislation.( This has been central to the case up until this point anyway)

3) Expect no help from our fearless Premier ( assuming in her heart she’s not a teacher). Clark was the Education Minister in 2002 when the contracts were torn up.

4) Once again give the old family first agenda another swift kick after all the taxpayers will ultimately pay for all this incompetence from both parties.

Did I leave anything out?

Rumour Du Jour- BCNDP Leadership Contest #bcpoli #canpoli #bcndp

Goodbye Tommy Mulcair; it was fun while it lasted!

The Rumor Mill is working over time trying to generate some interst in the BCNDP Leadership race.( Is there one? )

Today overheard more than once the rumour of Kennedy Stewart leaving federal politics and throwing his hat in the provincial ring.

In case you don’t know who Kennedy is, go here.

Kennedy could stand a few lessons in bio writing as evidenced here. ( Whoever said there is no I in team)

If true, that would add to the rumor list of defecting federal NDPers supposedly leaving.

Stories out of Toronto have already been spreading that Olivia Chow will leave to take on Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

This spells bad news for Tom Mulcair and his party who see Justin Trudeau and his crew in their rear view mirror who lock to be a lock to become official opposition in 2015.

Hearing this rumor one would imagine Christy Clark must be shaking in her boots! ( sarcasm intended)

Christy Clark Insults Taxpayers Intelligence Once Again. #bcpoli #ChristyClark #canpoli

Which one won the recent by-election? If you answered both you are right!

Once again Premier Christy Clark has insulted the BC voters intelligence.

Clark was asked whether the appointment of BC Liberal Ben Stewart as the new investment and trade commissioner to Asia was a patronage appointment and of course she said no.

In fact her answer was no because as she said Stewart would not be wining and dining people, he would be selling BC.

Whether he is wining and dining, selling or doing who knows what, when you give up your seat so that the Premier can run in your riding to save her sorry ass, this appointment is payback.

It’s patronage pure and simple. Nothing else!

With this blatant BS Clark continues to disgrace the Premier’s office.

Wouldn`t it be nice to have an elected politician who would treat the voters with some respect and say yes it is ?

NDP Parties Canada Wide: 2013 is Not a Good Year! #bcpoli #bcndp #bcleg #onpoli #canpoli

No Way Am I Giving Up The Best Job I Ever Had!

No wonder the Andrea Horwath Ontario NDP government is propping up one of the most corrupt governments in Ontario’s history.

It’s not because of what they can pry out of the government to keep them afloat ( gas plants be damned eh!).

It is because 2013 is a bad year to be a dipper!

They got hammered in the recent BC election, got hammered last night in Nova Scotia (no matter how much of a spin Lori Turnbull tries to put on it) and are getting killed in the polls that once gave them a ray of hope.

Should Andrea do the right thing and pull the pin on this scandalous Liberal government rest assured the people of Ontario will either lose their minds and vote in a majority Liberal government or do the sane thing and vote in a renewed Ontario PC team. The NDP will once again be on the outside looking in.

The NDP desperately needs a decent platform to take the voters minds off the failure of that parties government during the Bob Rae years.( the voters will remember, fair or not,the mess the NDP made when Rae was premier just as the voters remembered the problems of Dix’s past).

You get imagine the negative ads in the can about the NDP and Rae days etc.

Nope, If Andrea pulls the pin on the minority government in Ontario she will be another statistic in a bad year for the NDP.

Despite all the blustering and saber-rattling I would expect that there will be no Ontario election until at least the spring, that is until 2013 gets in the NDP’s rear view mirror.

Will I be right?

Christy Clark: In My Heart I Want A Bridge #bcpoli #canpoli

What’s in this Premier’s heart this week?

Hot on the heels of my post last week, who is the worst premier, BC Premier Christy Clark returns to center stage with her speech saying that construction will begin in 2017 with a new bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel.

So where will the money come from, who will pay, why do we need it and what’s in it for Clark.

When asked the cost the premier had no idea nor did she allude to how we were going to pay for it. She simply said that it will be along the same lines as the Port Mann Bridge.

No doubt there will be tolls because as we all know by now , in her heart BC Premier Clark runs a toll booth with the tolling of the Port Mann and the Golden Ears.

What else is in it for Clark? The next election is in 2017 and if shovels hit ground Clark will be able to snag votes from those commuters who will thank her in kind by reelecting or electing new BC liberal MLAs.

Those for the project go on the record and say that the bridge will be built for a couple of reasons firstly that the existing tunnel only has a life span of about 10 years and might cause a little mayhem in the event of an earthquake.

Secondly they say that replacing the tunnel with a bridge will allow for more ships to pass by.

Most people gloss right over that with a typical for sure it will.

What you should be asking and what is key to what’s in it for Clark is what will be on those ships that the new bridge will allow to pass.

If you said oil and gas you would know really what’s in it for Clark and why she will stop at nothing to get it.

Kinda like building a pipeline with the end piece first, isn’t it?

She wouldn’t do that would she?

No Fall Sitting at the Legislature in Victoria, Renewal Movement Launched in the NDP! #bcpoli #canpoli

There will be no lights on here this fall!

To no ones shock and everyone’s dismay the legislature will remain closed this fall.

The reason : to get prepared for the smoke and mirrors that is known as the Budget. ( does that sound as hollow as the house is closed to allow the new ministers to get familiar with their files?)

Once again the taxpayers get ripped off as the BC Liberal machine avoids discussion and points the spot light squarely on Adrian Dix, Forward BC and the potential mayhem that will come out of the November NDP convention.

Dix will announce his future next week ( He’s done like dinner) while the so-called Forward BC Movement wants renewal but refuses to take a position on anything.

The movement, led by spokesperson Sage Aaron refuse to get into the leadership discussion of not only Dix but also the executive of the party.( See the archives today,Sept. 10,2013 of the Bill Good show for that discussion)

Although well-intentioned, to renew the party any movement will have to get involved in the leadership area, especially with the executive which is led by NDP dinosaur Moe Sihota.

The NDP has more than leadership troubles on the horizon. I would expect fund-raising to become an Achilles heel given all the money they got before they blew thew 20% lead in the polls.

No matter how the BC Liberals implode over the next few years ( they will) the business community will be in no hurry to fill up NDP coiffures again after all the money they wasted in the run up to the May election.

Like I said in my last post silly season is here!

It’s September and Silly Season Is Here! #bcpoli #canpoli

It’s Fall and all is calm but not for long. Silly season is here!

The kids are back at school and the columnists are back at work. So are the bloggers.

News and opinion goes to the forefront as the summer bids us adieu!

Political Insider will be there to follow all the breaking stories and provide opinion as to what is BS and what is not.

We will stay on top of Obama’s ( The US Mr.Dithers) and the war on Syria.

We will cover Pauline Marois as she tries to drive Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative government nuts(banquing anyone?).

Political insider will provide analysis from the BC Conservative AGM and what it means to BC.

We will discuss the fall sitting of the BC Legislature ( if there is one)

We will report from on the implosion of the Ontario Liberal Party.

You want analysis on the Federal Throne speech and what it means to the country? You will find it here.

The new riding boundaries? Look no further than Political Insider as we go inside the campaigns.

The impact of Adrian Dix flying the BCNDP coop and the search for a new leader; it will be here too! ( Christy Clark will have the house all to herself I can hardly wait; for in her heart she will be a ? stay tuned)

Silly season is here.

So kick off your shoes, roll up a joint ( we’ll cover that too) and chill. ( Imagine the boy who would be PM might not be allowed into the US now that he has admitted blunting!)

Political Insider will have all this and more as we speed our way to Christmas and the New Year.

Thanks for reading and have a great fall!

BC Liberals Miss Their Budget Target; Let the BS Begin! #bcpoli #canpoli

Mary Polak : Do you ever know how to BS Mike you even had me going for a moment!

Back in the day (2009) Gordon Campbell misrepresented ( goofed,screwed up,lied your choice) about the deficit during the 2009 election.

That was the election that brought us the HST and cost Carol James her job as NDP leader.

Eventually that error, lie or goof-up cost Campbell his job as well.

Move ahead now 4 years to today when the New (lol) Christy Clark government presented a financial update and reported they missed their target by more than $175 million.

It could have been worse they said but for the new spending controls introduced halfway through the year.

This speaks volumes for the likelihood that their budget that they sailed on during the election will actually balance.

In the business world the executive and CEO who reported that would have been sent on their merry way but in the government world this crew was rewarded with a new 4 year term. ( likely 4.5 year term in the election is moved to the fall to allow for budget debate.

The most hilarious statement out of all of this comes from NDPer Mike Farnworth who went on the record and said he was concerned about rising debt.

Where were you during the election Mike? Why didn’t you and Adrian bring that little tidbit up then?

Once again this gaffe will cause an NDP leader to lose his job simply because it illustrates that glaring hole in their election campaign, namely they didn’t hammer the Christy Clark Today’s BC Liberals over their record.

Only in B.C can one party lie,err, mislead, or goof up ( your choice) and the leader of the other party get fired over it.

Clark Cabinet: Stilwell and Sullivan Get Stiffed ! #bcpoli #bccabinet #canpoli

With a chance to start fresh and let bygones be bygones Premier Christy Clark has chosen to keep the hurt happening and stiff Dr. Moira Stillwell and Sam Sullivan out of cabinet positions in her new cabinet unveiled today.

Sullivan was a former mayor of Vancouver who has hands on experience with Government management and would have been a great fit with the new cabinet.

The handling of Dr.Stilwell leaves more to be desired in that if you recall she was a former BC Liberal leadership aspirant who was passed over in Clark’s first cabinet. She most recently served as a Minister of Social Development.

With her background Dr.Stilwell should have be named Minister of Health.

But no; In Clark’s world a former Environment Minister ( Terry Lake) is more qualified for that portfolio?

Could it be Clark is getting even for the good doctor speaking out over the premier’s transgression with the red light during the election?

This coming from a premier who spoke of respect in one of her opening lines in her speech?

There is about as much chance of Dr. Stilwell getting respect in BC Liberal circles as is their budget actually balancing.

Not going to happen.

If you are interested here is the list from today’s announcement:

Deputy Minister, Minister of Natural Gas Development and minister responsible for housing: Rich Coleman

Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation: John Rustad

Minister of Advanced Education: Amrik Virk

Minister of Agriculture: Pat Pimm

Minister of Children and Family Development: Stephanie Cadieux

Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development: Coralee Oakes

Minister of Education: Peter Fassbender

Minister of Energy and Mines and minister responsible for core review: Bill Bennett

Minister of Environment: Mary Polak

Minister of Finance and Government House Leader: Mike de Jong

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations: Steve Thomson

Minister of Health: Terry Lake

Minister of International Trade, minister responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism: Teresa Wat

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and minister responsible for labour: Shirley Bond

Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business: Naomi Yamamoto

Minister of Justice and Attorney General: Suzanne Anton

Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services: Andrew Wilkinson

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and deputy house leader: Todd Stone

Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation: Don McRae.

BC Politics: The Week Ahead! #bcpoli #canpoli

Will somebody please step aside so I can call a by-election.

The first week of June is shaping up to be an interesting week in BC politics what with the official election results being finalized on June 5.

Premier Christy Clark has some interesting choices to make given she has said that she will name a cabinet later this week ( June 7) and decide what riding she wants to run in to attempt to get entry in the house. Astute political junkies will recall Clark lost her seat in the recent provincial election this past May 14th.

The most likely day for her to call the by-election would be Thursday June 6. Given Clark’s penchant for photo ops that day also happens to coincide with the 69th anniversary of DDay and would make a wonderful opportunity for her to call the election and claim in her heart she is a DDay vet.

She has to win this and of course she will. They will choose the easiest possible seat to run her in despite all the bravado from the NDP about running a candidate against them. (Actually they don’t all say that just some of them).

It is rumoured to be Fort Langley Aldergrove where current MLA Rich Coleman is purporting to be offering to step down. If true, Coleman will still have Peter Fassbender on the inside to watch over things while he gets ready to run for the leadership when Clark is dumped.

What about the BC Conservatives? That decision has not been made yet and will probably be made at an upcoming board meeting later this week. My take, shockingly, is that we should respect the mandate that the premier and her party have received from the people. That means I don’t think we should run a candidate. The party has a wonderful chance to hold this government accountable over the next few years. The NDP won’t,they will be to busy looking for ways to dump Dix and rebuild their own party.

The Premier has demonstrated over the past 2 years that while she is a good campaigner she is a terrible governor. ( Her pipeline announcement this week is an example of that,declaring opposition to the project even though all the tests haven’t been done)

You can bet at some point down the road the Premier and her team will come on board with the pipeline. It will happen about the same time as they come to the realization their balanced budget ( 2013 edition) is not really balanced and they need the revenue to save face. ( How do you spell HST anybody?)

For Clark, The bigger minefield lies with the choosing of her new cabinet. Usually the cabinet that is chosen gives you an idea of which direction the government is going.

In this case I would think that even though Clark has won a majority, the party will keep her on a short leash.( Remember she still has no seat and is a left leaning liberal in a caucus full of right leaning conservatives).

Think also to various gaffes Clark has made over the past few months. She ran a red light that was disclosed during the election. Caucus member and MLA Moira Stilwell spoke up against this. Stillwell is one of the brightest MLAs the party has. What will become of her?

Gordon Hogg took on Rich Coleman over the mess during the botched casino affair. What will happen to Him?

How many of the new MLA’s will be content to thank their lucky stars Adrian Dix and crew screwed up so badly and they got elected.

What if Clark decides to follow her Liberal ways and take the government even more left?( Remember they now agree with the NDP on the pipeline) What will become of the Conservative hopefuls in that BC Liberal Caucus?

Those who are not thrilled can always take out membership in the 8:01 club can’t they?

The week ahead in BC Politics is shaping up to be very interesting and the decisions made will shape the province for the next 4.5 years. ( Assuming the next election is in the fall to allow for proper budget debate)

Stay tuned, I will be here to dissect the different events as they unfold and thank you for reading!