Laurie Throness: I learned everything I know about how to run elections from Premier Christy Clark!
As hard as it it to believe B.C. Liberal Laurie Throness said in an interview in the Chilliwack Times that having election signs up before the by-election is called is no big deal.
Of course that is against the rules and is therefore cheating.
So to Mr. Throness cheating is no big deal.
In another act of ,well stupidity,members of his campaign team went to city hall today to pay the $500 permit to place signs during an election. They were of course refused because there is no election on.
A good politician knows the rules and also surrounds himself with people that know them as well.
These cheaters sound like rank amateurs? Do they not take the potential by-election seriously enough to at least read the rules?
Can you imagine them as handlers of the public trust?
Are you as dumbfounded as I am that Mr.Throness thinks cheating is no big deal?
Are you as blown away as I am that he openly states that on the public record?
We are working Bell to Bell today! This is entirely seamless and you won't notice anything ,given that's all we have been doing this year anyway!
This morning it was reported that the teachers were instructed to only work bell to bell today.
I wonder how that is different from what they have been doing all year?
Lets face it,they have been refusing those picky little administrative duties like report cards since day one.
Really, how can you take them seriously when they have not been doing their jobs since school started.
A recent Environics poll shows the province to be evenly split. It,is I think is important to note that the teachers commissioned the poll.
When you listen to the radio call in shows,about 90% of the callers want their teacher burned at the stake. Where were these people when Environics called.
I think,the teachers are in for a rude awakening if they vote for a general strike,so is the Labor Board.
Cue the Xfiles music in the elevators at the Labor Board.
Unbelievable; a general strike a few short weeks before spring break is no big deal.
Just what the kids need: a few weeks off followed by a few more weeks off!
The only people to benefit from that will be the liquor stores and pot dealers.
The fact that it got to this point is a black mark not only on the teachers but the BC Liberal government as well!
It should have been dealt with back in the fall.The legislature should have been called back to solve this. Any negotiations and legislation should have been done months ago!
Instead, we have been treated to photo-ops and faux throne speeches by the BC Liberal government.
We have had the usual round of ludicrous demands by the union.
Further proof that this government and frankly the teachers are stale and void of creative ideas.
Family day: Phone calls from the Unemployment Line
This week,apart from the budget,all the talk has been about next years family day. The newspapers are full of interviews from ecstatic parents detailing how they can hardly wait to spend an extra day off with their families.
Turns out a lot of them might not have to wait until next February to achieve that goal.
If they close, the cost will vary dependent upon what those employees normally get paid but it is still a significant increase to the bottom line.
What is a business to do? Apparently a lot!
I have had several calls from clients in the last week advising their full-time hours have been cut back to part-time hours. Those same people advise at the same time their places of work have added new part-time employees.
I broached this topic at this weeks Chamber of Commerce meeting with several business owners I converse on a regular basis with and the consensus was that a lot of business are streamlining and doing just that.Changing full time jobs to part-time jobs and having employees work less regularly and in a lot of cases not qualifying for statutory holidays at all.
Increased turnover? Maybe? But there are a not many places to find a new job.
This is actually nothing new. if you can afford it,go to a restaurant of your choice 3 times in the next few weeks and see if you get the same waitress. Probably not and this trend would be why.
BC's Economic D-Day should be now,not after Election 2013
This week in Ontario Don Drummond,chair of commission on public service reform , released a 688 page report that should serve as a cautionary tale to voters here at home in B.C.
We have a little over a year until we have our own provincial election and we have plenty of time to ask those who are running what they are planning and what will it cost.
We should not have to wait for the writ to drop do know exactly where we stand fiscally and where the parties will take us.
All during the last election we heard that the deficit was in the area of 495 million only to be told right after that it was in the billions. The B.C. Liberals told us no HST and then brought it in right after the election.
Today,Adrian Dix and the NDP have a number of promises and plans so how much? What is your plan to get us to where you want the province to go.
Adrian says he doesn’t want to be in the limelight. Guess what Adrian ? You are applying for the top job in the province and a formal interview is in order!
Every politician should now and always be in the limelight.They want to spend your money!
An independent economist should be appointed and have to release a no B.S state of affairs. Both the opposition and government should have to read it and tell us well in advance of any election what they want to do and how much it will cost.( Not just now but before every election)
This report is not to be confused with the upcoming smoke and mirrors budget. This week the government will say and do anything to try and boost their standing in the polls.
Thank god these two can't vote,I can't afford any more bad news!
More bad news for the BC Liberals as the BC Conservatives continue to eat into Liberal numbers.
Glum news for a Party and a Premier who have been making announcement after announcement this week.
This probably explains why the Premier is returning to her old stomping grounds on NW radio Monday for as Justine Hunter says “a faux Throne Speech” with Bill Good.
Prepare to be nauseated for 90 minutes. This will more than likely be an opportunity for BC Liberal staffers and party members to phone in with easy to answer questions that even the Premier can answer.
Maybe we all will get lucky and she will call those by-elections.
It is a sad day in the province when the governing party or any party for that matter takes a voters intentions for granted.
The BC Liberal Spokesperson also reports that the Premier will be the keynote speaker at their candidates acclimation tonight.
Given the way her approval ratings have been sinking lately,her Federal Liberal ties and her penchant for photo-ops,the lucky winner would probably rather be anywhere other than on stage next to her.
Spokesperson Jehnifer Benoit goes on to say that” this election will be fought on the economy,creating jobs and managing taxpayers money”.
I also believe the taxpayers have already put their seal of approval on how the BC Liberals manage their money when they voted en-mass to throw out the HST.
So I think Ms.Benoit should be careful what she wishes the election might be fought on.
Angus Reid released a new poll today that showed the BC Conservatives gaining ground in Metro Vancouver and the Interior. This is a happy occasion for the party as Mario Canseco of Angus Reid says “their leader is not particularly well-known at this stage and is not carrying any significant momentum on issues”
One can only imagine the heights the party can climb to,once people start paying attention and get to know John Cummins and the policies that the party represents.
Even more troubling for Premier Christy Clark and her Liberals is the fact that the party has dropped below 30% since Gordon Campbell resigned.
Responding to the poll results,the Premier,mentioned that she was too busy thinking about jobs rather than polls.Given the disastrous results of the who would make the best Premier question,I am thinking the job she is most concerned with would be her own!
Sadly,to be a leader and increase your numbers in those type of questions,a Premier must show leadership on important questions such as the pipeline and the jobs that go with that project.. This premier has not.
For a Premier and a Party that relies on photo ops,this poll would be a great snap shot of where the BC Liberal team are headed,to the bottom with the Titanic!
Firstly ,Minister Bond,probably still has her hands full cleaning up the mess(es) left behind by disgraced former Ministers Heed and Les over at the Solicitor Generals office,her other part-time job!.
If that isn’t enough to keep any two people busy,the Attorney General’s qualifications are now being investigated by an outside law firm appointed by the law society.
I would also expect Minister Shirley also has her fingers and toes crossed with this weeks visit to Ottawa by Minister Polak in her meeting with National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Shawn Atleo. ( You remember how Minister Polak was taken to court over problems in the Ministry of Children and Family Development)
That is if she has any fingers and toes left to cross after all the problems with the Basi Virk File.
Makes you wonder,when the Minister takes her next call on the Hockey Riot file,if she will remember which hat to wear.
There must be days when Minister Bond feels like she is a at the PNE bashing the rubber gophers over the head with a mallet.
John Martin is bang on,the Province needs a full time Attorney General.
Can you imagine what it would be like to be Kevin Falcon?
-You are a quasi Conservative playing second fiddle to a Federal Liberal!
-You are A Finance Minister who doesn’t know if the budget will be balanced.
-You are the Premiers designated fall guy for the HST
-You are overruled by your own department when you want to release a $780,000 pamphlet your government opted for tossing in the garbage.
-You read the polls and know that no matter how much of this mess you are tasked with cleaning up,the people who put you and your government in office are getting ready to fire you.
Right about now ,if you were Kevin Falcon, you are probably wishing you had somebody of your own you could throw under the proverbial bus!
