Thoughts on BC Politics and More

  It’s interesting to think about the conceptual differences between disinformation, opinion, and idiosyncratic interpretation of perceived phenomena.   My perception is that most of what we see labelled as “disinformation” is, instead, one of the latter two phenomena. (Ironically, if I’m right, it amounts to characterizing claims of “disinformation” as either opinion or idiosyncratic interpretation.)   So, the issue becomes, once we’ve gone to the trouble to properly conceptualize what “disinformation” actually means, then who decides whether any particular observation is “disinformation” rather than merely opinion or idiosyncratic interpretation?   Anyone with experience in courtrooms can tell you that there are many shades of factual assertions. We expend enormous judicial effort to determine the truth in specific cases, when it really matters.   To invest such enormous effort into determining the truth of the many factual assertions advanced in the ordinary discou

  The hay shortage caused by drought and wildfires in the province has hit an all time high, leaving farmers with irredeemable choices. Farmers and ranchers are selling off their cattle, including mature cows, says Mike Pritchard, manager of the BC Livestock Producers cooperative in Vanderhoof and president of the Nechako Valley Regional Cattlemens Association .. CLICK HERE for the full story

The system has grown so convoluted and overstretched that it literally cannot be managed. When Health Minister Adrian Dix said last month that high demand for emergency medical care may be the “new normal,” this was widely taken as an admission of failure. And so it was. But not for the reasons many believe .. ...  problem is not so much lack of funds, want of leadership, or federal indifference, though those are all factors. Rather, the leading cause is atrophy, decrepitude, or just plain aging ... CLICK HERE for the full commentary

  Green Party Leader Elizabeth May will leave her name on the ballot for the election of a new Speaker in the House of Commons on Tuesday, months after a mild stroke saw her on doctor’s orders not to travel by plane to Ottawa. May, who represents Saanich-Gulf Islands, is one of several MPs who have stated their intention to leave their name on the ballot. “I’m still thinking about it,” said May. “I will definitely want to give a speech on Tuesday morning about what a Speaker should do and what the role of a Speaker is" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

  The following is a response, by Kim Coltman, to the BC government announcement that, ‘ As respiratory infections are increasing ... the risk also increases in health-care facilities where people may be more at risk of severe infections or complications. To increase protections in health-care facilities in the province, medical mask wearing will be required by all health-care workers, volunteers, contractors and visitors in patient care areas ... Long-term care visitors will be required to wear a medical mask when they are in common areas of the home and when participating in indoor events, gatherings, activities in communal areas of the care home or residence ... ’   Thank you for protecting people like me. So many of these people who are opposed to wearing masks, just don’t understand that these mandates are not to protect them, they are to protect people like me with chronic health conditions. I don’t like wearing the masks, but I know that I have to, to protect mys

A new report about policing of Metro Vancouver port terminal facilities says there's "literally no downside" for organized criminals to set up shop, and one British Columbia city is sounding the alarm.  Delta Mayor George Harvie says the city commissioned the report about the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Roberts Bank Terminal amid "rampant" criminal activity due to a lack of funds for policing ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting, to be held in Calgary Nov. 3-4, could turn into a coup by Take Back Alberta (TBA). That’s one reason Premier Danielle Smith is sounding so tough in her approach to Ottawa. Smith threatens once again to use the sovereignty act, and throws a wildly impractical Alberta pension proposal into the mix, annoying many Albertans and much of the country but pleasing the diehard TBA types ... CLICK HERE for the full opinion piece

  B.C.’s Green Party leader is dismayed Alberta’s fossil fuel “war room” is targeting Nanaimo, B.C., for its leadership in phasing out natural gas hookups to reduce the community’s emissions. After a summer of record-breaking wildfires and sustained heat and drought, every level of government needs to be seeking solutions to the climate crisis, not sabotaging those that do, said Sonia Furstenau, the Greens’ leader and MLA for Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. “What is needed from all leaders, governments, across all jurisdictions right now are tangible solutions,” Furstenau said ... CLICK HERE for the rest of the story

Next week, the B.C. legislature will return for the first sitting of the fall session. Since the legislature was last underway, the province has suffered the worst wildfire season in history and seen the provincial deficit grown by $2.5 billion. The months-long break has also seen the BC United party begin to slip in the polls, now running nearly neck-and-neck with the BC Conservatives, and trailing the governing New Democrats. Despite the figures, Kamloops-South Thompson MLA and Opposition House Leader Todd Stone is not overly concerned ... CLICK HERE for the full story