Thoughts on BC Politics and More

  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

A recent opinion column in the Calgary Herald, Compassionate intervention for addiction saves lives, discussed how decision-makers may be able to use the legal system for behaviour change for people with addictions. The column asserts the evidence for “compassionate intervention is clear”, but the reality is not so black and white. The column presents some significant gaps in terms of application and summary of the evidence .. CLICK HERE to read the rest of this commentary

A former Ontario medical officer of health who became a lightning rod during Covid for his opposition to lockdowns and vaccine mandates is trying his hand at politics.   Matt Strauss, a physician who served as Haldimand-Norfolk’s acting medical officer of health throughout much of the pandemic, is seeking the Conservative nomination in the southern Ontario riding of Kitchener South–Hespeler.   If successful, Strauss will be running against Liberal MP Valerie Bradford ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The just-announced cut of $1 billion on defense spending is the latest example of why Canada has lost its clout on the world stage. Let’s take a look at the cumulative factors that have brought us to this sorry pass. https://darshanmaharaja.podbean.com/e/elevator-chat-episode-24-canada-s-fall-from-grace/   (Duration: 8 minutes)     Independent voices are more important than ever in today’s Canada. I am happy to add my voice to the public discussions on current issues & policy, and grateful for all the encouraging response from my listeners & readers. I do not believe in a Paywall model, so will not make access to my content subject to a payment. To help me bring more content to you, please consider donating a small amount via this PayPal link on my website: https://darshanmaharaja.ca/donate/

There will be no special treatment for Alberta when it comes to Canada’s incoming regulations to make electricity cleaner, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Friday. The comments are the latest salvo in the seemingly never-ending battle between Alberta and Ottawa over climate policy. This one relates to new clean electricity regulations that Guilbeault published in draft form in August. The regulations will require all electricity to be from either renewable sources, like wind or hydro, or equipped with carbon-capture technology by 2035. Both Alberta and Saskatchewan have said that that is simply not doable, and they are instead targeting 2050 as the date for full emissions-free electricity. The two provinces still rely heavily on fossil fuels — natural gas for Alberta and coal and gas for Saskatchewan — to make power, and they say they can’t eliminate those or build enough carbon capture without hurting reliability or costing their residents a fortune ... CLICK HERE for the

The Centre Ice Canadians are in the process of transitioning to the political party Our Canadian Future ... a party that values an open society, sound financial policies based on results for Canadians, and a commitment to building a very different type of political party -- one which will offer every member meaningful opportunities to engage in our country’s public life. The new Party website is under construction, but right now you can still access information on policy development by clicking on this link : We are builders, not wreckers. We want to reform and strengthen our institutions, not tear them down. We offer pragmatic solutions to counter extremism from the right and from the left. And we are not alone.    Polls show that Canadians are tired of extremist rhetoric and are looking for respectful dialogue. We want to engage our fellow citizens to rebuild public trust in our institutions, our country, and each other. If this makes sense to you, and you're intere