Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The Carney government’s move to let police forces seize and search small mail will mostly affect people who order illicit drugs through the post and represents a doubling down on “war on drugs” policies, experts say. “It’s not surprising because police organizations have been lobbying for this for over a decade,” said Ted Rutland, an associate professor of geography, planning and environment at Concordia University. Rutland studies urban policing and security as part of his work ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

The federal government is planning to adjust the clean electricity regulations to give more flexibility to LNG power plants and help to double Canada’s electricity grid by 2050. Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday unveiled Canada’s long-awaited clean electricity strategy, which aims to lower energy costs for 70 per cent of Canadian households. The strategy says construction will cost more than $1 trillion and public dollars will be used to cover some of the cost ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

Politics tends to lose its frenetic energy when a majority government descends upon Ottawa. But while Mark Carney’s Liberals seem safe from worrying about an election in the short term, that doesn’t mean that politics is about to get boring. Sure, there are still some elements of intrigue and uncertainty at the federal level — byelections, floor-crossings, defections and resignations, not to mention leadership questions — but most of the action seems to now be moving to the provincial scene ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

If Alberta Premier Danielle Smith were smart she’d treat Wednesday’s court ruling quashing Elections Alberta’s approval of the Stay Free Alberta/Alberta Prosperity Project petition for a separation referendum as a political get-out-of-jail-free card. After all, she could probably persuade her party’s separatist base the appeals were going to take forever, and in the meantime they’d need to re-elect her United Conservative Party so she could keep on pushing their cause. Then she could sign a pipeline deal with Prime Minister Mark Carney Friday and go for electoral gold ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Voting for the next leader of the Conservative Party of BC runs May 23-29. Ahead of the vote, candidates make their case, to Business In Vancouver, on some of the province's most pressing issues.  Q&A with Peter Milobar Q & A with Caroline Elliott Q & A with Yuri Fulmer Q & A with Kerry-Lynne Findlay Q & A with Iain Black  

A senior New Democratic Party parliamentarian has formally demanded that the Carney government release the full text of its secret law enforcement agreement with China’s Ministry of Public Security, echoing a set of facts The Bureau has been reporting for months, while warning that Ottawa’s continued refusal to disclose the deal is fueling legitimate fear among diaspora communities who have experienced or fear transnational repression by the Chinese state. Jenny Kwan, MP for Vancouver East and one of Parliament’s most prominent voices on Hong Kong and Chinese diaspora issues, wrote to Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand on May 12, calling the government’s silence on the agreement “particularly troubling” given what she described as the “problematic history of China’s foreign interference in Canada" ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

More Canadians are filing for insolvency, according to the latest data from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, as rising costs stretch consumers to their limits. Some 37,121 Canadians filed for insolvency in the first quarter of 2026 — the highest number of consumer insolvencies since 2009, when North America was reeling from the financial crisis. Compared to the same time period last year, insolvencies are up 8.5 per cent ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

The Conservatives and NDP sit on opposite sides of the spectrum, but they’re voicing similar concerns about the trajectory of Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) regime. The two opposition parties could be moving toward an unlikely alliance against further expansion, with a report on extending MAID eligibility to the mentally ill expected by summer ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

If a group feels that its rights have been unreasonably restricted, then it is free to challenge those restrictions in court. Recent weeks have seen claims made in Victoria about whether there is a right to hold protests in the streets and whether the city is obligated to facilitate such protests. What does the law say about this? Three sources of law are relevant ... CLICK HERE for the full story