Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Stephen Harper created the office for the Parliamentary Budget Officer as part of the Library of Parliament with the intent of creating an office to do independent reports on the nation's finances and government policies. The intent was to mimic the American Congressional Budget Office, but as usual, a Canadian government just couldn't get the job right. Now, by that I mean they refused to create a truly independent office. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO): In the United States the President of the Senate, that's the Vice President and the Speaker of the House pick, as required, will pick a new Director of the Congressional Budget Office. That's it. They pick a person and that person takes on the job. Their mandate is to hire and maintain staff that are to be nonpartisan. Just to illustrate that last part, CBO staff cannot be a registered member of a political party. If they join a party or engage in any partisan activities, they get fired. Finally, they are gi...

RE: NDP falls short on commitment to disability services ~~ Times Colonist 03/27   You always hear it, we are an inclusive, diverse society. Really? Because if that were actually true, the most vulnerable people would not always be the first ones cut when money gets tight due to poor budgeting. That is the reality here. We love to talk about inclusion, like it is something we have already achieved, like it is a badge of honour. But the real test is not how we treat the loudest voices or the most visible groups, it is how we treat the people who cannot advocate for themselves. That is where it actually shows. And right now, the answer is clear. We are failing them. You cannot stand there and say you care about people with developmental disabilities, talk about dignity and belonging, then turn around and pull funding from something like the Garth Homer Centre for Belonging. That is not leadership. That is saying one thing and doing another. Call it what it is. A moral fai...