Thoughts on BC Politics and More

On Thursday (December 10th) Dan Brooks, leader of the BC Conservative Party, issued a media release regarding Senate appointments, the case for BC holding elections to fill vacancies, and for BC to receive a number of seats EQUAL to the population of our province.   The text of the release, put forward, was as follows: ... a better alternative towards reforming Canada's Senate: the direct election of 13 Senators by and for British Columbia. ... Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed a new formula to fill Senate vacancies in which five The Canadian Senate citizens would be selected, including three appointees by the federal government and two by the province involved.  These appointees would develop a list of candidates meeting an improved set of qualifications to be a Senator from which the Prime Minister would select the eventual appointee ... the Prime Minister may informally consult the province involved but is not required to do so. That proposal was p...

For many years now there has been much ' talk ' about the so-called "Highway of Tears", which runs along the highway corridor between Prince George and Prince Rupert (Yellowhead Highway #16).   This is due of course to the large number of women who have gone missing along its route (although numbers have been enlarged by some to also include missing and murdered woman from along Highway 97 through the Cariboo, and if memory serves me correct, as far South West as Merritt, BC as well.   They are part of a larger group of Missing and Murdered First Nations women, although not all missing and murdered women from the corridor are First Nations. You will have noted that I italicized the word " Talk " because that is all that seems to happen -- talk.   "Something must be done" many cry, and yet NO action takes place. Why is that seems to be the question that goes unanswered.   First Nations groups blame federal and provincial governments al...

So, can I say BC Health Care system sucks in at least one area?  Because it DOES! I had to take a family member into Emergency, at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, mid-afternoon on Sunday, due to severe and relentless pain.  ER staff were wonderful, caring, and showed great empathy.   Because there was no beds available on a ward, they were moved into an overflow area.  Not unexpected given that previous provincial governments have closed wards, floors, beds, and indeed entire hospitals. Problems arose however come meal time -- breakfast in particular.  This family member is diabetic, and has high blood pressure.  So what was served for breakfast?  High carbs, fruit juice, coffee, sugar, jam, sugary cereal, and other things of the same food groups.  None of which can be eaten, by some one with these medical conditions. When they explained this tray of food could NOT be eaten with some one with diabetes and...

It seems like there was a lot of interest in my post from yesterday, " Your Application for Membership in the BC Conservative Party Has Not Been Accepted at this Time "      I have also received a number of personal messages, as well as comments on Facebook and Twitter.   I can group them into three categories.   Former BC Conservatives who were active, to very active in the party, but who have left ... one I am unsure of their political affiliation ... two from BC Liberals ... and one from the Green Party.   Some have also asked me why I asked to have my membership in the party cancelled in the first place.   To those asking, or who have forgotten, I refer you to this post I made back in May:   " With much regret and disappointment, the following notification, was sent by me, to the BC Conservative Party on Saturday May 23rd " .   As I have stated now, it seems it's okay for the party to welcome back, with an apology, those who ...

Today, in the mail, I received a letter from the BC Conservative Party that in part stated, “… your application for membership in the BC Conservative Party has not been accepted at this time …” No explanation … no opportunity for recourse … and   no opportunity to address the BC Conservative Party Board Of Directors and Executive. I was asked by a member of the Metro-Vancouver area what this might be about; I messaged back saying: I asked to have my membership in the party to be removed when a former board / exec make up decided in the spring to reinstate the memberships, and offered apologies, to the dissidents that had essentially destroyed the BC Conservative Party through a coordinated campaign that left the party in a shambles prior to the 2013 election. It now seems ironic that in asking to have my membership reinstated, I have been denied, for what can only be thought of as a vendetta against me for having the tenacity to call them out on this, and for a l...