Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day.  Did you know such a day existed?     I wasn’t until early this morning.   My God, it’s pathetic we even need to have a day like this to mark – and celebrate is obviously a word that would never be used for an occasion like this! BC Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Judy Darcy, at opening of the Foundry Centre in Victoria So, for an occasion such as this, Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, trotted out ‘words’, because, at least in my opinion, they are easy to say. “ Today marks International Overdose Awareness Day, and we honour and remember those we have lost to this terrible crisis. Last year, we lost 1,450 people here in B.C., and by the end of this day three or four more British Columbians will die from a drug overdose as a result of a poisoned and unpredictable illegal drug supply .” All talk … but little action!   As I mentioned yesterday, on July 18 th ...

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley Premier Rachel Notley delivered the following remarks today in a live address about the Federal Court of Appeal’s ruling on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project: My fellow Albertans, we face a serious situation. I’m here before you to tell you how we are defending you, your resources, your jobs and the future of our province and country. For generations, Alberta has been forced to sell our resources to one customer – the United States – and to sell those resources at a major discount. The oil and gas in our ground is owned by each and every Albertan. When we are forced to sell those resources for less than they are worth, the whole country pays a price. Fewer jobs. Over-stressed hospitals. Crowded classrooms. And for almost as long, successive governments in Ottawa and Edmonton failed to change this. Despite having more coastline than any country on the planet, Canada as a whole remains landlocked. Three...

A short time ago, I posted an opinion piece, on Addictions and Recovery .   Early last week I sat down and spoke with my own MLA for Kamloops South Thompson, Todd Stone.   I wanted to know what specific thoughts he had, and not just the policy of the BC Liberal Party.   I received that reply today, and wish to thank him for both his time in seeing me, but also for taking the time to provide me with his response.   Here it is in its entirety:   Kamloops South Thompson MLA Todd Stone We continue to find our province in the midst of one of the worst health care emergencies in our history – an overdose crisis claiming the lives of 4 British Columbians every day. This despite a coordinated health-focused approach to this medical issue – including the declaration of a provincial health emergency, numerous harm reduction and recovery measures, education, awareness and enforcement. And we must do more . This is a crisis indiscriminate...

ADVANCE NOTICE ... this is a long, but important post.  I hope you will take the time to read it in its entirety. I admit to be stymied, or better yet obstructed, from getting information that I believe is pertinent for all British Columbians to know – BEFORE the legal sale of cannabis begins in October.  It’s information I have requested both from the Ministry of Health … and from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.  And what is it that I’ve been trying to find out?  Pretty simple really. “The various health, safety, education and enforcement implications of legalized cannabis fall almost entirely to the provincial level of government.  What is government doing to help cover these provincial costs … and also ensure fairness, recognizing the social responsibility retailers must share.”  Additionally, I have asked, “ What new funding to health initiatives such as recovery, additional beds for rehab, direct street s...

Federal court quashes Trans Mountain pipeline expansion The Canadian Press /Global News ~~ August 30, 2018 VANCOUVER – The Federal Court of Appeal has quashed Ottawa’s approval of the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion . The decision means the National Energy Board will have to redo its review of Kinder Morgan Canada’s project. In a written decision, the court says the energy board’s review was so flawed that the federal government could not rely on it as a basis for its decision to approve the expansion. The court also concludes that the federal government failed in its duty to engage in meaningful consultations with First Nations before giving the green light to the project. The federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals  is now firmly caught up in its own inane regulations on pipelines. It is frustrating to watch ideologues enmeshed in regulations that defy common sense, logic and reason. They ...