Thoughts on BC Politics and More

  Over the last few weeks, my team and I have been preparing for the upcoming legislative session. Health, writ large, is obviously of great concern to all of us in British Columbia and beyond right now. As such, reflections on the state of health and healthcare in BC will be a focus in the weeks ahead, both in my writing and in my activities at the legislature.  One of my core beliefs in this regard is that if we are to get health policy right, we need to expand our perception of ‘health’ to our public institutions, our government, our natural systems, and our communities.   How do we promote health in a holistic and thorough way? And what role does government play in that, beyond being a provider of services?   Having a healthy society isn’t just having access to urgent care (which has diminished in recent weeks with record hospitalizations). It’s healthy institutions. For these institutions to be healthy, they need robust relationships of accountability ...

  There are 7 terrific candidates in this leadership race. Any single one of them would lead a better government than the one we have right now.   I hope each of our leadership candidates puts their name on the ballot for our party in the 2024 provincial election. I know I will.   If you’re one of the thousands of BC Liberals who have already pledged support to me in this leadership race, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But if you’re still undecided about your choice or if you’re struggling to decide which candidate to offer your support to, I have good news.   You can vote for all of us. Yes, you really can vote 7 times.   As you may know, the BC Liberal Party uses a ranked ballot system for voting in the leadership election. That means that when you vote you’ll get the chance to rank the candidates in order of your personal preference. All you have to do is type a ‘1’ in the box associated with your first choice, a ‘2’ in the box for...

  The BC Liberals are calling on the NDP government to deliver on their commitment to make sure that every long-term care (LTC) resident in British Columbia be permitted to have at least one essential visitor.   “The NDP government told B.C. families with loved ones in long-term care that they would be guaranteed at least one essential visitor. But weeks later, there is still confusion and inconsistency when it comes to the important connections that vulnerable seniors need,” said Shirley Bond, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition.   “Advocates and families across the province, including Dr. Bonnie Henry, have spoken about the importance of designated visitors as being critical to LTC residents’ mental and physical health. Why have clear guidelines and directions not been put in place to allow seniors to be supported in the best possible way?”   According to BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie, only about 20 per cent of LTC residents have designat...