Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FORSETH: Declaring something should be essential service, without ensuring the service is provided to British Columbians, is no solution


While the wheels of transit, in metro-Vancouver, sit idle, BC United leader Kevin Flacon has a solution:

“Frankly, these are essential services. People use transit to get to work, to get to doctors appointments — this is not something that should be getting in the way and interrupting the public.”

I find it interesting that Falcon has decided this is the solution, not because I disagree with him, but because I never thought I would hear the leader of ANY political party say it.

For as long as I can remember, I have always believed that if a service is provided by the government, then it should be deemed essential to the needs of British Columbians. The flip side of that, of course, would be that if it isn’t a service essential to our needs, then why should (or does) the government provide it?

But back to Falcon and his comment.

I realize he didn’t specifically say that IF transit is deemed essential, then workers shouldn’t be permitted to strike – he simply commented that transit should be considered essential.

The reality is, he wasn’t really offering a solution to the problem, his comment just made for a good 8 second (as they call them) sound bite.

Which leads me back to my initial wondering --- IF a government provides a service, then why are workers permitted strike action?

The same holds true for British Columbians youth – why are strikes permitted in education?

Or in healthcare?

Is there a better solution?  What might that look like?

Declaring something should be an essential service, without ensuring the service is actually provided to British Columbians, is no solution. It sounds good, but that’s about it. And sadly, no one in the media chose to challenge Falcon on his comment, and ask for an explanation as to what his proposal would look like.

There is a workable solution, we just have to take the time to figure it out so that the people of BC, and the employees who provide us with valuable and much needed service, can come up with it.

In Kamloops, I’m Alan Forseth.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC’s Forestry Decline Is a Policy Failure, Not a Market Reality -- Forestry Critic Calls for Accountability and Urgent Policy Reset

Conservative Party of BC Forestry Critic, and Kamloops - North Thompson MLA,  Ward Stamer As the Truck Loggers Association convention begins today, BC Conservative Forestry Critic Ward Stamer says British Columbia’s forestry crisis is the result of government mismanagement, not market forces, and that an urgent policy reset is needed to restore certainty, sustainability, and accountability. “For generations, forestry supported families and communities across BC,” said Stamer.  “Today, mills are closing, contractors are parking equipment, and families are being forced to leave home, not because the resource is gone, but because policy has failed.” Government data shows timber shipment values dropped by more than half a billion dollars in the past year, with harvest levels falling by roughly 50 per cent in just four years. At the same time, prolonged permitting timelines, unreliable fibre access, outdated forest inventories, and rising costs have made long-term planning impossib...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wildfire waste plan torched -- Forestry critic Stamer calls BC's wildfire salvage rate 'a failure'

Claims that BC is making progress salvaging wildfire-damaged timber are masking deeper problems in the forest sector, the province’s forestry critic says. Last week, BC’s Ministry of Forests said mills in the province processed more than one million cubic metres of wildfire chips in 2024-25, up from 500,000 cubic metres in 2023 and representing about seven per cent of all processed wood. Kamloops-North Thompson BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer said those claims of progress ignore the reality that only a fraction of burned timber is being used ... CLICK HERE for the full story
Post a Comment
Read more

Claire Rattée: Safer Supply Rollback Confirms Government Ignored Warnings for Years

Conservative Critic for Mental Health & Addictions Claire Rattée As new witnessed-consumption rules for BC’s prescribed safer supply program takes effect December 30, Conservative Critic for Mental Health, Addictions and Housing Supports Claire Rattée says the change confirms the NDP government ignored years of warnings and allowed a failed policy experiment to continue long after its harms were clear. “ As of today, the NDP is quietly admitting what families, front-line workers, and the Opposition have been saying all along: handing out take-home opioids without supervision was reckles s,” said Rattée. “ The government is acting now because the consequences became impossible to deny .” The shift ends the widespread take-home model that was expanded during the pandemic and maintained long after concerns about diversion emerged. It follows leaked internal law-enforcement documents showing a significant proportion of prescribed opioids were being diverted, including thr...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more