Thoughts on BC Politics and More

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Alberta’s finance minister is set to table the 2024 budget on Thursday afternoon. Premier Danielle Smith has warned that the province will need to show restraint in this year’s budget. In a paid televised address last week, Smith said lower resource revenues and the volatile price of oil and gas have prompted the government to think of a long-term strategic financial plan to have a “stable, balanced budget” . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

. . . . Sharon Hartwell is not afraid to go up against a veteran representative of the area. Stikine NDP MLA Nathan Cullen has held the position since 2022 but prior to that was the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley from 2004 until 2019. “I’m not concerned about Nathan, he has his policies and his politics and that’s fine. That’s his voice. That’s his concern. Mine is different,” she said. “So people will have to make that choice. But I’m not going to make this over NDP or whatever. This is about the people in the riding. They’re going to make that choice” . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

The BC United are voicing concerns over cuts to the provincial eyecare program. MLA for Prince George-Valemount Shirley Bond raised the issue in the legislature Tuesday, after receiving a letter from a resident in her riding that is at risk of going blind. The letter from Prince George resident Christina Watts, enrolled in the province’s Retinal Disease Treatment Program, was informed by her ophthalmologist that coverage for eye injections to treat wet-macular degeneration would be significantly reduced, and she should have to pay out-of-pocket for the treatments . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

Expanding MAiD to the mentally ill takes us down a slippery slope, critics warn Canada is already too far down the slippery slope with regard to medically assisted dying and should aim for “living with dignity” as opposed to “dying with dignity,” say proponents of more compassionate alternatives for the mentally ill and other vulnerable populations. The Liberal government’s latest move – the introduction of Bill C-62 to postpone for three years the decision to introduce a contentious bill to expand MAiD to people on the sole basis of mental illness – is seen as a reprieve by stakeholders. Bill C-62 has passed its third reading in the House of Commons, but those opposing the expansion insist it would be far better to scrap the expansion altogether and not to open the door to medically assisted dying solely on the basis of mental illness. The proposed delay was recommended by a report of the Special Joint Committee on MAiD tabled on Jan. 29, 2024. Chaired by Senator Yonah Mar

Citing everything from troop shortages to dwindling ammunition stocks to aging equipment and technology, a growing number of current and former defence officials are raising alarms about the state of the Canadian military. Even by its own estimates, only 61 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces is considered ready for operations, according to the most recent data(opens in a new tab). In an increasingly volatile world, some say that's serious cause for concern. "On the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces, I'd characterize it as it's in decline somewhat precipitously and in a bit of a vicious circle," Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) retired lieutenant-general Christopher Coates said in an interview with CTV News . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

  French explorer and father of New France Samuel de Champlain attacked for being 'too colonial' By Gerry Bowler Cancel culture has come calling again, and another Canadian hero finds his reputation in peril from attacks by ultra-woke public employees. This time it is Samuel de Champlain (1567-1635), whom readers may remember from their high school history lessons as a French explorer and cartographer of the eastern seaboard and St Lawrence Valley, penetrating as far into the interior as Lake Huron. He pioneered the French settlement of Acadia, founded Quebec City and Trois Rivieres, and created a vast trading network with First Nations with whom he had good relations. He spoke Indigenous languages, adopted three Indigenous children and wrote the first ethnographies of the Montagnais people. Champlain defended Quebec against the English and against those back home in France who wished there to be no colonial settlement but only a fur trading enterprise in those land

Since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office in 2015, Canada's foreign policy towards Cuba has been marked by inconsistency and a lack of action in defending the human rights of a people whom the Canadian government considers "friends." Despite Trudeau's claims to defend democracy in other parts of the world, such as Venezuela, Belarus, Ukraine, his government does not uphold the same standard when it comes to Cuba . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

. . . . The way the school district, the RCMP and the MCFD responded to the assault allegations horrified Claire and her husband. The ministry, for example, insisted Bailey be questioned without their parents present — something Claire and their husband were unwilling to do because Bailey was already struggling with anxiety and being away from their parents, especially Claire. When Bailey initially disclosed the assault to Claire, they said they wanted to keep it private. Claire and her husband were concerned that placing Bailey into an interview alone with the MCFD to recount the assault would exacerbate the child’s trauma. The parents wanted to be there to provide emotional support to their child if they needed it . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story