Thoughts on BC Politics and More

While Kevin Falcon flounders, John Rustad and the Conservative Party of BC have been clear from the beginning—focused on affordability, public safety, and rebuilding our healthcare system to serve the needs of British Columbians. The problem is clear, and so is the solution. Under David Eby’s NDP, drug users are being warehoused alongside seniors in care homes, cancer patients are forced to seek private care across the border, and rent has doubled. Unsurprisingly, half of British Columbians aged 18-34, and 2 in 5 of those aged 35-54, are considering leaving the province because they can no longer afford to live in the NDP’s broken welfare state. Enough is enough. We need to reform our healthcare system by cutting the bureaucratic bloat and ensuring that resources are directed to front-line care and patient outcomes. Instead of expanding layers of administration, we need to invest in doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals who are actually delivering the care British Columbians

  J ohn Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia, and Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey South and Conservative Party of British Columbia candidate for Surrey-Cloverdale, are furious over the latest revelations about the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain project. This $2 billion blowout is an absolute disgrace. It’s a direct result of this government’s gross incompetence The Government of British Columbia has now confirmed that the project’s cost has surged to a staggering $6 billion—an outrageous 50% increase from the original $3.94 billion estimate. Worse still, the project’s completion has been delayed to late 2029, a full year beyond the already delayed timeline. Rustad minced no words in his condemnation: “This $2 billion blowout is an absolute disgrace. It’s a direct result of this government’s gross incompetence and inability to manage even the most basic aspects of a major infrastructure project. British Columbians should be outraged. The NDP has failed our province on ev

Every now and again I have a quick chat with someone I greatly respect, and who has been involved in centre-right BC politics for many years. I think the following brief conversation is worth repeating, and so, here it is. Note, their name is being held confidential – I’m going to call them Sam. Sam: Yesterday we had the “Chicken in every pot” strategy announcement. It is a seductive fantasy for a certain cohort! Me: That's very astute on your part, that’s exactly what it is. The trouble with this new announcement from Kevin Falcon is that he has no idea what the state of the provinces' finances will be -- other than worse than the NDP is acknowledging. Kevin knows that. On top of that, he's already said he'll balance the budget first term. That's one heck of a hit to the treasury. For a former provincial Finance Minister, this is a very reckless promise to make . Sam: The campaign has taken on a quasi-US style since Mark took over…attack ads and a million promise

  The ongoing debate surrounding British Columbia’s approach to drug addiction treatment, particularly its emphasis on harm reduction, has become increasingly contentious. While proponents of harm reduction argue  it aims to minimize the negative consequences of drug use without necessarily requiring abstinence—through measures like safe injection sites and the provision of safe supply drugs such as prescription heroin— this strategy is clearly falling short. The alarming statistics speak for themselves with overdose deaths in B.C. skyrocketing from around 200 per year in the early 2000s to over 2,500 in 2023. This troubling trend suggests harm reduction alone is not sufficient to address the growing opioid crisis. Despite the extensive implementation of harm reduction policies, the continued rise in overdose deaths indicates these measures may not adequately tackle the root causes of addiction or provide a clear path to recovery. The absolute failure of the so-called ‘safe supply’ n