Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The Liberal government’s Online News Act, which passed in 2023, was designed to help Canadian media, demanding that tech giants pay for the use of content. Google struck a deal, paying $100 million to an assortment of media companies. But Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, refused to pay, figuring that the best way to avoid shelling out cash to the Canadian media was to block it from its platforms. With Meta, the Online News Act massively backfired. Now high-quality, fact-checked journalism is nowhere to be found on Facebook, which is the most popular social media platform in Canada with approximately 30 million users. The internet is a splintered, chaotic cesspool of misinformation, and professional news outlets have a much harder time reaching audiences. Weeks away from the election, voters struggle to separate fact from fiction ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Do BC politicians need to be paid more? I’ll give you a moment to finish yelling “NO!” at your computer screen. It’s okay. Let it out. This is a safe space. Now, let's hear a counterpoint. It comes from Opposition BC Conservative Leader John Rustad: “I’ll put it in very crude terms: You pay peanuts, you get monkeys" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Last month, British Columbia unveiled a new framework that will guarantee First Nations are consulted about mineral claims on their land. It’s a big step forward in bringing BC.’s antiquated mining laws into the 21st century, but as to whether or not it will succeed — the devil will be in the details ... ... as significant as this progress is, it doesn’t come without its challenges. Nearly 7,000 mineral claims per year are registered on average in BC. For First Nations to robustly consult on each claim would be a huge administrative burden. Without an increase in funding, they are likely to be overwhelmed, which could lead to delays and frustrations for all parties involved. One approach could be to allow First Nations to define areas within their territories in which exploration is not acceptable to them. This has the potential to decrease the administrative burden the new framework brings, and reduce uncertainty in the mineral exploitation industry ... CLICK HERE for the fu...

Indigenous leaders are condemning a lawsuit by a group of University of British Columbia (UBC) professors and one graduate student who are against the school making land acknowledgements, along with other  syilx efforts. One syilx Okanagan chief described the legal demands as “attempts to erase syilx Okanagan presence and rights.” Five UBC faculty members — including three professors at the school’s Okanagan campus, as well as a professor and a graduate student at its “Vancouver” campus — filed the petition in the B.C. Supreme Court on April 7, calling for a judge to ban the province’s largest university from engaging in what they called “political activity" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

In Saanich-Gulf Islands, the current election campaign feels much the same as past ones to Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May.  While the Liberal and NDP candidates argue there has been a seismic shift in Canadian politics and they have a good chance of winning this time, it doesn’t seem that way to May ... ... “It’s a two-way race ... between the Conservative Cathie Ounsted and me.” At the same time, May acknowledged, what’s on people’s minds is different this time. “I’ve never experienced so much emotion at the doorstep. People are feeling so anxious. The craziness of Donald Trump, and then the fear factor — which is dissipating as the polls change — of Pierre Poilievre becoming prime minister” ...  CLICK HERE for the full story

Something significant has happened to the NDP vote in this federal election. A party that, for much of the past two years, consistently held between 18% and 20% support now finds itself with just 9% of the committed vote, according to our latest Abacus Data survey conducted from April 7 to 10, 2025. That’s a collapse—one of the most dramatic shifts we’ve seen in this campaign. The last time support for the NDP was this low was way back in the 1990s. Based on our last survey, only about 1 in 3 of those who voted NDP in 2021 would vote for the party again today. Almost half of those voters are now supporting the Liberals. And 1 in 3 of those who self-identify as a New Democrat say they are voting Liberal in this election. It’s almost the reverse of 2011 when millions of Liberal partisans lent Jack Layton and the NDP their votes. In this piece, I want to uncover why this happening ... CLICK HERE for the full story

According to survey data released last week by Pollara, Canadians are evenly split on whether they want this federal election to result in "change" or "stability" — 46 per cent of Canadians want change and 45 per cent want stability. Among those who want change, 47 per cent say Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre would best deliver that change, while 20 per cent said Liberal Leader Mark Carney would. But among those who want stability, 66 per cent say Carney would best deliver it, while 18 per cent said Poilievre. (Dan Arnold, Pollara's chief strategy officer, was director of research for the Trudeau government from 2015 to 2021.) Such numbers might speak to one of the central divides of this election — and explain why Carney's Liberals have staked out a lead with two weeks to go ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Watching Mark Carney lead the Liberals through this election has been weird. I mean, the decades of very public academic and professional thinking that distinguished Carney’s brand seem to have disappeared in a puff of smoke. I first assumed that, besides his well-documented 180 degree turn on carbon tax (and gas pipelines?), there were just a couple of adjustments to better fit the political context. But based in particular on Carney’s ”It’s time to build” website, I now see that the changes go deeper. Much deeper ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The Liberal Party has always done a good job creating a vague sense that they’re the proverbial “adults in the room,” more technocrats than politicians, above the fray, distinct from the Conservatives with their ideological fixations. To people who’ve seen the Liberal machine up close, this is laughable—just ask Jody Wilson-Raybould. But Mark Carney was installed as leader because he is the ultimate avatar of that sense. The blue suit, the calming tone—maybe he actually was a non-ideological “above politics” leader for whom many centrist Canadians pine. So it’s a real mistake that his Liberal Party was caught engaging in the dirtiest, most cynical, least “good government” style campaigning ... CLICK HERE for the full commentary

British Columbia Humans Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender says the province has been illegally detaining some of the province’s most marginalized people using a law that doesn’t actually permit that practice. In a report released last Tuesday she laid out how the Adult Guardianship Act has been used to detain 300 people 340 times over the last five years. The median detention length was six days and the maximum was 212 days, Govender said. Of the 28 people held for more than 30 days, 22 were detained in a hospital, three were detained in Community Living BC staffed resources, two in “other” locations and one in a long-term care facility, according to the report. Nine adults, who were detained between 95 and 34 days, were not given access to counsel ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... to really take off, CentreBC would also need to pick up at least a couple MLAs from the Conservatives who are willing to defect. That would give the party official status at the legislature, additional funding and a presence on the day-to-day political scene ... ... “The reality is the BC Conservatives are the right-of-centre option for people,” Milobar said. “I think that was proved out in the election" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Canada’s political parties are, with alarming ease, abandoning and betraying democratic principles in pursuit of short-term electoral gain. Over the past two years, Canadians have been made painfully aware of the growing threat that foreign interference poses to our democracy. Through persistent media reporting and the findings of Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s inquiry, we have heard and read about how authoritarian regimes such as China, Russia, and Iran seek to coerce and intimidate activists, journalists, and political candidates here in Canada. And yet, despite these glaring warnings, officials responsible for running campaigns for Canada’s leading political parties appear not only to be ignoring these threats — but, in some cases, playing along. In doing so, they cynically erode public trust in themselves, their candidates, and the democratic system they are supposed to defend ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... since its creation in 2018, the Commission has spent over $10 million in public funds organizing two elections’ worth of debates that were charitably described by the Globe and Mail’s Andrew Coyne as “toe-curling cringe worthy.” Readers understandably will have excised from their brains the mental trauma of the 2021 federal “leaders’” debate with its five moderators (including now Liberal candidate Evan Solomon), thirty-second answers, game-show style set, obligatory land acknowledgment ceremony, all funded at taxpayer expense. At Thursday’s English-language debate, we will thankfully be treated to one moderator (TVO’s Steve Paikin) as a result of the Commission reflecting on its past failures, and a total of five party heads on stage ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... on the surface, this election campaign has been fairly uneventful. A lot of change happened before the election formally began. Carney’s Liberals hold a modest lead in vote share over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. But the regional results suggest the Liberals are on track for a majority victory. Jagmeet Singh’s NDP and Yves-François Blanchet’s Bloc Québécois are struggling to find traction. But beneath the horse race, there’s something quite remarkable unfolding—something that points to Carney’s unusually strong popularity across a broad cross-section of Canadian voters ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... unions and labour federations across the country are working to shape the federal election. At the same time, labour’s ability to put its issues on the table is limited. This doesn’t mean that labour is irrelevant or inconsequential in the electoral realm, however. Quite the contrary: Canadian political parties not only want the votes of union members, but also the endorsements of labour leadership. In fact, it’s safe to assume that many decision-makers inside the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP believe union endorsements are a path to union votes. Thus, not only do federal parties and local candidates appeal to working-class voters on an individual basis, but they frequently seek the support of national unions and their locals ... CLICK HERE for the full commentary

It’s been a strange Canadian election campaign, dominated by a politician who isn’t on the ballot, or even a citizen of our country: US President Donald Trump ... ... Two parties, two problems, all Trump. Let’s look at how they have played out – and what the short- and long-term impacts on Canadian politics could be ... CLICK HERE for the full story

BC history shows that the right can't win when it's divided When British Columbia’s newest political party, CentreBC, launched on Thursday, NDP Premier David Eby wished it “the best of luck.” Eby’s well-wishes were no doubt genuine, as BC’s political history shows that any significant vote split on the right has resulted in an NDP government every time ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Think of last week’s BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) conference in Prince George as a swift kick in the Carhartts for our forestry sector ... ... for decades, the U.S. has been Canada’s top trading partner for forest products, but that’s rapidly shifting. Despite lumber producers having to deal with ever present softwood countervailing duties and anti-dumping fees, the US remained our top partner. With the US imposing new tariffs and making trade more difficult, the relationship is no longer as reliable as it once was. The odds are against this situation reversing anytime soon. This harsh reality means Canada needs to find new markets and adjust its approach to forestry. Relying solely on the US is no longer an option ... CLICK HERE for the full story

There have been a lot of polls in the past week (isn’t it wonderful). If you follow me on social media, you will have seen a flurry of new daily entries. While we still see some divergences in the numbers, the overall trends haven’t shifted much since the campaign began. Still, it would be highly imprudent to call this race over—something I’ve been asked many times this past week. Polls show that many voters have changed their minds since January, so it would be foolish to assume those choices are locked in with 14 days and two debates to go ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Two federal party leaders took aim Saturday at Mark Carney, whom polls suggest is the front-runner in the April 28 election, for once again skipping the campaign trail. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet accused the Liberal leader of trying to capitalize on his early momentum by coasting through the opening three weeks of the campaign. "I believe that Mr. Carney is trying to get a free ride," he said at an announcement in Trois-Rivières, Que., alleging the Liberals are trying to "hide him as much as possible." Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking in his own Ottawa riding of Carleton, also accused Carney of "hiding again" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The potential loss of charitable status for religious charities might be the biggest sleeper issue in the federal election. The Liberal government proposed the change and only Conservatives opposed. Last December, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance released Report 21, Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2025 Budget. The 300-page report included Recommendation 429: “ No longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations ” and Recommendation 430: “ Amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of “advancement of religion” as a charitable purpose .” The recommendations shocked religious charities, which are thought to comprise 40 per cent of Canada’s 85,600 charities. Disturbingly, the government neither consulted the affected charities, nor gave them a rational ... CLICK HERE for the full story

This past week, too much of our political speech has slid from protected political speech to straight up treason. With our independence under threat, we must wake up from our childish slumber, protected first by Mother Britain, who’s since moved on, and now our American dad has gotten into the pill bottles and is believing everything he reads on Truth Social. It’s time for us to grow up.   Like most Canadians, I was relieved when Prime Minister Carney took a hard line with President Trump. Demanding that the United States treat our country and its leaders with, if not actual respect, at least the show of respect, helps smooth over the cracks and potholes that appear in diplomatic relations.   At least, it did in the days when diplomacy meant embassies and ministers, not Twitter and social media influencers.   But it’s clear that the drive towards the annexation of Canada is underway. The arbitrary and reality-unmoored trade war the United States began with Canada and Mexi...

The section on firearms is designed to appeal to the ignorant. Honestly, I read the section on guns and I laughed. I laughed because Mark Carney and the Liberals have no idea how the Firearms Act works and rather than get a briefing on it, they just spew garbage. Automatically revoking gun licenses for people convicted of violent crimes, particularly when those crimes include intimate partner violence . Well that is already in the Firearms Act. Anyone that is arrested for any serious crime gets their PAL/RPAL suspended. The police already confiscate people's firearms in that instance and even when a firearms owner is found not guilty they have to apply to the court to get their license reinstated and their firearms back. That doesn't always happen. Passing legislation making the RCMP responsible for classifying new firearm models rather than the gun industry. The Liberals passed amendments giving the RCMP that power 2 years ago. Are the Liberals even aware o...

Former MLA Karin Kirkpatrick has launched a new political party, Centre BC, after abandoning attempts to get Kevin Falcon to step down as leader of BC United, formerly BC Liberals. Kirkpatrick said she was left politically homeless when Falcon withdrew BC United from last year's provincial election campaign — and so were many political centrists like her ... "We've seen so much divisive conversation in politics over the last year … a lot of people in British Columbia were looking for an alternative that was more balanced" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Political scientists are predicting a “white knuckle” federal election night with “major upheavals” on Vancouver Island. They see the possibility of a Liberal surge edging out some NDP incumbents or vote-splitting that delivers victory to the Conservatives. “I think there’s going to be a lot of upsets,” said Michael Prince, the University of Victoria’s acting dean of human and social development. Of the seven federal electoral districts on ­Vancouver Island, Prince said, ridings to watch include ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The election campaign is in full swing now. I am sure that you are being bombarded with the daily minutiae of the campaign. As I said earlier, in this Newsletter, I will keep focused on important issues that are, sadly, relegated to the background in the hubbub of the campaign. This reminds me of the words of former Prime Minister Kim Campbell during the 1993 election: “ An election is not the time to discuss major issues ” (or words to that effect). She took – and continues to take – a lot of flak for this remark, but unfortunately, she was right on target; her only fault was that she spoke the unmentionable. With that preface, let us take a look at the issue of energy today. Liberal leader Mark Carney, having earlier made contradictory statements on the topic of oil and gas pipelines, has now settled for using the expression ‘energy corridor’. He persists with this usage even when the reporter’s question is squarely focused on the pipelines. This is, to use a colloqui...

As if to hammer the point home from yesterday that there isn’t any disagreement in the polls, the three trackers this morning all converged around very similar results. The new numbers from Nanos Research, Liaison Strategies and Mainstreet Research (the three pollsters putting out daily, rolling three-day surveys) show the Liberals with between 44% and 45% support, the Conservatives between 38% and 40% and the NDP with between 6% and 9%. Compared to the polls each of these firms conducted three days ago (representing samples independent from today’s releases), we see an average shift of zero points for the Liberals, zero points for the Conservatives and zero points for the New Democrats ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

BC’s Health Minister is holding firm on the government’s timelines when it comes to building the Kamloops cancer care centre. “I don’t think the people in Kamloops want to wait years to get that cancer care,” said Health Minister Josie Osborne during a Budget Estimates session in the Legislature on Wednesday, where she was confronted on the impending facility’s design and equipment by Kamloops-Centre MLA Peter Milobar ... ... the Minister of Health is maintaining her government’s position, despite pressure from the Thompson Regional Hospital District board, as well as the two Kamloops MLA’s, who are calling for the construction to be put on pause to allow a re-design for a PET/CT scanner ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took aim at his Liberal opponent Thursday over his handling of the Canada-U.S. relationship, saying Mark Carney has so far "failed" to secure any tariff relief for Canada, even as other countries get something of a break. Carney, meanwhile, said U.S. President Donald Trump's much-maligned "reciprocal" tariffs never applied to Canada in the first place, and he has agreed to sit down with the Americans right after this election — if he wins — to negotiate a comprehensive new economic and security agreement. Despite stating no Canadian leader can control Trump, Poilievre also said he will work to "end the tariffs on Day 1 after the next election" if he wins ... CLICK HERE to access the Newsletter

The latest seat projections from Nanos Research have put Mark Carney’s Liberals in minority government territory – down 17 ridings from the previous week. According to the organization, the Liberals would have taken at least 156 seats if the election were held April 6, when the projections were prepared. That’s down from 173 seats in the last projections from March 30. Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, meanwhile, would have won at least 114 ridings, up eight from the previous projections ... CLICK HERE for the full story

John Rustad, the leader of the British Columbia Conservative party, participates in a discussion at the Canada Strong and Free Network Conference in Ottawa. The conversation is moderated by Kory Teneycke, co-founder and CEO of Rubicon Strategy Inc. CLICK HERE to access the video / audio

Over the last 9 years, excluding the Pandemic, the federal government's deficit went from $2.9 billion in 2015 to $61.9 billion in 2024. We're going to exclude the Pandemic spending because that was the time governments are supposed to spend big.    Ottawa did that in 2020 and 2021. What it did not do was wind down spending in 2022. Instead, Ottawa added new government programs for things like school lunch programs, Dental Care, National Day Care, housing programs, and now Pharmacare over the last few years. Pharmacare is just starting to unfold.    All of these programs cost money and over time they cost more as they grow adding new beneficiaries. The Federal government's deficit is rapidly rising and there are no signs it is going to peak anytime soon. In December 2024 Chrystia Freeland resigned the day she was to give the Fall Economic Update. That story buried the news on the deficit for most part. A deficit that was to be held to $40 billio...