Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Amid increasing demand for power generation, British Columbia's energy minister says the province remains committed to expanding the power-intensive hydrogen industry. When used in a fuel cell, hydrogen can produce power for transportation and heating, without emitting harmful byproducts like nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matter. The provincial and federal governments both hope the element can offer a low-emissions alternative to fossil fuels, and have made significant investments in hydrogen production in BC ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The BC government doesn’t like the pace of housing development in its cities. The Alberta government thinks anyone running for office in its two biggest cities should have the option to form a political party, even though neither Calgary nor Edmonton have asked for the ability. The Ontario government doesn’t like Toronto’s bike lanes. In all three of these provinces, the senior level of government has decided to address these issues by passing legislation outranking municipalities to force the outcome they want ... CLICK HERE for the full story

According to a mandate from the British Columbia government, 90 per cent of new vehicle sales in the province must be electric by 2030 and 100 per cent must be electric by 2035. This is impractical. The provincial government stands to lose hundreds of millions in revenue. Not only is it subsidizing electric vehicle (EV) purchases, but it will also forfeit significant income from fuel taxes, which could amount to nearly $1 billion annually. Attempting to recover these losses with a per-kilometre-driven tax on EVs would likely result in a backlash from owners and discourage new buyers ... CLICK HERE for the full story

  That's a silly question. He would never do that. No party leader would do that.   Except, he's now sat there for two weeks, over two weeks actually, heading into three, mulling his future.   He's heard the calls to resign going back to August when the by-election defeats rolled in. He told the party he would carefully consider their words and that he'd talk to them about his future. If anyone paid attention the Liberal MPs got their answer not directly from Trudeau, but instead the media when he told the media he was staying on.   Trudeau never had any intention of resigning in the fall.    Why might he be taking his time?   The first possibility is that he's seeing what golden parachute is being prepared for him. Don't kid yourself, the Liberal Party of Canada can grease wheels like no one else. Trudeau expects a career after politics that sounds important and pays well. A token role on a few boards at some large companies, along wit...

“ One thing is abundantly clear – the NDP government of David Eby simply does not want to be transparent, or accountable, to the people of BC ”, stated Kamloops – North Thompson Conservative MLA Ward Stamer, after receiving the 2025 legislative calendar. “ Sixty-seven days, that’s how long the BC Legislature will be in session this year, and remember, the legislature hasn’t been in session since last May ”, Stamer continued. For months now BC’s Conservatives have been bringing up concerns about one crisis after the other, including healthcare, housing, and affordability. “ The forest industry that so many people depend on, in communities through-out my riding and in my other areas of rural BC, is on the verge of collapse. Meantime, the NDP continue their extended vacation .” Stamer observed that Premier Eby’s government appears to believe they can change policies and regulations without the legislation and laws needed to make change possible. One example is the new wind power generatio...

... about 1,300 of the 1,500 non-compliant cases stemmed from public complaints, Kahlon said. The ramped-up enforcement comes as the province is preparing to launch a registry of all short-term rentals in BC. The registry will require platforms such as Airbnb to remove listings that have not registered with the province ... (Gavin Dew) said the tourism sector has suffered as there are not enough hotel rooms in places such as Kelowna and many people cannot afford the high rates they charge. Short-term rentals had been used to help fill the gaps CLICK HERE for the full story

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland has been calling Liberal MPs in the wake of her bombshell resignation that preceded the latest and biggest wave of pressure so far on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down. Several MPs, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Star that Freeland has reached out and spoken to them in recent days. While the MPs said Freeland did not bring up the Liberal leadership, one of them felt the calls were connected to a potential leadership run, while another said they were “impressed” by the outreach ... CLICK HERE for the full story

BC's housing minister is vowing to continue forcing local approval of new housing projects, even after a surprising loss in the province’s top court. Ravi Kahlon said he’s frustrated by a BC Court of Appeal decision that ruled provincial legislation was unconstitutional when it tried to override a judicial challenge to a 12-storey supportive housing project in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood ... ... Kitsilano Coalition for Children & Family Safety, a neighbourhood group that challenged the province in court, celebrated the win. “The 7th/8th & Arbutus project, as proposed, would have placed 129 units of low-barrier supportive housing, including an in-house drug consumption room, a mere 17 metres from an elementary school with 450 children, a successful women's recovery home, and a toddler park. This is simply not a recipe for success” ... CLICK HERE for the full story

       BC Government photo More than 600 residents of Harrop and Glade, B.C. face the prospect of being cut off from essential services as a looming ferry strike threatens their livelihoods and well-being. Pete Davis, Conservative MLA for Kootenay Rockies is calling on the local NDP MLA for Kootenay Central and Minister of Rural Services, Brittny Anderson, to put rural communities first. “ This isn’t just about logistics; it’s about the people who depend on this ferry to access food, work, and critical services ,” Davis said. “ The residents of Harrop and Glade deserve leadership. Their local MLA and Minister must stand up for them and ensure their voices are heard .” Davis is urging the government to take swift action to bring both sides together and prioritize a resolution that avoids further disruption. “ It’s time for the government to lead, support rural communities, and secure a fair deal for everyone involved ,” Davis added. Harman Bhangu,...

The latest Angus Reid poll indicates that the Liberals have the support of just 16% of decided and leaning voters, which provides further fuel for speculation about Trudeau’s departure. But, so far, he hasn’t budged and, frankly, even if he were to walk away tomorrow, he has waited so long that there is likely very little any other leader could do to turn things around. Trudeau’s insistence on staying, despite personal approval ratings that would normally be enough to serve as the writing on the wall, owes to the fact that although the party bears the Liberal name, it has been Justin Trudeau’s party for years now. No one is going to kick him out of his own house, even when it is in chaos ... ... Trudeau won the leadership by a landslide in the spring of 2013 and brought the Liberals to a majority government only two and a half years later. He did this by taking the hollowed husk of the Liberal Party and using it as a foundation to build a personal political movement ... CLICK HERE for...

... many players involved in Canada’s surrogacy industry call surrogacy a beautiful act of altruism that helps prospective parents — domestic and international — build their families in novel ways. But many also say surrogates should be compensated for their services, given the hardships and risks they take on. Others say surrogacy — either paid or altruistic — exploits women and children and should be banned altogether. “Of course, the industry will say that everything is fine, everything is perfect,” said Ghislaine Gendron, who leads the Canadian arm of the global feminist group Women’s Declaration International. But surrogacy harms both the surrogates and the babies themselves, Gendron says, noting babies are separated from their birth mothers without their consent ... CLICK HERE for the full story. NOTE ... free registration required to access story

British Columbia's newly appointed environment minister Tamara Davidson has announced that in 2025, she will take time to deliberate on the future of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) project. Premier David Eby and the NDP government must see the big picture and seize the opportunity to push through its approval, which, as the leader of the government, he is fully capable of doing. Greenlighting PRGT would add a valuable piece of infrastructure for the province and help position BC as a leader in diversifying trade and exports away from the United States ... CLICK HERE for the the full story

The province of BC claims buyers of massive debt-ridden real estate projects are trying to dodge millions in property transfer taxes through a unique financial mechanism supposedly designed only for "exceptional circumstances." With cash-strapped developers facing stiff economic headwinds, the province wants Canada's top court to weigh in on the increased use of so-called "reverse vesting orders" in insolvency proceedings — claiming both the public purse and Indigenous consultation are at stake ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The much-vaunted “energy transition” that promised a great leap forward from fossil fuels to renewables along with a cornucopia of technologies is now struggling with history and complexity. A few facts tell the story. Despite all the talk of “decarbonization,” global coal production reached a record high in 2023. The dirtiest of fuels accounts for 26 per cent of the world’s total energy consumption. And despite all the promises of a green revolution, oil, gas and coal still account for 82 per cent of the global energy mix ... CLICK HERE for the full story

A new year brings fresh hope and opportunity, but also rising costs. Canada’s inflation rate is just under two per cent, after peaking at 8.1 per cent in June 2022. Compared with the past three years, cost-of-living hikes should slow down in 2025. But prices for goods and services will still rise. Here is a look at some increased costs for British Columbians this year ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Canada's federal government is changing course on immigration with a wave of tighter caps on newcomers and new rules for permanent and non-permanent residents. The changes come after years of accelerated population growth, a trend Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has attributed to increased immigration to address labour shortages during Canada's COVID-19 recovery ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The year 2025 will be a good one for Canadians.  Our dysfunctional Liberal government signed off for their Christmas vacation with their house in shambles: a disappearing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who may or may not resign when he returns to Parliament in the new year; a defiant former deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, whose resignation delivered a near-fatal blow to Trudeau’s leadership; a liberal caucus on the verge of revolt; and Trudeau’s self-serving New Democratic lapdog, Jagmeet Singh, finally within finger’s reach of the coveted pension that has held Canada hostage to his avarice for far too long. It’s all finally coming undone ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Deaths related to drug overdoses have declined nine per cent in BC over the past year. But experts says it’s unclear whether the falling numbers signal a trend, or simply a dip, while the reason behind the decline is also unknown. Data released by the BC Coroners Service this month show 1,925 people died in drug overdoses in the first 10 months of 2024, a nine per cent reduction over the same period last year ... declines across multiple jurisdictions point to the possibility that what B.C. is seeing is part of a larger downward trend, unlike previous drops, which weren’t sustained, said Dr. Alexis Crabtree, a public health physician with the BC Centre for Disease Control. But differences in the drug supply — and differences in approaches to drug use — between cities and regions across North America have made it difficult for experts to pinpoint a specific cause for the decline ... CLICK HERE for the full story