Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Don’t bet on John Rustad going away any time soon, despite the B.C. Conservative party chaos and his leadership failures. Rustad has lost five MLAs in eight months and resorted to desperate tactics like searching phones to identify dissidents. Last week the party’s management committee — the directors responsible for day-to-day operations — asked Rustad to resign so a leadership contest could be held. And this week an Angus Reid poll found 48 per cent of the people who voted Conservative in last October’s election think he should resign ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The BC Greens have unveiled a proposal for bold tax reforms for the province, including a controversial inheritance tax, tax increases for the ultra-wealthy, and a review of the popular property-tax deferral program. They were among what they called seven “viable pathways” for the BC government to raise revenue to address the provincial deficit. “It’s time for the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share,” leader Emily Lowan said at a news conference ... CLICK HERE for the full story

“…at this rate, no one is going to have a job in this industry because forestry will have completely collapsed.” This week, the provincial government of NDP Premier David Eby made more announcements about their ‘so-called’ commitment to BC’s forestry sector. The problem, however, is that they’re still failing to address the very real problems at hand. “ They can make all of the announcements they want, including the latest, which the provincial government says will shift approval for special use permits from the ministerial level to district managers. This, they say, will make it easier for permit holders to carry out deactivation and remediation activities on Crown land ,” stated Conservative forestry critic Ward Stamer “T o put it bluntly, ‘Big Deal’. What about speeding up the approval process for cutting timber, instead of it taking upwards of three years ?” While the NDP government promised mills they would have 45 million cubic meters of fibre this year, they are actually on targ...

The Conservative and NDP caucuses are grappling with what to do about the upcoming federal budget and whether they want to be part of an effort to trigger an election by voting it down, multiple sources told CBC News. Senior Conservative sources say the party's leadership does not want an election right now, but they are also opposed to voting for the new Liberal government's first budget given the potential reputational risk of backing Prime Minister Mark Carney and an agenda they simply don't support. A Conservative source says speculation about the Liberals potentially losing the budget vote is “not contrived” as, at this time, there are not enough votes for it to pass in the House after it is tabled on Tuesday ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

The Conservative Official Opposition is calling on David Eby’s NDP government to provide Surrey’s hospital patients with the kind of care that patients in other parts of the province routinely expect. A new survey of 83 hospitals in Canada ranks Surrey Memorial Hospital in 83rd position, based on over 1,500 Google reviews from patients and family members.  In contrast, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver is ranked number one, while St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver is ranked number five. Both Vancouver General and Lions Gate Hospital rank in the top 10 for patient satisfaction. “David Eby and his government put hospital patients first,” provided that they live in Vancouver or the North Shore,” said Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island and Conservative Official Opposition Health Critic. “Surrey patients go to the very back of the line, 83rd position, to be exact.” “Scathing comments -  in over 1,500 Google reviews - tell us the real story about what’s going on at Surrey Memoria...

Canada’s federal lobbying commissioner and the RCMP are under new scrutiny from a national transparency watchdog demanding to know whether the lobbying regulator has concealed rulings in nine violations that were referred to the Mounties — and later quietly sent back without prosecution — in a wide range of cases from the ArriveCAN procurement imbroglio to the explosive SNC-Lavalin affair, in which a former attorney general told the RCMP they could look at criminal obstruction charges. The allegations relate to testimony now before a Parliamentary ethics committee, which has revived long-standing concerns from critics about Canada’s politically appointed watchdogs — and about the RCMP itself. Framing his most pointed suggestion — that the RCMP may be politically neutered ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

In the 1990s, the term medical assistance in dying was not used prominently to discuss the possibility of individuals requesting help to end their life due to specific circumstances. We were more likely to be exposed to descriptions such as physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, particularly after the highly publicized incarceration of Dr. Jack Kevorkian in the United States. Since June 2016, Canada has had federal regulations to allow for medical assistance in dying. Nine years later, Canadians do not appear to be particularly upset about the guidelines ... ... the issue becomes more polarizing when the “on demand” element is introduced. While almost three in five Canadians (58 per cent, unchanged) think medical assistance in dying should be permitted, but only under specific circumstances, there are sizeable shifts in the two more extreme views ... CLICK HERE for the full story

There are 86 lawyers listed on the first page of the reasons for judgment in the BC Supreme Court decision on the Cowichan Tribes’ Aboriginal title case. So right off the bat, you know that the monumental decision on the 11-year-old case is not the end of the matter. The Cowichan were represented by 25 lawyers. The federal government used 17, the Musqueam Band had 14, BC supplied 11, Vancouver Port Authority had eight, Richmond had seven, and the Tsawwassen First Nation had four. The first response of all seven parties involved in the case was to appeal. So the conclusion isn’t really a conclusion at all. It’s going to take years before the issues raised in the decision are even addressed, let alone resolved ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

Teachers say new Cedar Hill Middle School is too small and already full -- teachers’ union has filed a grievance with the Greater Victoria School District alleging violations of class-size and composition limits.  Teachers say the newly opened Cedar Hill Middle School was built too small and is already full ...  CLICK HERE for the full story

Confidential government deals worth billions of dollars to help fund a Stellantis-backed electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont., carry dozens of conditions that, if violated, give federal officials the power to end the agreements and even force repayment in some cases, according to copies obtained by CBC Windsor. It is unclear, however, if the contracts contain guarantees related to the company’s broader footprint in Canada, as elected officials have claimed. Some portions of the documents are redacted, so the full terms of the agreements are unknown ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

In a speech last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney repeated a line he had used to great effect earlier this year: “This decades-long process of an ever-closer economic relationship with the United States is now over.” As a consequence, he went on to say, “Our goal for Canada is to double our non-U.S. exports over the course of the next decade,” from roughly $300 billion today. And as if to reinforce the point, President Trump (though seemingly in response to an innocuous TV ad by Ontario) ended all trade negotiations with Canada the next day and increased the tariff on some of our exports by 10 percent. There has been no shortage of analysts unpacking whether doubling non-U.S. exports might be possible. Unlike much of what has already been written, though, I tend to think the goal is easy. Yes, easy. But in terms of boosting Canada’s economy, it won’t do much ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Canada’s heavy reliance on energy trade with the United States and its limited interprovincial connections come at a growing cost to Canadians. A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute argues that now is the time to integrate the country’s electrical grids. In “ Powering the Federation: A Blueprint for National Electricity Integration in Canada ,” Madeleine McPherson outlines how Canada can establish governance structures and processes to create a more integrated electricity grid. With climate and trade uncertainties on the horizon, the report calls for timely proactive leadership to strengthen Canada’s internal electricity links. “Wind is one of Canada’s cheapest energy sources,” says McPherson, associate professor at the University of Victoria. “Not only would integration allow provinces to avoid costly overbuilding by prioritizing efficient wind locations, hydro power could also perfectly complement it by providing steady output when the wind isn’t blowing.” A more i...

Canada’s combative trade tactics are backfiring By Sylvain Charlebois The real threat to Canadian exporters isn’t U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, it’s Ottawa and Queen’s Park’s reckless diplomacy. The latest tariff hike, whether triggered by Ontario’s anti-tariff ad campaign or not, is only a symptom. The deeper problem is Canada’s escalating loss of credibility at the trade table. Washington’s move to raise duties from 35 per cent to 45 per cent on non-CUSMA imports (goods not covered under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, the successor to NAFTA) reflects a diplomatic climate that is quickly souring, with very real consequences for Canadian exporters. Some analysts argue that a 10-point tariff increase is inconsequential. It is not. The issue isn’t just what is being tariffed; it is the tone of the relationship. Canada is increasingly seen as erratic and reactive, negotiating from emotion rather than strategy. That kind of reputation is dangerous when dealin...