Thoughts on BC Politics and More

IMAGE CREDIT : Govt of BC   While it’s a “ No ” to SOGI for me, the issue has returned to the forefront of political conversation, as the Conservative Party of BC continue the process of electing a new party leader. The pro-SOGI argument sounds compelling on the surface, but it leaves out a key reality that people aren’t reacting to SOGI because they “ don’t understand it ,” they’re reacting because they see how it’s actually being applied in classrooms and feel they’ve been left out of the conversation. Saying SOGI is “ just about belonging ” oversimplifies it. In practice, it’s not just posters and storybooks. There have been real examples in BC where parents raised concerns about age appropriateness and transparency. School districts have used SOGI resources that go beyond basic anti bullying and move into identity-based discussions that some parents feel should be introduced at home first, not assumed by the system.  For example, the issue of parental notification around g...

Where was this Pierre Poilievre during the 2025 campaign? I have listened to Pierre Poilievre for years, going back to his early days in Stephen Harper's government. I've written many times that he is a great orator. Tom Mulcair has said the same thing. But during the 2025 campaign we had a guy that lacked passion most of the time, sure he had a few moments, but at times he seemed completely out of place. His Leaders' Debate performance was weak and considering it was against Jagmeet Singh, an average orator, and a novice in Mark Carney he should have won outright. He came up short in that debate with a lackluster non-Poilievre caliber performance. Hearing that he did the Joe Rogan podcast I was apprehensive. I didn't expect much. Let me just say, the opening lines on MAiD and depression were terrible and showed two men speaking on a topic they clearly did not understand. So that was a bad start for me. Full disclosure: I have a relative that suffe...

Image Credit:   Provincial Agricultural Land Commission     The Conservative Official Opposition says job cuts announced yesterday (03/23) at British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Commission are going to hurt working farmers and farm families who need timely decisions from government to stay in business.   “Farmers tell me it can sometimes take forever to get an answer from the Agricultural Land Commission,” said Ian Paton, MLA for Delta South and Conservative Critic for Agriculture and Food. “I’m worried that these cuts will take away front-line staff and make the whole process even slower than it already is.” “If farmers need to make an application - whether it’s for a new barn, or a second dwelling to keep a second generation working on the farm – they rely on the Commission to make a decision in a reasonable time frame. At a time when farming is already in dire straits, why would you be making it tougher to carry on?” “Agriculture needs all the help it can ge...

This morning, I shared information regarding a new Mainstreet Research poll of BC Conservative members that shows two candidates are basically neck-and-neck in support to become the next leader of the party. The poll shows Caroline Elliott with 21.2 percent support, closely followed by Peter Milobar at 20.8 percent. Iain Black, in this poll, is a distant third with just 8.4 percent support. After seeing and reading the story, Chelsea Meadus had this to say: The weighted vote means it really might not matter who is popular. The 3rd place winner could win as leader; that’s how Andrew Wilkinson won. If this vote goes three rounds. People need to understand how the vote works.  For me the most important factor is someone who currently is NOT an MLA. The infighting and lack of unity requires an outsider. The lack of training is really impacting some riding’s. Some of these new MLAs have no idea what they are doing, and nobody is noticing except their voters. Someone who is already in t...

For years, the NDP has been focused on the wrong priorities. Ideology in the classroom. Eroding standards. Letter grades cancelled. Parents shut out of decisions that directly affect their children. And teachers, good teachers who just want to teach, being sidelined by politics. The result? Kids who are falling behind in reading, writing, and math at the very moment when we need them to be more globally competitive. And a school system that has forgotten what it’s there to do. That changes under my government. Back to Basics   Every child deserves to leave school able to read, write, and do math at grade level. Under my government, that is the starting point not an afterthought.  I will refocus BC schools on reading, writing, math, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). I will bring back real report cards with letter grades. I will reinstate mandatory standardized testing so we can actually measure results. And I will restore safe classrooms focused on a...

Yes, I’m ready to lead on Day One. Not only because I hold a seat in the legislature, which is important, but because the days following winning the election are critically important to the survival of our province.  You may have seen a poll lately that shows that I am the only leadership candidate who will form a majority government and defeat the NDP. I’m humbled to hear that. Rather than get complacent, I'm reminded of the responsibility I bear to you, and to every British Columbian. Seeing that poll reminds me that simply winning this leadership race, and even becoming Premier, isn’t good enough. Because British Columbians like you deserve more than just a Conservative government. You deserve a Conservative government with a plan for the future, and that’s exactly what my message today is all about. The first 100 days will be critical when conservatives like you and I win back our government. We will have to move FAST, with determination, confidence and disciplined execu...