Thoughts on BC Politics and More

In the wake of Finance Minister Brenda Bailey’s recent remarks previewing a “tough budget” and acknowledging B.C. “can’t have the accumulation of debt continue,” the B.C. Conservative Caucus is calling out years of reckless NDP spending that have driven the province into record deficits and a crushing debt burden.  Debt has exploded under Premier David Eby. When Eby took office in 2022/23, provincial debt was $89.4 billion. It is now projected to top $155 billion this fiscal year—an increase of roughly 75% in just three years.  Despite this massive run-up in spending and debt, life has gotten harder for British Columbians. As the Minister says it is “time to make difficult decisions to secure our future and protect critical services,” people are facing the consequences of this government’s choices.  “The numbers show that nearly every aspect of life in British Columbia has gotten harder under the NDP government, despite unprecedented spending,” said Peter Milobar, MLA for...

How do we decide who’s blue enough to be a Conservative? AS OF TODAY (Friday January 30 th ), there are now eight individuals who have put their names forward to lead the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Having been involved with BC’s Conservatives since 2010, and having seen MANY ups and downs, having 8 people say “I want to lead the party” is to me, an incredible turn-around from the past. Sadly, however, it seems that our party cannot seem to shake what I, and others, call a purity test of ‘what is a Conservative’. And that seems to have already come to the forefront of the campaign by a couple of candidates. Let me just say as a Conservative Party of BC member, and as someone active in the party, that frustrates me to no end. Conservatives, more than any other political philosophy or belief, at least to me, seems to have the widest and broadest spectrum of ideals.   For the most part, they are anchored by these central thoughts --- smaller and less intru...

Fear of repercussions is driving moderates away from participating in public debate in Alberta Democracy in Alberta is eroding not because extremists are loud, but because too many people who consider themselves reasonable, moderate and pragmatic have gone silent. Too many Albertans in the political middle ground assume that staying quiet, staying neutral or staying out of politics preserves civility. It does not. Silence is accelerating the decay of democratic culture in this province. Politics and democracy are inseparable. To disengage from politics is to weaken democracy itself. Voting every four years is not enough. Democracy requires ongoing participation, public expression and civic courage between elections. The political middle ground in Alberta once anchored civil discourse. It was a space where disagreement was tempered by respect, humility and reason. That middle ground is now eroding beneath our feet. It is fracturing, fragmenting and being paved over by polariza...