Thoughts on BC Politics and More

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...

New data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)shows weakening business confidence in British Columbia and rising cost pressures across the board. “Business confidence in BC is weak, barely above neutral, and moving in the wrong direction,” said Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna–Mission and Critic for Jobs, Economic Development, Innovation and AI. “At the exact moment small businesses are struggling, this government continues to kick them while they’re down with higher taxes and more red tape.” CFIB data shows 74% of small businesses in BC identify tax and regulatory costs as a major challenge, alongside rising pressures from insurance, wages, and energy. “Tax and regulatory costs are a major burden on small businesses, and this government keeps making red tape and taxes worse,” said Dew. “Insurance is also one of the top pressures, reflecting the real public safety challenges businesses are dealing with every day.” The report also points to weakening demand, declining bu...

A new poll finds that 78% of British Columbians say the BC Supreme Court’s Cowichan decision will hurt BC’s economy by undermining property rights. The decision granted Aboriginal title over approximately 800 acres of private land in Richmond – including farms, small businesses, and individual homes. Opposition crosses every region and every political party. The poll was commissioned by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA), Canada’s largest construction association. According to the poll, the Cowichan decision has heightened concerns about private property not just in Richmond, but across BC. “Farmers, ranchers, small businesses and homeowners are struggling to understand the implications of this decision on land values, on when, and how, they can sell their properties, and on how projects get approved – there is a real risk that if the Government is not clear on its policy approach and what all of this means, BC will become uninvestable,” said ...