Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay–Comox and Conservative Official Opposition Critic for Rural and Seniors’ Health, is calling on the government to immediately reverse its plan to end supplemental funding for overtime and agency staffing in publicly subsidized long-term care and assisted living facilities on October 31, 2025. “This is a short-sighted, reckless, and frankly dangerous decision. Cutting the very tools care homes use to keep residents safe will cost seniors their dignity and, for some, potentially their lives,” said Day. “The government must walk this back—now.” Seniors in rural communities will bear the brunt of growing backlogs and closed beds.   “Nearly 1 in 6 B.C. seniors live in rural areas, with the largest shares in Interior and Island Health. Those regions already face tougher workforce shortages and fewer alternatives. Removing overtime and agency options will hit them first and hardest,” said Day. “The average wait time for a long-term care bed in t...

The number of patients across the ­province leaving ERs without being seen by a physician has almost doubled over seven years, with the biggest spike in Island Health. Almost 142,000 patients left BC emergency rooms untreated in ­2024-2025, up from 76,000 in 2018-2019, according to Health Ministry data obtained through a freedom of information request by rural health critic Brennan Day, Conservative MLA for Courtenay-Comox. That’s an 86 per cent increase. “These aren’t just numbers, they’re lives”  ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Image credit:  BCHealthCareers.ca Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Critic for Rural and Seniors Health, is raising serious concerns about the BC NDP government’s latest announcement to recruit nurses from the United States, calling the plan “more about headlines than headcounts.” According to WorkSafe BC, the average salary for Registered Nurses and Psychiatric Nurses in British Columbia is $93,852 CAD, with a take-home income of approximately $70,919 CAD for a single person. In contrast, nurses in West Coast U.S. states like California, Washington, and Oregon earn an average of $153,593 CAD per year, with a post-tax take-home of $117,577 CAD. “That’s a $46,658 difference in take-home pay,” said Day. “We’re asking American nurses to take a 40% pay cut, cross the border, and move to a province where housing is scarce and our own nurses are burning out in record numbers. This isn’t a plan. It’s wishful thinking.” Day says the math speaks for itself: making $46,658 more south ...

I f the NDP is going to rebuild after a difficult federal election campaign, it needs to work on its messaging, according to the lone NDP candidate who held onto a Vancouver Island riding. Gord Johns, who retained his Courtenay-Alberni seat with 39.6% of the vote, defeating Conservative challenger Kris McNichol — who got 34.6 per cent — said the party’s message just didn’t seem to resonate with voters. “We saw the Conservatives with slogans they couldn’t even explain” Johns said Tuesday ... said it’s frustrating when he sees people struggling with the cost of living while big business, big oil, big banks, big grocery stores and big telecommunication companies have record profits and large real estate conglomerates are buying up residential housing ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Screen shot from Island Health Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena and Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions and Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Official Opposition Critic for Rural Health and Seniors’ Health, are raising urgent concerns regarding the planned relocation of the Ledger Inpatient Program for Children and Youth from the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health to the Eric Martin Pavilion at Royal Jubilee Hospital. The Ledger Program, which provides intensive inpatient mental health care for vulnerable children and youth, is currently housed in a purpose-built facility designed specifically for pediatric needs. Its existing location offers critical therapeutic amenities such as outdoor recreational spaces, a dedicated on-site school, occupational therapy rooms, and creative studios. Reports now indicate that the program is being moved to a facility historically used for adult psychiatric care, causing concerns about safety, suitab...

While Kevin Falcon flounders, John Rustad and the Conservative Party of BC have been clear from the beginning—focused on affordability, public safety, and rebuilding our healthcare system to serve the needs of British Columbians. The problem is clear, and so is the solution. Under David Eby’s NDP, drug users are being warehoused alongside seniors in care homes, cancer patients are forced to seek private care across the border, and rent has doubled. Unsurprisingly, half of British Columbians aged 18-34, and 2 in 5 of those aged 35-54, are considering leaving the province because they can no longer afford to live in the NDP’s broken welfare state. Enough is enough. We need to reform our healthcare system by cutting the bureaucratic bloat and ensuring that resources are directed to front-line care and patient outcomes. Instead of expanding layers of administration, we need to invest in doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals who are actually delivering the care British Columbians ...

  This CBC story is one of the many reasons I decided to run for the Courtenay - Comox nomination under the BC Conservative banner. I am so tired of seeing members of the BC NDP, or bureaucrats from their government, tell us that these things are not happening, and that what they are doing is saving lives. I am sure that it is helping some people, but on the street, safe supply, has basically become currency for exchange, either for money or harder drugs. I have seen it in-person because this is where I worked (seriously, I know everyone being interviewed for this piece). They keep telling us that it is a complex problem. Well, you don’t apply a blanket solution to a complex problem, and you don’t do it without an end game plan ... and I don’t see an end game here. I only see more problems. Instead, I have watched as the BC NDP government of Premier David Eby throws tax dollars down the rabbit hole, in some belief that organizations like the Drugs User Liberation Front (DULF) we...

Opinion: High housing costs and a stagnant economy are causing a large number of Canadians to "vote with their feet," says economist. ... the intra-provincial shift away to places like Vernon, Courtenay and Kamloops from BC’s biggest cities is just one migration trend. A large number of people are now also moving out of BC to other provinces — and from Canada to other countries ... CLICK HERE for the full story

On Saturday (September 30th) the BC Conservative Party, a continuously active political party in British Columbia since 1903) held its' annual general meeting in Langley.  Unlike the last one held in Langley a number of years ago ... and knowing how troublesome trying to make changes can be ... the whole process went very smoothly. New BC Conservative Party President Ryan Ryan Warawa takes over the helm A new president and board were elected, as Ryan Warawa took the helm as President.  Elected as Vice President was Jeff Bridge, who like myself, recently returned to the party.  Bob Bray will continue as the Party Treasurer, as does Bob Brown as Secretary. Nearly all motions for changes to Constitution and By-Laws were passed, with two notable exceptions.  First was the vote against changing the name of the party from the BC Conservative Party -- to the Conservative Party of British Columbia.  Additionally, one which many individuals ...