Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Former federal MP Jay Hill to lead Wexit separatist movement So, the Wexit independence party is reality – and for the foreseeable future -- Jay Hill has become its interim leader. For many years, Mr. Hill was the federal Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Prince George – Peace River.   He began as a Reform Canada MP (the West Wants in) ... and continued on through the formation of the Canadian Alliance Party, and then to the Conservative Party of Canada.   Now, in Wexit, the western separatist movement, he has moved to having the position that The West Wants Out. While there is independence sentiment in Alberta and Saskatchewan (not enough I believe to make it a reality – in my opinion) – I firmly believe that the majority of British Columbians will not go along with the idea. D on't get me wro ng --- I KNOW there are many issues and problems with our Confederation. That's one of the reasons why, very early on, I became a member of the Reform Party of Canada -- and...

The Canadian Senate Today is a change of plans from what I had intended on day number eighteen of ’20 for 2020’ , and it was inspired after a post which I wrote yesterday regarding, regarding the BC Green Party still receiving extra government funds , after the leave taking of former leader Andrew Weaver. The post was picked up by the Armchair Mayor, where I am identified as ... a Kamloops resident and former member of the Reform Party of Canada and the B.C. Reform Party, and a past and current member of the BC Conservative Party. An individual named Joey Thomas, rather than actually commenting on the story, instead stated ... ‘ A former reform party member? No thanks. How's the whole triple E senate thing going Al ?’ So, yah ... I have never reversed my thoughts that Preston Manning, and the Reform Parties, call to have a Triple E Senate should become reality.   That is why I responded by stating: “You find it a joke that ANY Prime Minister ...

I FEAR FOR OUR COUNTRY ...   We have become a country fragmented even worse, following last nights federal election, with regions now pitted on against the other in terms of party allegiance, and reasons for that allegiance. In the Maritimes with saw a virtual swath of Red for the Liberals once again ... while in Quebec the rise of the separatists Bloc Québécois , who along with most, if not all, continue to speak of the province of Quebec as a separate nation; that despite the fact that cannot survive without sucking on the teat of equalization payments – paid for in large part by BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan.   This, is a province that is like a little child in a grocery store demanding the sweet treats, candies, and sugary cereals they see on the store shelves --- or elsewhere, the toys and video games they’ve seen in Saturday cartoons.  You know they ones I mean – they throw tantrums because they can’t get their own way—or until they do get it. Q...

I returned to the University of Victoria (UVic) while I was Mayor, and completed my Master’s Degree in 2002.   As I defended my thesis, I knew I had passed when the conversation turned with this question: ‘ so why didn’t you run with Gordon Campbell last year ?’   I frequently encountered this question and still do but it did make me chuckle to hear it in this serious academic setting.   My reply?   “ Well, I bought this tee shirt that said ‘to thine own self be true .’” I was a Saanich Councillor and Capital Regional District Chair in the early 1990’s, and was often working with Campbell while he was Vancouver Mayor and Greater Vancouver Regional District Chair.   I recall telling him that when he made the move to provincial politics that I’d go with him – even though I didn’t know which right of centre party he’d choose.   So, I was there as we built up BC Liberal constituencies and recruited candidates – and celebrated victory in May 1996, ...

ISN’T THIS WONDERFUL ... The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), which claims no allegiance to the bc LIBERAL Party, is actively campaigning to have people vote No, as recommended by the Liberals, on the Referendum vote currently underway ... and they're using the same scare tactics as the LIBERALS! Not only that, at the same time they're also using the vote as a fund-raising method, by using the following terms to scare people – just like the bc LIBERALS:   … radically change … poorly-conceived … trying to force … dictate a major shift in a province’s democracy … extremist parties  … a real danger … back rooms cloaked in secrecy … disaster … consequences could be dire …   GIVE ME A BREAK!   Here's just a brief portion of an email which was sent out by the CPC yesterday (Nov 15 th ) " ... I don’t need to tell you about how extremist parties are a real danger of proportional representation – there’s examples of them holding the balance of p...