Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The BC United are voicing concerns over cuts to the provincial eyecare program. MLA for Prince George-Valemount Shirley Bond raised the issue in the legislature Tuesday, after receiving a letter from a resident in her riding that is at risk of going blind. The letter from Prince George resident Christina Watts, enrolled in the province’s Retinal Disease Treatment Program, was informed by her ophthalmologist that coverage for eye injections to treat wet-macular degeneration would be significantly reduced, and she should have to pay out-of-pocket for the treatments . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

 ... When we told Bond that Parmar suggested Falcon and the BC United party only flipped their stance on the carbon tax and CleanBC once the Conservatives made their position known, she laughed. “That is utterly ridiculous,” she said. “The NDP are grasping at straws because they realize their CleanBC plan is an utter failure. That it is absolutely going to make life more unaffordable under their government than it is today.” “When it isn’t working, you need to reassess. When you see it is having an unbelievably difficult impact on people – and most importantly you aren’t seeing emissions reduced – I think most people would think you would want to rethink that process" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

“I will almost certainly come north this summer to assess UHNBC.” Those were the words of BC Health Minister Adrian Dix during a May interview with MyPGNow.com regarding the severe issues being faced at PG’s University Hospital. UHNBC is still facing a massive nursing staffing shortage and serious patient overcrowding in the hospital, to the point where they are regularly running up to 125% capacity. Fast forward to now and still no sign of Dix, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond is growing frustrated by the lack of action shown by his ministry to fix the problem ... CLICK HERE for the full story

After an independent report highlighting failures by the NDP in combating the crisis in long-term care (LTC) the BC Liberals are calling on John Horgan and the NDP government to implement standardized visitation policies for all long-term care and assisted living facilities in B.C. “This government’s policy discrepancies have resulted in a situation where some seniors were allowed visitors while others had no contact with their families. Whether your loved ones are in a care home in Terrace or the Tri-Cities, the rules should be the same,” said Shirley Bond, Leader of the Official Opposition and BC Liberal Critic for Seniors Services and Long-Term Care.  “It’s vital that this government set clear guidelines for health authorities and care homes so that there is a standard of practice that ensures whenever possible, long-term care residents can spend time with essential visitors.” The Official Opposition sent a letter to Health Minister Adrian Dix today asking him to a...

BC Finance Minister Carole James Yesterday afternoon, early in to her third budget speech, NDP Finance Minister Carole James stated; “ Working together will help us build a stronger B.C. for everyone, and that's what Budget 2020 is all about. It's about the fundamental changes our government has been making for the people of British Columbia. It's about continuing to fix the problems facing families today. It's about delivering the results that keep us moving forward together . The changes we've made are all about making lives better today and creating opportunities that last a lifetime: opportunities to put down roots, contribute to your community and have a job that provides a good quality of life ”. Good so far ... but where did things go from there? She went on to say; “ As with previous years, our government continues to work from a balanced budget. Our fiscal strategy lays out a solid plan, with layers of planning an...

Yesterday we had two different accounts of BC’s economy – and of course they did not match up. From the BC NDP’s Finance Minister, Carole James, came these words: “ Today’s update from S & P Global Ratings shows that our plan to invest in people while balancing the budget is not only possible, but also fundamental to building a strong and sustainable economy ”   BC Finance Minister Carole James Image from Facebook   “ We have sustained responsible budget management and invested in our most valuable resource — the people who power our province ”, she continued. The governments media release, regarding S&P’s Global rating, went on to state that ... along with an expectation of operating surpluses, the government has an ambitious capital plan focused on investment in productive assets, such as transportation infrastructure, health facilities, and school replacement programs ... Andrew Weaver’s BC Liberals however, were not so easily persuaded of good...