Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Conservative Labour Critic Kiel Giddens says the appointment of former BC Federation of Labour president William Laird Cronk as chair of WorkSafeBC  raises serious concerns about whether the board remains balanced and independent. “WorkSafeBC is supposed to represent workers, employers, and the public interest,” said Giddens. “Instead, this appointment tilts the board further toward the NDP’s organized labour allies in the same week that the business community gave this Government a ‘D’ letter grade for its terrible performance in Budget 2026.” Cronk replaces outgoing chair Baltej Dhillon, who had remained in the job despite running as an NDP candidate in 2024, before later being appointed to the Senate. “One insider leaves, another insider takes the chair. British Columbians can see the pattern,” Giddens said. “Key public institutions are increasingly led by individuals from the same political and labour circles.” Small business groups have already warned that emp...

B.C.’s Workers’ Compensation Board has a conundrum most would envy: what do you do with $2.7 billion? For now, the province’s Ministry of Labour says: Nothing. Over the past 10 years, WorkSafeBC has built up a massive surplus thanks to investments and steady premium payments from businesses ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Some how I cannot help be feel a very LARGE disaster is looming on the near horizon – all of it due to COVID-19, and the accumulating provisos which have and continue to be made to, at least in the short-term, provide financial relief. Businesses were closed, people were out of work, and no one knew how long that would be. For over a week now, BC has been of stage two of re-opening the province, provincial parks, workplaces and more. What, however, is going to be the outcome of steps which were put in place early on, and through-out the COVID-19 pandemic?   Steps which have continued, and are still being expanded? Banks are allowed deferrals for loans and mortgages ... and utilities including BC Hydro, provided deferrals for payment on regular monthly bills, and that included a 90-day deferral on payment offered by the Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC). The provincial government offered businesses filing and payment deadlines for the Employer Health Tax (EHT), the carbon tax, lo...

Shortening commutes for tens of thousands, reducing congestion, boosting the economy, saving the environment, proven effectiveness, improving employers’ bottom line, fantastic Return on Investment (ROI) – why delay? Commuting is a twice-daily living nightmare for millions of workers in this province, and congestion keeps getting worse. Businesses groups on the North Shore and in the Sidney area have been calling for action. They cite long commutes as adversely impacting recruiting of new employees, absenteeism,  morale, mental and physical health, productivity and retention, while congestion can cripple their freighting and delivery efficiency. Health authorities and school districts are similarly struggling to find, motivate, and retain good employees while keeping HR costs in line. Currently politicians at the federal, provincial and municipal levels are assembling multi-billion-dollar commitments to expand transportation and transit infrastructure, the s...