Thoughts on BC Politics and More

What a week this has been!!   It was one which was mainly centered around hard-working British Columbians – and Canadians – being forced to watch as our economy ground slowly to a halt … where people couldn’t get home to their families due to transportation disruptions … where individuals were given free rein to mount illegal protests … and where the Canadian flag was disrespected … It was disgusting to watch – and to listen to – as BC and federal governments failed to act in the best interests of the Canadians. It was one that I hope not to see again, but that I have little hope will in fact be reality. This is the week that was February 9 th to 15 th , and here are the stories and commentaries that caught your attention the most … #10)   PEATS: Liberals are stuck, and would rather sacrifice the economy and the common citizen, while they "virtue signal" the rest of the population stating how "important" it is to talk (February 15 th ) ...

Today is day 16 in “20 for 2020” – are you having a snow day? BC continues to be under a blanket of snow, with those in the lower mainland ... Vancouver Island ... and the Fraser Valley being told to stay the heck off the roads.   Seeing the mayhem on the TV news, it’s no wonder. On top of the mounds of snow, there are also record, and near record, frigid temperatures occurring. So, is all of this due to global warming?   Well that’s a loaded question and one that climate alarmists are likely trying to figure out an answer too. Greenhouse gas level continue to rise world-wide, however some of the highest levels being created are due to countries thousands of kilometres away. Does this mean that we don’t have a roll to play?     Far from it – however we should not be penalizing our businesses and resource companies in Canada right out of business. As Trevor Bolin of the BC Conservative Party stated back last Apri...

As of yesterday, 333 days had passed in the year … and with them, a few hundred commentaries have been presented on this blogsite … 17 alone this week. Let’s take a look at the ten which garnered the most readership from you, starting with … #10 A DAM OLSEN: Success comes from remaining receptive to advice and maintaining a healthy balance of confidence and humility (November 25 th ) …. the challenge is balancing the frequency that venom is used ... and the dose that is delivered in any given situation. Care must be taken. Venom is only one tool and, if it is used too liberally, people grow a resistance to it essentially rendering it ineffectual … #9 Conservative Opposition leader Andrew Scheer names new shadow cabinet ; calls on eight MP’s from BC (November 29 th ) … one day after naming former Liberal MP, Leona Alleslev (crossed over to the Conservatives September 2018) to the role of Deputy Leader, Andrew Scheer today named hi...

While John Horgan’s BC NDP government, and the federal Liberal government of Justin Trudeau, continue to put a ‘price on pollution’, Alberta’s Conservative government, under the leadership of Jason Kenney, is actively at work to dramatically reduce greenhouse gases. On April 1 st of this year, the provincial carbon tax in BC rose from $35 to $40 per tonne of C02. This tax will continue to rise, as it has now for over a decade, as it sees $5 increase each year until it reaches $50 per tonne in 2021. Minister Nixon, joined by Steve MacDonald of Emissions Reduction Alberta, Joerg Nixdorf of Lehigh Hanson, and Beth Hardy of the International CCS Knowledge Centre, announces a carbon capture and storage feasibility study at Lehigh Cement’s Edmonton plant Meantime across the border in neighbouring Alberta, Emissions Reduction Alberta is making $1.4 million in funding available to support the $3-million feasibility study, which will look at capturing and storin...

A SHORT TIME AGO ... BC Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver announced that he would not be seeking re-election in the next scheduled provincial election, in 2021.   The following is a message he sent to members and supporters just after 10am.   BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver Being an MLA has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my entire life. Making this decision was not easy, but I make it having achieved what I set out to do in running for office: get BC back on track as a climate leader. With my colleagues Environment Minister Heyman and Premier Horgan, I announced the CleanBC economic plan last December.  Our province has now embarked on an ambitious plan to sustainably propel our economy forward, while ensuring that we do our part to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

While the New Democratic government of BC continues to jack up the carbon taxes British Columbians pay, next door the government of Alberta is opposed to any interference by the federal government in what it, and several others provinces infer, is incursion into provincial maters. On Friday, Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, issued the following statement on Alberta’s reference to the Alberta Court of Appeal: “ The Government of Alberta will be filing our factum at the Alberta Court of Appeal to challenge the constitutionality of the imposition of a federal carbon tax on Albertans and defend Alberta’s constitutional right to make policy best suited to the needs of our province. This factum provides our full legal argument and full fact scenario so our Court of Appeal can hear and make a decision based on the unique evidence we present .  “ With this action, we are not only fulfilling our commitment to create jobs, growth and economic ...

TORONTO—Despite rhetoric that renewable energy is cheap, wind and solar power generation comes with large—yet often ignored—costs that increase electricity prices for residents and businesses, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Electricity systems are complex, and too often policymakers pursue renewable energy sources such as wind and solar without understanding their true costs,” said Pierre Desrochers, Fraser Institute senior fellow, associate professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga and co-author of Generating Electricity in Canada from Wind and Sunlight: Is Getting Less for More Better than Getting More for Less? The study finds that while wind turbines and solar panels are relatively cheap to operate—given their fuel source is free—they’re costly to build and connect to the power grid. And crucially, because the wind won’t always blow and the sun won’t al...