Thoughts on BC Politics and More

“Our responsibility is to prove every day that we are ready” ~~ Trevor Halford, Interim Leader of the Conservative Caucus and MLA for Surrey-White Rock   Interim Leader of the Official Opposition Trevor Halford has set new critic and leadership responsibilities within the Conservative Caucus, sharpening the team’s focus on holding the NDP government to account during a period of deepening crises across British Columbia. Halford said his responsibility in this interim period is to provide steady leadership, keep the Opposition focused squarely on government accountability, and ensure the caucus is positioned for a seamless transition to the next permanent leader.   “As I said on my first day, British Columbians want an Opposition that shows up, digs in, and g...

When Parliament resumes Monday, the best way to describe what to expect is hurly-burly. Maybe even a legislative deadlock to rival the hapless U.S. House of Representatives, where tribalism has trumped democracy. Part of the reason is that the federal government and the official Opposition have diametrically opposed political objectives and timetables. Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives want to get to an election as quickly as possible. Why wouldn’t they with a consistent double-digit lead in the polls going back for months? CLICK HERE for the full story

This week, not unlike last week, and the week before, the Government has announced another “Emergency Assistance” program ... This latest program is the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) and is intended to provide supports for those students who do not qualify for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The formal details of this new program have not yet been released, and will require legislation, however the general guidelines of the program are as follows: Eligibility for this CESB program is said to apply to “post-secondary (college and university) students who are currently in school, are planning to start school in September 2020, or graduated from school in December 2019, if they have lost work or cannot find work due to the pandemic.” It is also open to working students “ earning less than $1,000 per month who also able to apply for the benefit if their hours have been cut due to COVID-19 .” This benefit will provide monthly support payments of $1,...

Kamloops South Thompson BC Liberal MLA Todd Stone While COVID-19 has posed a very serious public health risk, we have also watched it become a considerable threat to people’s livelihoods. To address the financial hardships brought on by this pandemic, the province has introduced several measures to support British Columbians through these difficult times. Included among these measures is the new temporary rental supplement, announced by the government on March 25 th .  Support for renters and landlords is certainly a necessary step to provide relief, but it is becoming clear to many British Columbians — including the Official Opposition Caucus who are hearing from countless constituents — that the temporary rental supplement falls short. It is overly restrictive, the application process is complicated and time-consuming, and it provides less support than what was expected by renters.  Because of its strict eligibility requirements, many people who genui...

The official opposition has the responsibility to hold the Government to account. Part of this responsibility means looking at how the government spends your money on programs, projects and services to determine if there is value and results being delivered for taxpayers. The opposition is also assisted in the work that we do through journalists, who not only hold the Government to account, but also the opposition- in fact all elected officials and all the citizens we represent. One journalism organization that many Canadians outside of Ottawa may not have heard of is 'Blacklock’s Reporter' ,  a unique investigative news organization who stands alone in being the only reporter-owned and operated newsroom in Ottawa. Recently through a series of access to information requests, Blacklock’s reviewed the Trudeau Liberal Government’s billion dollar 'Strategic Innovation Fund' .   This fund falls under the responsibility of Navdeep Bains ... Minister of ...