Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Yesterday during Question Period in the BC Legislature, Green Party MLA Sonia Furstenau noted that in late January of this year, the government had announced changes for workers in the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). Those changes, according to her, meant that social workers in the MCFD would no longer be required to have a social work degree. Green Party MLA Sonia Furstenau “ I understand that this ministry faces a challenge in recruiting social workers. It is difficult work. Social workers in the ministry are often faced with unsustainable workload pressures, a highly emotional and draining work setting, and burnout is high. But, surely, lowering standards for such vital work is not the answer. We have a doctor shortage, but I don't hear anyone advocating that the answer just lies in hiring more people with basic first-aid skills ”, she stated. Her question to Katrine Conroy, the Minister for MDFD, was, “ Given the vital nature of the w...

USED WITH PERMISSION -- The following letter was recently sent by Peter Ladner to Rick Peterson of Suits and Boots. Peter Ladner is a retired entrepreneur, journalist, politician, author and grandfather .   Peter Ladner: Retired entrepreneur, journalist, author & grandfather Thanks for hosting and organizing the  Suits and Boots  “Face-to-Face Resource Sector Tour” event (held) in Vancouver. It is so good to get those with opposing views in the same room, instead of fanning the flames in our protected echo chambers. I wish I had added two things when you gave me the opportunity to talk. The first is can we just shut up about the foreign-funded radical conspiracy, and shut down the war room that ennobles it? It has been thoroughly debunked by Sandy Garossino and Markham Hislop — not because Vivian Krause’s facts are wrong, but because they are carefully selected to weave a fraudulent narrative that elevates her by demonizing organiza...

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED on November 25 th in Canadian Mortgage Trends Despite what you may have heard, your cell phone payment history does affect your credit score. Cell phone accounts work differently than a credit card or a line of credit. A cell phone is an open or “O” account, which means the balance has to be paid in full at the end of each month. There is no such thing as a minimum payment with an “O” account like there is with credit cards and lines of credit. You can’t just pay a portion of your bill. The amount that you see on your statement has to be paid in full otherwise your credit score will suffer. Unfortunately, many Canadians don’t view paying their cell phone bill in full or on time as being as important as other payments.  Lenders disagree.  The bank underwriters (the people who review your application) are thinking, “ If you can’t make or keep track of a cell phone payment, what are the chances that you are go...

My responses are not perfect. I have made, and continue to make, mistakes In the course of my job, I’m regularly reminded of my mistakes, inadequacies and blind spots. I heed the advice without taking the criticism personally. I make mistakes. Not all my responses are adequate. I have blind spots. Recently a constituent let me know that he felt my actions during the labour disruption in the Saanich schools would not be forgotten in the next election! “ What do you mean ?” I asked. Well, according to this him (and some in his coffee group), I did not bring enough “venom” against the government. Apparently, I’m too nice. I accept the critique. 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. There is no prescript...

The prospect of any government catering to a specific class of Canadians is an affront to our social principles of fairness and equality. Our Charter holds that we are all equal before, and under, the law ... and tax laws are not excluded. The current Income Tax Act (ITA), last amended June 21 st , 2019 runs to 3,281 pages. That is insane. The last major revision to the ITA was in 1985. In the 34 years since, there have been countless amendments resulting in a volume of law far too lengthy -- and complex -- for any person to read and interpret accurately.   “Middle Class” is a deliberately vague euphemism intended to deflect criticism of government policy. The government cannot be accused of failing to ensure prosperity for a group that cannot be defined. Since we have a government Minister to oversee an intangible, we can surmise that her real role is to pump out propaganda telling us how well we are treated by her government. The “middle class” concept is...

The Lakes timber supply area (TSA) contains the headwaters of important tributaries of the Skeena and Fraser watersheds as well as numerous lakes, which include some of the largest natural fresh- water bodies in British Columbia (BC govt) Last Thursday (November 21 st ) the provincial government announced new allowable annual cut (AAC) numbers for the Lakes District, located just west of Prince George in Central BC.   The new cut announcement was made necessary in response to the end of the mountain pine beetle epidemic and salvage of dead pine in the Lakes Timber Supply Area (TSA), much as has happened in other areas of the province. As of last week, the new allowable annual cut (AAC) for the Lakes Timber Supply Area (TSA) will be 970,000 cubic metres, using three categories: a maximum of 400,000 cubic metres per year for live coniferous / evergreen trees   a maximum of 20,000 cubic metres per year to deciduous / leafing trees ... an...

It’s Sunday … day seven … and that means it’s time once again to look back over the past week, and the stories that caught your attention the most.   We’ll take the next few minutes to review the top 10 posts of the week … starting with … #10 … ADAM OLSEN: To start ... a few months later ... shortly after that ... then we got ... then this Summer ... and just last week . We talk a lot about the environment (November 19 th ) … Bill 38, the Climate Change Accountability Amendment Act (2019), strengthens the responsibility of the provincial government to take action on reducing emissions and addressing climate change. It is important that government is accountable because trust us is not good climate policy … #9 … Did you know almost 80% of job openings in British Columbia over the next decade will require some form of post-secondary education ? (November 18 th ) … f amilies can open a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and the Gover...

Nominations are being accepted for the Order of British Columbia , the Province’s highest honour. The award is extended to those British Columbians who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, excellence or distinction in a field of endeavour benefiting people in the province or elsewhere. British Columbians are encouraged to nominate inspiring individuals who have left a lasting legacy in their respective fields. The Order of British Columbia is one way of rewarding and recognizing those British Columbians whose extraordinary contributions and achievements have benefited BC and beyond. “ Outstanding contributions to our province and our quality of life should be recognized and honoured ,” said Janet Austin, B.C.’s lieutenant governor and head of the Order of British Columbia. “ If you know someone who inspires you because of their leadership and extraordinary accomplishments, nominate them .” Nominations will be reviewed by an independent adv...

My wife and I were visiting her family, at their village in southern China, when I would slip away for walks.   I’d find women cleaning laundry in the river, merchants preparing chickens for sale and farmers tending to their fields of rice and peanuts.   One day I came across a soccer game: men in their twenties; a somewhat organized game with lots of shouting; and on a field with more gravel than grass surrounded by scooters rather than spectators. At one point a young man approached me and said: ‘ Why you here ?’   I often consider this question to be profound but, in this case, it was quite practical as I was the only spectator and likely the only ‘white dude’ for a hundred miles.   I replied in mandarin who my wife was and he stared back and shrugged before returning to his game. Years later I was appointed to lead a public agency and the employees were gathered on short notice to meet me.   I said a few words about myself, how I l...

Earlier this week, I delivered my  second reading speech  to the Climate Change Accountability Amendment Act (2019). In that speech, I highlighted the overwhelming scientific evidence that we are facing an immense challenge to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Preparing and defending our communities, by renewing and reinforcing aging infrastructure, is going to be exceptionally difficult -- especially with shrinking resources and increasing costs. It's a  wicked problem . Heliogen is an exciting breakthrough and has the potential to be a game changer Further, the British Columbia government under the BC NDP is making it even more costly as they continue to offer taxpayer-funded subsidies to build new, or expand existing, fossil fuel infrastructure in total contradiction to this body of evidence with respect to climate change. In addition, they continue the trajectory of managing our natural resources to zero as set by the BC Liberals. The traj...