42 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

Hahaha thats so true. Look at them now, do you really think its Carole running the show or.....Mo?

The NDP remind me of Iranian politics, Carole James is the public mouthpiece like Ahmadinejad and Mo and the rest of the union gang are behind the scenes really running the show like the Mullahs.

Although this ssounds callous, IMHO the only reason why James is still the leader is because of her cancer diagnosis in 2006. The NDP didn't want to squeeze her out at that time and look like a bunch of heartless opportunists.

[weirdie]

Hahaha thats so true. Look at them now, do you really think its Carole running the show or.....Mo?

The NDP remind me of Iranian politics, Carole James is the public mouthpiece like Ahmadinejad and Mo and the rest of the union gang are behind the scenes really running the show like the Mullahs.

I'm definitely not under any illusions that she's running the show in any capacity. I just find her offensive to the eyes and ears.

[mysage]

I think Gordon Campbell has been a good Premier for the province. He has accomplished a lot, and really cleaned house after the disasterous NDP of the 1990s. It's sad to see him go, but least it's on his own accord.

Thanks Gordo!

I agree. Campbell was good for the province for a number of years. His problem is /was the same as every other politician when they stay too long. They think that they have the freedom to do virtually anything they please and we ,being Canadians, will wring our hands, complain like hell but eventually fall in line.

Much to the chagrin of Campbell and the Liberals it didn't happen this time and the HST became a grass roots lightning rod that has driven him out of office. There is a major upside tho and that is if the Liberals can elect someone who has some independent credibility (not a present Liberals retread) they can gracefully back away from the HST, right the ship and continue to keep the NDP on the outside looking in (the way it should be).

Van der Zalm may be a wild card in the above scenario but I think that he has had his day and can't carry the province on the sole issue of his anti HST stance.

In any case we are in for some fun.

[phx]

Perhaps we are incorrectly assuming that the HST is the reason for Campbell to step down. Could there be more dirt yet to be revealed in the Basi-Virk scandal?

[Sparky]

I just woke up in a cold sweat remembering something I had read almost a decade ago.

Despite all of his success in the United States, Foster says he still cares for his home province, and he'd like to seek the premiership, if he can find the time in his schedule.

http://www.cp24.com/...ishColumbiaHome

[Sparky]

Perhaps we are incorrectly assuming that the HST is the reason for Campbell to step down. Could there be more dirt yet to be revealed in the Basi-Virk scandal?

A public inquiry might answer a lot of questions about how our government and legal system really works behind closed doors. The taxpayers have spent so much over the past seven years on this joke,......what's another few million to get to the punch line.

now only if I could get back to sleep

[AnonAnnie2]

Bill Vanderzalm

http://en.wikipedia....ill_Vander_Zalm

Vander Zalm became embroiled in a conflict of interest controversy over the sale of his Fantasy Gardens flower garden and theme park. The conflict of interest arose because the Taiwanese buyer, Tan Yu, was provided VIP treatment and lunch with the Lieutenant-Governor prior to the sale. Vander Zalm claimed that control over the theme park was his wife's responsibility. Adding fuel to the fire, Faye Leung, a colourful Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur and the woman who brokered the deal, thought that Vander Zalm was a "bad man" since the day she first met him and secretly recorded conversations she had with him, and was happily willing to speak to the media and provide copies of her audio tapes.
Vander Zalm resigned as premier in 1991 when a provincial conflict of interest report by Ted Hughes found he had mixed private business with his public office in the sale of the gardens. He was charged with criminal breach of trust, but found not guilty in B.C. Supreme Court in 1992. The court ruled that while Vander Zalm had put himself in a conflict of interest, he had not done anything illegal. He was succeeded as Premier of BC by Rita Johnston. In the British Columbia general election, 1991, the Social Credit party was reduced to seven seats, and has not won a seat in any election since.

Faye Leung is ready to rumble

She says HST-fighting ex-premier Bill Vander Zalm owes her $1.6 million, and she wants revenge

Read more: http://www.vancouver...l#ixzz14JsQRtdV

[spanky123]

Perhaps we are incorrectly assuming that the HST is the reason for Campbell to step down. Could there be more dirt yet to be revealed in the Basi-Virk scandal?

I think that Basi-Virk has played out but there have been persistent rumours for the past 4 weeks about another high profile RCMP raid/arrest. Although links to the Liberals are again tenuous, perhaps Campbell is just clearing the deck.

[Lorenzo]

Perhaps we are incorrectly assuming that the HST is the reason for Campbell to step down. Could there be more dirt yet to be revealed in the Basi-Virk scandal?

These cynical thoughts have crossed my mind as well. I just can't help thinking that there is more to this, or another shoe is about to drop.

He had to go though. He was past his "best before" date. The entire cabinet is tainted.

If only we had a credible alternative.

[Bernard]

The Zalm is currently being sued by Ted Hughes for defamation. The Zalm made claims that in his autobiography that Hughes was politically motivated.

In any case the Fantasy Gardens stuff was only the icing in the cake. In BC political history there is no premier that comes close to Bill Vander Zalm in incompetence and controlling approach to government. He fundamentally does not understand how government works - the HST Extinguishment Act is an example of the sort hare brained thinking he suffers from. Like or hate the HST, the HST Extinguiment Act is clearly Ultra Viries and therefore can not be enacted if it passes in the referendum (I still hope that intelligence and reason will win out and the public will vote yes, but rich people like getting their lawyers and accountants cheaper and tax shifting to the poorest in the province)

Do not forget the Zalm sued a political cartoonist when he was a minister because he do not like a political cartoon. Not only did he lose, people laughed at him for being a fool.

Bill Vander Zalm is that most dangerous of politicians, all smile and charisma and no idea of how to govern or what is possible. This is the man that tried to ban abortions in BC even though it is a federal issue and not a provincial one.

http://en.wikipedia....ill_Vander_Zalm

Vander Zalm became embroiled in a conflict of interest controversy over the sale of his Fantasy Gardens flower garden and theme park. The conflict of interest arose because the Taiwanese buyer, Tan Yu, was provided VIP treatment and lunch with the Lieutenant-Governor prior to the sale. Vander Zalm claimed that control over the theme park was his wife's responsibility. Adding fuel to the fire, Faye Leung, a colourful Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur and the woman who brokered the deal, thought that Vander Zalm was a "bad man" since the day she first met him and secretly recorded conversations she had with him, and was happily willing to speak to the media and provide copies of her audio tapes.
Vander Zalm resigned as premier in 1991 when a provincial conflict of interest report by Ted Hughes found he had mixed private business with his public office in the sale of the gardens. He was charged with criminal breach of trust, but found not guilty in B.C. Supreme Court in 1992. The court ruled that while Vander Zalm had put himself in a conflict of interest, he had not done anything illegal. He was succeeded as Premier of BC by Rita Johnston. In the British Columbia general election, 1991, the Social Credit party was reduced to seven seats, and has not won a seat in any election since.

Faye Leung is ready to rumble

She says HST-fighting ex-premier Bill Vander Zalm owes her $1.6 million, and she wants revenge

Read more: http://www.vancouver...l#ixzz14JsQRtdV

[Sparky]

^ Here is the story of the cartoon in question.

http://www.canadianc...on_bierman.html

[yodsaker]

Remember what Kim Campbell said about The Zalm?
"Charisma without substance is a dangerous thing" (not that she had much of either).

[Bernard]

I would give the highest odds of winning to Kevin Falcon and place Rich Coleman in second place, Diane Watts has a chance if she gets a good team behind her.

[rjag]

I would give the highest odds of winning to Kevin Falcon and place Rich Coleman in second place, Diane Watts has a chance if she gets a good team behind her.

At this early stage I would agree with you, however Falcon is too close to Campbell, his nickname is 'mini-me' Diane wont do it, she's got a good gig going and its very hard to transition from local to large scale politics.

This will develop slowly, there are lots of dark horses out there that wont declare until the review dates are officially announced.

[Bernard]

What matters in the leadership race is who can get the most people to join the party, Falcon has the network to do that and this makes him the frontrunner

[spanky123]

What matters in the leadership race is who can get the most people to join the party, Falcon has the network to do that and this makes him the frontrunner

The return of the "Basi Boys"?

[Bernard]

There are always new groups that are good at signing up people. I believe MP Sukh Dhaliwal may have have some networks like this.

[North Shore]

I think Gordon Campbell has been a good Premier for the province. He has accomplished a lot, and really cleaned house after the disasterous NDP of the 1990s. It's sad to see him go, but least it's on his own accord.

Thanks Gordo!

I've been thinking about this, and the first thing that crossed my mind was the Provincial debt..numerically, it's slightly larger, at just under $40 Billion, than the one that Paul Ramsay left ($34Bn) in his last budget, but as a percentage of GDP it's somewhat lower - 19% vs. 30%. Yet, the debt per capita has gone up from $6190 to $6400. Also, we've sold off some of the family silver - BC Rail and BC Ferries (Anything else?)

Are we really that much better off than with the NDP? Or is it simply a case of red tax-and-spend vs blue tax-and-spend..

And, Gordo's signing off with a $500 Million tax cut of borrowed money, seeing as we are still in a deficit situation...

Budgets from here: http://www.bcbudget....lt.aspx?hash=25 And http://www.fin.gov.b...0_table_h10.htm

[Lover Fighter]

As much as I would love to see someone like Diane Watts step up the plate, I can't help but fear her premiership would be identical to Rita Johnston's. Everything so far is leading up to be eerily similar.

[Bernard]

We have not sold off BC Ferries, it is a Crown Corporation in the same way BC Hydro is

Selling BC Rail saves BC money every year because the railway lost money virtually every that it was operating. The government had to write off the debts a couple of times over the years. It was badly run as BC Rail, did not try to serve the communities on the line, and it lost money. Giving it away would have been a net benefit, getting someone to pay money for it was good for all of BC. The number quoted for it as a value is a pile of bull as no one would have paid that for the line unless they owned all the land and redeveloped it in areas like West Van, Lions Bay, Whistler and Pemberton. The government retained ownership of the tracks.