B.C. politics

Arrogant Campbell ruined lives, his caucus should follow him out

The Communist Party of British Columbia issue the following release on the resignation of B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell:

The three terms of the Campbell Liberals have been characterized by implementing the lowest taxes for the wealthy and corporations in North America at the expense of the standard of living, wages, and social programs of B.C. residents. His forced resignation is a compliment to a tenacious and awakened electorate who has had enough.

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The green part of green and the development of LNG in B.C.

Marvin Shaffer

| May 13, 2013

Unlike a number of green advocates, political and otherwise, I think there can be some significant benefit for British Columbians from the development of LNG exports, particularly if issues around the supply and pricing of electricity, and the regulation and offset of industry GHG emissions are properly addressed. Nevertheless, I do agree with those who argue that LNG won't bring the unprecedented riches that our indefatigable even if deluded premier would have us believe.

Reality-check on B.C. government spending: Is the overspending fear-mongering justified?

Iglika Ivanova

| May 10, 2013

Both main parties in this election campaign are accusing the other of being big spenders. The BC Liberals claim the BC NDP is making election promises that are too expensive and argue the 1990s (the last time the NDP was in government) was a time of particularly high spending. The BC NDP points out that the provincial debt has grown significantly since the BC Liberals came to power in 2001.

But is too much of the public debate around this election focused on reducing the size of government?

Comparing platforms on climate action in the B.C. election

Seth Klein

| May 10, 2013

As many readers of this blog will know, back in February the CCPA (with the assistance of a number of our partners in the Climate Justice Project) published an open letter to the B.C. political parties calling on them to recommit to B.C.'s legislated greenhouse gas reduction targets, and to table plans for how to achieve them. The GHG reduction law was passed in 2007, and obliged the government to reduce B.C.'s emissions by 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020, and 80 per cent below by 2050.

You can find the open letter here.

Over 65 organizations signed that open letter, representing thousands of British Columbians.

The call for a B.C. poverty reduction plan: Where have the parties landed?

Seth Klein Ted Bruce Trish Garner

| May 9, 2013

The CCPA is a founding member of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition (PRC), which for over four years now has been advancing the call for a comprehensive BC poverty reduction plan. Its Open Letter calling on the B.C. government to adopt a legislated plan has been signed by hundreds of organizations.

The PRC has now published its analysis of where the parties have landed. You can find a summary table here.

And below is an opinion piece on the subject co-authored by PRC organizer Trish Garner, Ted Bruce and myself.

A Poverty Reduction Plan for B.C.: Government spending saves money in the long-term

Beyond the economy: Where are B.C.'s major parties on health care and our aging population?

Shannon Daub Janine Farrell

| May 8, 2013

We have been surprised, to say the least, at the lack of public discourse around health care during this election period. As a top-of-mind issue for British Columbians, you'd think it would be as central as the always large and looming economy. So what are the burning issues in health care, and how do the party platforms stack up? Here's our take, with a particular focus on seniors.

The challenge:

Climate justice and B.C.'s political moment

Marc Lee

| April 8, 2013

The following is based on a talk at the Bring Your Boomers election forum on April 3 at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver, the fourth in a series of inter-generational dialogues from Gen Why Media, and was co-sponsored by the CCPA, Get Your Vote On, LeadNow and Vancity credit union. I was asked to set the stage for a conversation on climate justice between three youth and five politicians seeking office in the coming election.

B.C. throne speech repackages old announcements, lacks courage and vision

Iglika Ivanova

| February 13, 2013

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Yesterday's Speech from the Throne reads more like a list of what this government sees as its main achievements than a true framework for going forward. New initiatives are few and far between, sandwiched between pages of self-congratulatory recap of the natural gas strategy, the jobs plan and highlights from the last budget.

A call for courageous leadership from B.C. parties in 2013

Seth Klein

| January 9, 2013

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As we head towards the May 2013 B.C. election, what I'd most love to hear from B.C.'s political leaders is evidence that they are ready to get serious about the defining issues of this era. In particular, I'm going to be looking for real leadership on the issues of climate change and inequality (what we at the CCPA like to call "the two great inconvenient truths of our time").

It's not enough to offer platitudes about sustainability or families. Nor is it sufficient to speak eloquently about climate or inequality, but then offer up election platforms that will barely make a dent in either.

The state of the B.C. economy in 2012

Marc Lee

| December 5, 2012

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B.C. politics

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