End for B.C. Liberals faint hope of power

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Fri, 2017-09-08 21:18

NorthReport

John Horgan - not too shabby!

NDP - 41 seats

Libs - 41 seats

Grns - 3 seats

Ind - 1 seat

Vacant - 1 seat

Total - 87 seats

Please Advise! Does a New Speaker Mean It’s Time for an All-out Brawl?

Darryl Plecas entering the legislature as Speaker is like Ryan Kesler returning to Rogers Arena as an Anaheim Duck.

Dear Dr. Steve,

There seem to be a lot of people upset at MLA Darryl Plecas for taking the B.C. legislature’s Speaker’s job. Isn’t the position of Speaker of the Legislature supposed to be an honourable position respected by all parties?

Signed,

Perplexed

Dear Perplexed,

There is an old tradition that the newly elected Speaker must be dragged kicking and howling to the Speaker’s chair, making a great pretend show of reluctance. I must say, few have done a better job than new Speaker Plecas. The man really brought the old routine into the media age. Not content with performing his misgivings on the day itself, he extended the show over several months, including media interviews insisting he didn’t want the job and would consider such a move a betrayal of his Abbotsford South constituents. “The notion of us (the Liberals) putting up someone for Speaker under the current circumstances is ridiculous,” Plecas told the Province’s Mike Smyth. “In fact, I would go further to say that it would be an outright manipulation of the democratic process.” Now that’s showmanship. Plecas is just a wig and a few foreign accents away from being the next Meryl Streep. As for BC Liberal leader Rich Coleman, he seems to have opted for a Captain Bligh look. We’ll see how it polls.

The BC Liberals were a little bit upset at Plecas. Coleman’s reaction to the Plecas move resembled Julius Caesar’s reaction to his old pal Brutus. The Liberals appear to think Plecas’ place in parliamentary history will rank alongside that of Guy Fawkes. They came very close to creating their own exciting new variation on the old tradition — in addition to the Speaker’s supposed reluctance to take the chair, why not an entire phalanx of club-wielding opposition MLAs trying to stop him? All-out brawls are growing more rare in the NHL these days, so there’s a gap to be filled in the entertainment market. It works for the Taiwanese legislature. Their YouTube numbers are crazy good.

The atmosphere in the legislature on Friday certainly resembled Rogers Arena the first time Ryan Kesler came back to Vancouver as an Anaheim Duck. “We are disappointed in his decision,” Coleman said in a statement. You think? Coleman did everything but pass a collection plate around the Liberal benches to gather 30 pieces of silver for this new Judas.

“This is not about partisanship,” NDP Premier Horgan told the legislature. Coleman responded by ejecting Plecas from the Liberal caucus, perhaps as a helpful way to avoid any further partisanship.

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BC Liberals Cry Betrayal as Former Caucus Colleague Made Speaker

But it’s understandable. That whole bipartisan “Let’s-all-elect-a-Speaker-together” shtick only works when the selection of a Speaker doesn’t actually mean anything. Once there’s something at stake, the situation displays all of the collegiality of 20 customers and one pallet of bottled water at a Florida Wal-Mart.

Combined with a potential victory in Christy Clark’s Kelowna riding, this development could give the NDP/Green team some genuine legs. An NDP win in Kelowna West would leave the NDP and Liberals tied at 42 seats apiece. An NDP victory there would be roughly equivalent to the Canucks making the playoffs this season — the Liberals have brought back former Kelowna West MLA Ben Stewart, who gave up his seat to Premier Clark, as their by-election candidate. But the seat will be vacant for months to come before the by-election is called, which serves the government’s purpose almost as well in the near term.

Now cut loose from his party, Plecas has paid a price to become Speaker. Never underestimate the appeal of a big raised throne and an adorable tri-corner hat. The NDP/Green alliance is not in the clear just yet. But it appears those who predicted an early demise for Premier Horgan spoke too soon.

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/09/08/Please-Advise-New-Speaker-All-Out-...

Fri, 2017-09-08 21:20

NorthReport

Plecas defection gives NDP minority important breathing room

B.C. Liberal MLA Darryl Plecas turned on his own party Friday to become the legislature’s new Speaker, an act the interim Liberal leader called a betrayal.

The decision by Plecas “puts a little wind in the sails” of the governing NDP-Green alliance, said Max Cameron, a political scientist at UBC.

“I think that this minority has a more workable minority in partnership with the Greens, which I think means its life expectancy just improved significantly,” Cameron said.

Typically, a minority government in Canada lasts 18 months to two years, but the alliance now stands a chance to achieve its goal of lasting its full four years, Cameron said.

Plecas was the only candidate Friday, which indicates his move was planned with the New Democrat government, who did not offer one of their own MLAs for the job.

http://vancouversun.com/news/politics/mla-darryl-plecas-defects-from-b-c...

Fri, 2017-09-08 21:49

NorthReport

With idiots like Coleman on the loose, this is probably just the beginning.

MLA Darryl Plecas shocks Liberals by taking job as Speaker

The Liberals initially indicated that Plecas had been removed from Liberal caucus, but then withdrew that statement. Coleman later clarified that Plecas has “effectively” left the caucus, because the Speaker does not attend caucus meetings.

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/mla-darryl-plecas-shocks-liberal...

Fri, 2017-09-08 22:22

JKR

This is a significant game changer in the right direction. With Plecas becoming speaker, the NDP minority government will now avoid the negative appearance of having to have a partisan NDP speaker continuously break tie votes in the legislature. So Plecas has given the NDP government the ability to appear more stabile and legitimate. Many people on the right here in BC are hoping for an election within the next year or so but Plecas's move means that people will have to admit that the next election will most likely take place in a little over four years. This should help calm the waters in provincial politics.

Sat, 2017-09-09 12:47

(Reply to #4) #5

bekayne

JKR wrote:

This is a significant game changer in the right direction. With Plecas becoming speaker, the NDP minority government will now avoid the negative appearance of having to have a partisan NDP speaker continuously break tie votes in the legislature. So Plecas has given the NDP government the ability to appear more stabile and legitimate. Many people on the right here in BC are hoping for an election within the next year or so but Plecas's move means that people will have to admit that the next election will most likely take place in a little over four years. This should help calm the waters in provincial politics.

Or sooner:

British Columbia has legislation that allows voters to recall MLAs, although that cannot happen until 18 months after an election.

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-liberals-darry...

Sat, 2017-09-09 13:58

JKR

I think Plecas is safe given how difficult it is to recall mla's in BC.

Sat, 2017-09-09 14:41

progressive17 progressive17's picture

By the way a pallet of bottled water has cases of 12 (3 x 4 bottles) stacked on each layer 4 x 2 and 2 x 3, for 14 per layer. Sometimes there are 4 layers (56 cases) or 5 layers (70 cases). This, I know.

Sat, 2017-09-09 15:33

(Reply to #7) #8

JKR

progressive17 wrote:

By the way a pallet of bottled water has cases of 12 (3 x 4 bottles) stacked on each layer 4 x 2 and 2 x 3, for 14 per layer. Sometimes there are 4 layers (56 cases) or 5 layers (70 cases). This, I know.

By the way in BC the minimum wage will be going up to $15/hr, social assistance will be increased by $100/month next week, and starting in January people on disability will no longer have to pay $52/month for a bus pass. Sometimes numbers signify nonsense while at other times they are significant. This I know. I also know that the BC NDP will be helping a lot of people during the next 4 years even if a lot of self-identified "progressives" in '17 don't care.

Sat, 2017-09-09 15:47

progressive17 progressive17's picture

The numbers about pallets of water are not insignificant if you have to shelve a certain number a day to keep your job. If, JKR, you have a condescending attitude about working class people who actually stock warehouses and big box stores with pallets of water and indeed many other even heavier things, you are going to make snide remarks like yours above.

But maybe that's the thing. Low-paid working class people (who actually do hard physical work) are not included in your idea of what an NDP government is supposed to be about. You and your NDP leadership and political people will tell us what we ought to enjoy and what we ought not to. All you have to do is raise taxes on the most vulnerable of us workers (who cannot claim deductions) while you let your NDP cronies with inherited money and self-righteous social democratic business elites take ridiculous tax writeoffs.

Sat, 2017-09-09 15:59

#10

NorthReport

progressive17 tell us how you really think!

Seriously though we just had the first NDP throne speech in 17 years, and their first budget will be brought down this coming Monday, September 11th. I think we at least need to heard them out .

If you are upset by the minimum wage thingy, don't believe everything you real in the mainstream....err right-wing constant trashing of the NDP at any costs, media.

If you had been at the Labour Day event this year held in Holland Park, you would have heard BC NDP Labour Minister Harry Bains make it abundantly clear that the only way we are not moving rapidly towards a minimum wage of $15 an hour would be over his dead body.

In the very short period of time the BC NDP government has been in power they have already done more for joe and jane BC citizens than the previous 16 years of Liberal right-wing government.

Sat, 2017-09-09 16:04

(Reply to #10) #11

NorthReport

Agreed!

The Liberals are disintegrating before our very eyes.

A more mundane question is who will be the next MLA to bolt the no-future right-wing Liberals in BC?

Just ask former Health Minister Terry Lake who at least has a clue as to what the future holds for the BC Liberals

JKR wrote:

I think Plecas is safe given how difficult it is to recall mla's in BC.

Sat, 2017-09-09 16:08

#12

NorthReport

My impresssion of Plecas is that he is one of the very few principled LIberal MLAs. Worth a read!

“Plucky Plecas” leaves Liberals to sit as Speaker

http://thebreaker.news/news/plecas-rises/

Sat, 2017-09-09 16:59

#13

NorthReport

What a useless bunch of petty morons these Liberals are.

Talk about closing the barn door after the horses have left, eh!

My only question is who is next?

MLA Darryl Plecas has BC Liberal membership revoked after becoming Speaker

Plecas was the only MLA to put his name forward for Speaker

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/darryl-plecas-1.4282683

Sat, 2017-09-09 21:21

(Reply to #13) #14

JKR

progressive17 wrote:

The numbers about pallets of water are not insignificant if you have to shelve a certain number a day to keep your job. If, JKR, you have a condescending attitude about working class people who actually stock warehouses and big box stores with pallets of water and indeed many other even heavier things, you are going to make snide remarks like yours above.

But maybe that's the thing. Low-paid working class people (who actually do hard physical work) are not included in your idea of what an NDP government is supposed to be about. You and your NDP leadership and political people will tell us what we ought to enjoy and what we ought not to. All you have to do is raise taxes on the most vulnerable of us workers (who cannot claim deductions) while you let your NDP cronies with inherited money and self-righteous social democratic business elites take ridiculous tax writeoffs.

progressive17, I had no idea that your numerical description of pallets of water was made in order to support workers class people. I fully agree that supporting working class people should be the top priority of the new BC NDP government. I also think working class people will benefit from having the BC NDP government replace the former BC Liberal government. The upcoming $15 minimum wage should benefit water pallet workers. As well the BC NDP will be giving low wage renters a renters tax credit worth $400 per year.

Sun, 2017-09-10 18:27

#15

NorthReport

A "betrayal" that's too rich for Rich Coleman

https://www.straight.com/news/962486/martyn-brown-betrayal-thats-too-ric...

Sun, 2017-09-10 18:34

#16

NorthReport

2012

Dirty game over politics gets dirtier with BC Liberal nomination

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/dirty-game-of-pol...

Sun, 2017-09-10 18:40

#17

NorthReport

2012

https://www.straight.com/news/moe-gill-claims-rich-coleman-forced-him-si...

Sun, 2017-09-10 23:37

#18

NorthReport

Dup Post

Sun, 2017-09-10 19:02

#19

NorthReport

Moe Gill, where is he now, as he must be enjoying watching BC Liberal's Rich Coleman, make an absolute fool of himself, for all to see.

Sun, 2017-09-10 19:05

#20

Mr. Magoo

Three posts in a row from five years ago, in a thread titled "BC Legislature Now"

Mon, 2017-09-11 00:53

#21

NorthReport

So much for Liberal honesty and integrity, as Plecas speaks out about why he did it

http://theprovince.com/news/bc-politics/darryl-plecas-why-i-took-speaker...

Mon, 2017-09-11 14:58

#22

NorthReport

This is the end for B.C. Liberals faint hope of power as Plecas pulls the plug

The Doors, The End

The dramatic decision of Abbotsford South MLA Darryl Plecas to become speaker of the B.C. Legislature against B.C. Liberal Party orders is far more than a story of either betrayal or rebellion.

Plecas’ move signals the end of the B.C. Liberals’ faint hope clause – their elaborate plans to somehow defeat the New Democrats in the Legislature and then again in a snap election to return triumphantly to government.

Instead, Plecas going to speaker likely means Premier John Horgan will hold that title for a full four years.

And the B.C. Liberals’ extreme anger is far more about losing power indefinitely after 16 years of arrogantly ruling the province than it is about Plecas’ rejecting their threats.

It’s an end to their entitlement but it’s also an end to many veteran B.C. Liberal cabinet ministers’ political careers – because several are likely to resign rather than face four long years in opposition just to have another chance at winning back government.

Think about it: you were once an all-powerful cabinet minister, with staff fulfilling your orders, an entire ministry responding to you, and extra $37,000 to $53,000 a year in salary and a significant increase in your pension, the term “honourable” the title before your name, the ability to influence public policy, the prestige, the car – it’s a heady and seductive job.

And then, you face the oblivion of opposition with no time limit in sight to get back to the cabinet land of milk and honey.

If you are Mike de Jong – Abbotsford West B.C. Liberal MLA with 23 years in elected office and having been minister of finance, health, attorney general and more during those 16 years in power, why stick around? Others will have similar thoughts.

Even interim B.C. Liberal leader Rich Coleman, elected in 1996 and a former deputy premier, has to be thinking of an exit strategy.

In the end, more veteran B.C. Liberals MLAs will likely abandon ship and more by-elections will further increase the B.C. NDP’s safety margin and ensure at least a four-year term in office.

After all, it’s easier to pummel Plecas than face the music when “The End” is the only song playing.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2017/09/11/this-is-the-end-for-bc-liberals-fai...

Tue, 2017-09-12 14:20

#23

NorthReport

Randy Hawes, Mayor of Mission, and former BC Liberal MLA and Cabinet Minister, was interviewed by Rick Cluff this morning on CBC Radio, and he stated that he has no problem with Darryl Plecas, and that the real betrayal was Christy Clark's Liberal Throne speech. Go figure.