At the Rafe Mair birthday celebration last week, we got to hear Rafe tell an anecdote about writing for Ryerson School of Journalism a piece that celebrated free speech, one Ryerson refused to publish. I suspect Rafe got more than a few requests to write the story for the website
Continue readingAuthor: Norman Farrell
Northern Insights / Perceptivity: Liberal MLA’s search for the BC Rail story
Premier Photo-Op assigned her minions to look for clues in the BC Rail case. Drawing from DFO resource: SALMONIDS IN THE CLASSROOM: PRIMARY Don’t miss Bill Tieleman at The Tyee, Railgate? Asked and Answered, Says Clark A great reader comment at the Tieleman article linked above, from ‘metacomet’ By Audit
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Trending toward turmoil
The Poor, the Near Poor and You, New York Times, Nov. 23/11: “…And times are tough for the middle class. But everyone needs to recognize a chilling reality: One in three Americans — 100 million people — is either poor or perilously close to it. “…The worst downturn since the
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: More theatre of the absurd
Langley Mayor Peter Fassbender says negotiations are complete, an agreement for continuing the RCMP role in British Columbia is done. Attorney General Shirley Bond – the person who promised to slash top salaries at BC Ferries – agrees progress has been made but says negotiators are still working on resolving issues.
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: More Corus charitable work
Annual financial reports filed by Canadian charities with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), are rudimentary and largely unchecked by tax department officials. This suggests rather little oversight is exercised despite the billions of dollars involved in the sector. I tried to raise this matter with Hoang Mai, the Official Opposition
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: From the ‘Rules Don’t Apply to Us’ department
According to Finance Minister Kevin Falcon’s first quarterly report for the current year, “As well, the fiscal plan assumes the current public sector compensation negotiating mandate – i.e. two year agreements with a net-zero cost to employers over the term of such agreements. This mandate applies to all public sector
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: "The hypocrisy is quite sickening"
Paraphrasing Benjamin Disraeli’s words to the British Parliament in 1845, “The BC Liberal government is an organized hypocrisy.”I visited the BC Liberal website today and found this homepage. The frame from the lower right corner is extracted. “Our Ship Building Contract” This Liberal government was not so enthused about shipbuilding
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Net-zero mandate, not for all
Net-zero is OK for teachers, regular healthcare providers and the remaining public sector workers but not for important friends who do favours for Premier Photo Op. For example, and this is but one of course, check out Howard Waldner’s tough road. This guy decided that after the position of in-house
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: I see nothing, I was not here…
Premier Photo Op was born in the sixties, apparently influenced by one particular TV show. While it ended production in 1971, Hogans Heroes was in reruns long after. With a hat tip to RossK, this video clip demonstrates a lesson learned well by at least one future politician.
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: On media, a reader’s contribution
Ms.Photo Op,Mentzelopoulos,Muir,Waldner Here’s an excerpt from the Vancouver Sun that ran Nov 22nd about the hiring of the husband of the minister of corporate priorities by the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), and the link to the full story: “VIHA president Howard Waldner, in an interview from Toronto, said he
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Democracy Or Plutocracy? A Chart
By Dave Johnson, Campaign for America’s Future: Updates:
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Contributions of two MLAs in BC Legislature
“I think this [Auditor General for Local Government] is a vital step forward for British Columbia, and long overdue, I think it’s going to make a difference, I think it’s going to mean taxpayers money will be spent better and will ensure they get value for every single dollar.” Every
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: To be different, we must do things differently
Alexandra Morton has a new blog entry. It starts with this: Dear Minister Ashfield: I would suggest you stop treating us like fools…Alexandra holds back little criticism because she has observed political lying and spin-doctoring first hand. Morton doesn’t pull punches. Science is on her side; also truth, the coastal
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Photo Op Princess, come back to earth
Christy Clark pretended that justice would be swift and effective for hockey rioters. The problem was – and everyone knew this – BC’s court system had been starved for resources; systematically and consciously starved by the Liberal Government. Clark was promising what she knew could not be delivered. It’s her
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Best and worst of CKNW
I am quick to criticize CKNW, mostly because I remember the years it did excellent work. Its newsroom, when run by Warren Barker, was the single quickest and best source for local news. Reporters like George Garrett were our trusted friends. The morning news talk show under matchless hosts Jack
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: A snail’s pace is quick by comparison
To emphasize that the Basi/Virk trial was merely meter-spinning theatre from the injustice system, I bring back a Northern Insights piece from almost 18 months ago. I think it captures reality, showing the trial was never about exposing truth. This week another insider of the Liberal government was caught reaching
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: CKNW charity boosts corporate profits
In early December, Corus Radio holds its annual pledge day, raising money for the CKNW Orphans’ Fund, a charity started when Bill Rea founded the station in 1944. A Northern Insights reader suggested I look at how financial management of the Orphans’ Fund had altered in recent years, changes made
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Victoria’s old-time policing continues
Victoria police assault probe not over yet, CBC News, November 23, 2011: “A provincial court judge ruled [Victoria police sergeant] George Chong used excessive force in applying a chokehold that rendered Frank Blair unconscious in January 2010. “The judge sentenced Chong to one year’s probation and ordered him to take
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: A simple truth
For British Columbia Liberals, the BC Rail/Basi/Virk story is like a slow growing cancer. Left unresolved, it is metastasizing, nudging the afflicted party toward an inevitable conclusion. I’ve tried to understand why Liberals, or at least ethical members within the party, have not demanded an end to this distress through
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