Privatizing public wealth
In July 2018, newly installed Premier Doug Ford announced that noted ex-con and former BC Premier Gordon Campbell would lead an “independent” inquiry into Ontario’s past spending and accounting practices.…
Norman Farrell
Natural gas revenues: going, going, almost gone
In 2008, British Columbia gained $3.2 billion from sale of petroleum and natural gas rights. If the second half of 2019 matches the first, revenue from right offerings for the…
North Vancouver District Policy Proposal
THAT staff is directed to prepare a policy that will require members of Council to declare before voting on any development proposal, campaign contributions knowingly received from the applicant, or…
For the times they are a-changin’
Today, British Columbia is far richer than fifty years ago but that wealth is distributed much differently. As a result, despair is widespread, homelessness grows, thousands die each year from…
Liberal rebrand: Hypocrisy ‘R’ Us
For years, BC Liberals relied on millions of dollars contributed by a relative handful of wealthy donors, many based outside the province. Along with developers hungry to acquire public lands…
Loyalty matters
Trust, communication and cooperation are vital elements in a workplace, particularly when staff is small, financial stakes high, and tasks important. But, what happens when trust is broken and wrongdoing…
Grand scale giveaway
Why the NDP has decided to fight teachers and not the gas industry is a mystery to me. The volume of BC natural gas production has increased substantially in the…
Vaughn Palmer, noted engineer and road-builder
Today, a poll from Mario Canseco’s Research Co. reported, “The governing New Democratic Party (NDP) is the top choice in British Columbia’s current political landscape…” This might explain why some…
Wrongdoing? Nevermind!
If your house is burglarized and cherished possessions stolen, don’t call police. Cost of an investigation is likely more than the cash value of items stolen. That’s might be the…
Hypocrisy
Until a 2017 statute deterred corporate contributions to politicians, BC Liberals took in millions from radical activists with deep pockets. These were the foreign shareholders and financiers of large corporations…
Path of destruction
I’ve argued on this website that BC Hydro’s ratepayers are victims of corporate inertia. The company continues to do what it properly did for its first 45 years. Unfortunately, now…
Liberal legacy
Years ago, SFU Professor and private power promoter Mark Jaccard assured us “independent power producers who will lose their shirts — not ours – – if they get it wrong.”…
Liberal evasion
Today, the Liberal who played a central role in casino oversight dodged questions about documents from Globe and Mail’s Justine Hunter. He also suggested he will refuse to reveal all…
Choices
Yeah, who wants socialism?
Returning soon
April 2019 marked the tenth birthday of this online site. I say thank you to regular readers who participate with comments and make these sections interesting and informative. Special thanks…
Facts matter
The BC Press Gallery has been a private club, reluctant to admit new members. Emma Gilchrist, co-founder of The Narwhal and Executive Director of its predecessor Desmog Canada, had media…
Fugitives in our midst
Politicians in British Columbia’s two major political parties may speak about the need for urgent climate action in Canada. But, their moves to ramp up this province’s fossil fuel production…
Promises, promises
LNG plants will only be constructed in BC if the province provides unprecedented subsidies and tax relief. Inducements include natural gas that is essentially free of royalties and other levies,…
Andrew Weaver speaks
Excepting BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, politicians on both sides of BC’s Legislature are reluctant to discuss natural gas policies. This week, the BC NDP raised gas subsidies. That’s…
Whoppers, big and small
Charles Adler believes we should speak clearly. However, he said nothing about speaking accurately, a quality not always compatible with political propaganda.