Needing leadership, we get greed
Province pundit Michael Smyth slammed provincial court judges – bellyachers of the bench, he called them – for demanding richer packages of salaries and benefits. Maybe Smyth is grinding an…
Norman Farrell
Lying like a cheap rug
Perhaps the largest barrier making re-election of Christy Clark’s government unlikely is its lack of credibility. The Liberal brain trust decided long ago that veracity should always rank behind expediency.…
No news is likely bad news
With the first quarter of British Columbia’s current fiscal year ending, public agencies and crown corporations will soon release annual reports and audited financials for the year ended March 31,…
Smyth tells part of the story
I wonder if Province political columnist Michael Smyth spends only some of his time in this province and the rest on an isolated beach of Molokai. Occasionally, he seems plain…
Une artiste qui dérange
Harper government targeted artist for her green conscience, internal documents reveal, Vancouver Observer, June 12, 2012 “Franke James, a Canadian artist and environmental advocate blacklisted by the Harper government, has…
Crude lies
Pipeline spill risks are low, Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines “… with modern pipeline design and mitigation measures, the risks are very low… “What we can say is that at Enbridge,…
Politics over education of children
B.C. spends $1.7M on ads in teachers’ dispute, CTV BC, June 14, 2012 “The B.C. government’s ad campaign defending their position in the teachers’ dispute has cost more than $1.7…
Finding fibre for China
Timber panel eyes logging protected areas, Wendy Stueck, The Globe and Mail, Jun 12, 2012 “A committee looking for ways to boost B.C.’s dwindling store of timber is looking at…
British Columbia, Potemkin village style
Part of the plan to arrest dwindling BC Liberal support is to announce and re-announce program changes and capital projects, large and small. There is a flurry of proclamations happening…
Message to the Harper government
IMF chief Christine Lagarde warns world risks triple crisis, The Guardian, June 12, 2012 “Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, has warned that the world risks a…
Destructive attack on democracy
British Columbia’s wealthiest citizens will soon be pressured to contribute unprecedented levels of cash for an intensive PR campaign aimed at ensuring reelection of a business friendly government. This will…
For climate change skeptics
A comment by Tom Rand, the resident clean tech advisor at MaRS discovery district in Toronto. He has North America ‘s “Greenest” hostel. His life’s work is pushing the needle…
Subverting democracy
A month after Jim Shepard resigned as CEO of BC’s second largest forestry company, the Liberal government appointed him Senior Policy Adviser. After a year, Shepard, 73, is leaving to…
Liberal’s own fast ferry
Last August, Chad Skelton of the Vancouver Sun reported on a conference call between BC Hydro president Dave Cobb and senior staff. Cobb said the utility was being forced by…
Hey, Bill Good
Good job. You won’t find much here that is complimentary about a broadcaster whose work I once respected. But, he deserves credit for working Canada’s Coast Guard story on the…
Unravelling the right, reframing the left
Donald Gutstein, professor in SFU’s School of Communication, writes frequently on the web, often about think tanks and the dogmatic, distorted postures we’ve come to expect from these groups. A…
Let the MSM die, we have alternatives
A news magazine that provides opinion not packaged for Canada’s big business, is The Tyee. David Beers’ publication has nerve, dedication and skill. It daily presents information that frightens managers…
Converting influence to cash
A file clerk in the province’s liquor distribution branch dares not take another position that gives hint of conflict with that person’s regular job. If you are a rainmaker, a…
Welcome to Alberta
“Alberta’s expansive wilderness boasts some of the most spectacular scenery and authentic outdoor experiences you can imagine… “With its vast blue skies, magnificent Canadian Rockies, rolling fields of wheat, boreal…
Victim of his disease or victim of Jim Chu?
Years passed before video surfaced showing police officer Lee Chipperfield applying a fatal head shot to unarmed Paul Boyd as the already wounded man crawled across a Vancouver roadway. We…