The NDP under David Eby has had its chances … twice in fact, over the past four years under Eby and nine years in total under Eby/Horgan.
Let’s keep it real: the results have not been good under Eby!
The forest industry is on life support; much of the rest of our economy is bad; thousands (especially young people) have left the province; the deficit just this year is $13.8 Billion; the projected debt by 2028 tops $155 Billion!
And yet, so many of our problems have gotten worse!
Has health care improved? Are there fewer Emergency Department closures? Have waiting lists for surgeries/MRI/therapies improved? Have we forgotten all the hospital expansions that were cancelled? Are seniors needing long term care getting it? Are there fewer homeless problems? Do people feel safer just walking down the street?
BC cannot go on like this!
I am sure the NDP are well intentioned, but the reality is they just are not good at running government like a business out to serve its paying clientele … and the BC government, in a way, is a business.
The people of BC are the shareholders and we have a right to expect our Board of Directors and their administrators to do more than just hand out money to those who they feel need it, give away our properties and hundreds of millions to those who demand them and, as a result, drive our deficit up, our debt up and our credit rating down, down, down.
How many voters are even aware that things have gotten so bad, just the interest on our debt is costing us around $14 MILLION A DAY!!!
Think of that: the interest alone on our debt is costing us around $14 MILLION A DAY!!!
It’s so bad that if the NDP gets re-elected, fiscally prudent taxpayers will find themselves hoping that Eby once again breaks many of his current promises: because if he went ahead with all of them, our deficit and debt would likely propel BC into Third World fiscal status! And I haven’t heard him say what existing spending he’d cut to make way for all the new spending he’s dangling before us.
No doubt the Conservatives have also promised debt/deficit-increasing goodies to woo the voters, but I suspect they’ll cut things most of the public would agree with, like some the 63 Health Authority Vice-Presidents, slashing other areas of the provincial bureaucracy as well, trimming the hundreds of millions spent to support, rather than heal, the druggies, and increase revenues by encouraging business, slashing red tape, reducing investment-crippling regulations, cutting ideologically driven social programs/spending and opening government projects to more competitive non-union bids.
And then there’s DRIPA!
At best, this UN-pie-in-the-sky fairy tale will see huge tracts of BC public lands and hundreds of millions of dollars just handed over to the First Nations (no wonder no other province has adopted DRIPA); and, at its worst, at the hands of a single social activist judge, another DRIPA ruling could place private lands in jeopardy as well … when it comes to title or perhaps, as “compensation”, subject to an annual “indigenous” proprietary extra tax as well.
If a Conservative government repeals DRIPA as promised, history will treat their term in office as a win, win, win for public and private lands policy.
It boggles my mind to think that there are still many people who want to give Eby/NDP another four years to rule BC!
The BC Conservatives deserve a chance to tackle the province’s mounting problems with a more business-orientated government.
If they fail, then we can throw them out … after the NDP has rid themselves of Eby and done a reality adjustment to more effectively represent the interests/needs of the majority of working British Columbians … instead of the loudest, agitating, activist minorities.
Harv Oberfeld
(🇨🇦🇨🇦More than ever…BUY CANADIAN!🇨🇦🇨🇦)
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Well I voted, but I did not vote for either the NDP or the Conservatives. I was going to vote for our conservative MLA and he will win no matter what, but the damned bridge announcement, stopping the tunnel and now start from scratch again with a bridge and the SkyTrain announcement about a SkyTrain extension down the King George tells me despite the hype and hoopla, the Conservatives are going to continue to squander money strictly for politcal reasons. The likes of Christy Clark and McCallum on the telly sent chills up my spine.
The “Dork” and his cronies will do a lot a damage in BC, forcing their Maple MAGA doctrines on BC. it’s the fruit of the poisonous tree and all that.
How did we get here?
Eby’s NDP, is/was worst government this province has ever seen as they were completely tone death to everything and everyone except for their small cadre of politcal friends and insiders.
Eby will resign Saturday night because he must and this maybe the reason why he called a snap election, there were rumours of a palace revolt as NDP MLA’s were seeing re-election chances diminishing to a 2001 election level.
The NDP will never learn and the Conservative just refuse to learn and that I think, says it all.
what we wanted was a sane government the put the peoples business first, running the province, instead once elected we get mini dictators telling the electorate to do as told and take it.
I predict buyers remorse in a month and four years of extremely turbulent politics, where the voter and taxpayer come last.
I would sure like to know how are the First Nations community able to buy up so many BC Casinos. They recieve one hundred million dollars each year for 25 years that the NDP signed off on in one of their many backroom deals using seven percent of BCs Casino revenues that is supposed to be for everyone fairly in services for all. So I see one answer. and it just can’t be from their own investments. Are they being aloud to slowly buy back the province with the revenues and taxes that are all of ours. How far does the rest of the majority and governments have to go with compensating wrong doings. It seems reconciliation and recognizing wrong doings of the past is all about the big buck bank of BC taxpayers. It’s a bottomless money pit and It’s gone to far, but not according to the NDP and their self induced guilt complex. It really is to much. I suppose I can’t blame the First Nations band members and their leaders for getting what they can when they have such a bunch of guilt ridden useful idiots and tools in the NDP. May as well,use them. The siphon might just slow up though if the Conservatives get in. Well see after the polls close who gets to govern or maybe not even a strong minority. It’s going to be an interesting one that’s for sure.
(Response: The First Nations don’t have to “buy back” lands in BC … Eby/NDP have just been giving many. many parcels “back” in secret negotiations with FN, no other “public” input or consultations. And DRIPA is clearly working in the FN’s favour, not the overall population: that’s why FN leaders love/praise it so much! Hasn’t anyone noticed there have not been such secret negotiations/giveaways in other provinces, despite land claims? Ho)
This election truly demonstrated one thing – David Eby is simply a bad leader and probably one of the worst BC NDP leaders in some time. Even if he pulls off a miracle and wins the election (I don’t think he will) he simply cannot continue to lead our province for another full term.
Now, if John Horgan was still leader, I don’t know if he would’ve necessarily been able to pull it off or not – partly because if he was in office for so long, the voters might simply want change regardless. But I think he’s the only person living or sadly dead that would’ve been able to pull this off. I also think things wouldn’t be this bad if he was still in charge.
I am also fairly confident though that Horgan wouldn’t have been so stupid to go less than 2 years of a mandate to call a snap election. And if he was so reckless to prepare for a snap election and saw the circumstances change like they did (Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigning) he would’ve been smart enough to pull the plug and continued to govern.
Of course, the difference between John Horgan and David Eby are vast. Horgan was first and foremost, the man of the people and had a good antennae for public sentiment. Eby pretends to be and Eby thinks he does.
John Horgan never thought of himself as the smartest person in the room, while David Eby does.
John Horgan made the NDP a very credible party of government. David Eby has decimated it in under 4 years.
Like I said previously, if Lorne Doerkson can keep a Stephen Harper-like vice grip on caucus and keeps the extremists at bay from policy making and otherwise, he’s got a real shot at running a solid government. If he doesn’t, it’s gonna be potentially a wild 4 years.
I hope BC gets out and votes on Saturday and we can all justifiably complain until the next election!
(Response: Of course, we do not know what the election outcome will be. However, if the NDP loses, I suspect there will be some who regret the party didn’t take my advice last April: http://wp311593.wpdns.ca/ndps-only-hope-is-for-eby-to-go/. I think that with a new leader, more focused on average middle class British Columbians’ real issues, the party would be more popular, there would be no snap election and the Conservatives would probably still be in turmoil! Ho)
Seems to me that upon Eby’s winning of the last election he stated that the people of bc have spoken and he will just have to do better this time. Well he has done better at working in secret to betray most of us, lying and just all around disgusting behavior. This includes all the rot in his cabinet and advisors..let’s rid ourselves of this pox. Vote!
(Response: I remember how contrite and humble Eby was after the NDP came so close to being tossed in the last election. But it didn’t seem to take long before I sensed arrogance, stubbornness and just more ideological pandering to his favoured groups … not ordinary working people, business victims of druggies and crazies rampant on our streets. Ho)
The Conservatives aren’t a very conservative party. They appear to be very much the rebranded Liberal Party. The party that is truly conservative is OneBC. However, the only parties that can win are the Conservatives and the NDP. In my opinion, it is vital to fire the worst premier in the history of British Columbia. For that reason, I really hope voters will send David Eby a clear message.
(Response: I agree that the only party capable of defeating the current NDP is the BC Conservative Party. And as I have written before, if they repeal DRIPA and stop the secret negotiations and giveaway of so much provincial land to the First Nations, I believe they will have done British Colombians a great service. That is not to say we should not have negotiations over land claims and compensation for wrongdoings: but the NDP has just been handing out land and hundreds of millions of dollars far too easily, without proper public input. That has to stop … and the only way to do that is give the Conservatives a chance in office. Ho)
Read today Thursday Vaughn Palmer arricle in Van sun
Need an army of accountants and forensic ones also
(Response: Here is a link to the column: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/vaughn-palmer-david-eby-hidden-agenda-on-display-when-he-persuaded-a-court-to-lock-in-haida-aboriginal-title.
No one should feel comfortable seeing a government act that way… and who knows what other secret deals are in the works, hidden from the public until after the election! HO)
Not much can be said … except .. get out and vote by Saturday !!
(Response: This is the one chance voters will get for years to change the government; if they stick with the NDP, for the next four years, and don’t like the results, they will have no one to blame but themselves. Ho)
The conservatives are still without an official leader, so what happens if they become government or opposition?
Do they need a full leadership convention? Do they run the risk of electing another Findlay? Don’t forget the same crowd that elected her over Caroline Elliott are still circulating amongst them.
(Response: That’s a red herring. I don’t know the BC Conservatives’ Constitution (or the BC NDP’s) but I have never seen a party that wins an election immediately move to get rid of their leader! That indignity is reserved for losers. Ho)
Yes young people and professionals are leaving the province to other parts of Canada and the US because of better pay, cheaper housing and lower taxes. And Eby is proposing higher taxes to drive even more away. Would like to know the number of professionals lost to the US including doctors and nurses vs the number that have moved here and now facing higher cost of living and taxes. Real stewardship by NDP.
And to your point on health care and the NDP fear mongering on cuts. All I have heard from Cons is that they will bolster front line workers. I have had years of experience in BC health care to see first hand the waste. Like 8 consultants all making well over $100 an hour plus a hospital manager, assistant manager, director, assistant director all sitting around discussing some issue which they have no idea about and what is actually happening on the front line. I used to go around the room and ask why are you here and what do you have to contribute. Usually ended up sending the majority away to find another meeting to attend rather than doing real work helping patients.
(Response: All levels of government seem to have many more staff doing the same type jobs as in private industry… and each enjoy better working conditions, benefits and retirement pay/coverages than most of the rest of us could ever dream of … enviable, but not when your employer is running a $13.8 Billion deficit. Time to make hard decisions, tough cuts to non essential services and concentrate only on improving the majority’s real needs. Ho)