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Legislature in session: a flurry of bills proposed
March3, 2017
A flurry of legislation has been proposed, now that the BCLiberal government has called the Legislature for the first time in nine months (it’s Budget time). The list includes: Lower Voting Age to 16, First Responders As Essential Services, Right To Roam Act, University Amendment Act To Protect Academic Autonomy, Protecting School Board Democracy, Endangered Species Act.
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BC 2017: Questions to ask your candidates
January 19, 2017
Island Tides is kicking off its election coverage with 12 questions to ask your candidates. In upcoming editions we will print answers from all candidates we are able to contact.
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Teachers vindicated, education opportunity lost
November 17, 2016
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld a BC court decision which found that the Christy Clark government deliberately tried to provoke a strike with BC teachers for political gain while leaving children under-supported in overcrowded classrooms.
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Electoral reforms in BC
November 3, 2016
While federal electoral reform is under consideration, Saanich North and the Islands MLA Gary Holman says that that process needs to go provincial. The BC electoral system could do with some reform, according to Holman.
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The Douglas Treaties
October 20, 2016
Adam Olsen discusses the importance of the ocean and salmon to the First Nations people of the Saanich Inlet. Treaties and governments have been neglecting this importance for decades.
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The CRD moves closer to halting discharge of raw sewage
September 22, 2016
Currently, Victoria dumps its sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca untreated - but that could soon change. A new report by the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board has come up with a comprehensive plan for updating the city’s sewage facilities.
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BC’s Climate Plan released, showcases LNG
September 8, 2016
BC’s long awaited climate plan was released in August. The report ignores several of the Climage Leadership Team’s key recommendations, lacks details, and showcases natural gas production.
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Industrial damage threatens Blueberry River
August 25, 2016
The territory of the Blueberry River First Nations in northern BC is crisscrossed with industrial activity - 110,300 kilometers of linear disturbance, to be exact. 75% of their territory is within 250 metres of an industrial disturbance. It’s damaging key habitat and destroying the First Nations’ ability to carry on traditional activities.
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Court rules, zoning bars Shawnigan soil dump
April 7, 2016
After many court proceedings, BC Supreme Court rules that Cowichan Valley Regional District’s zoning bylaws trump provincial toxic waste dumping permit in Shawnigan Lake’s watershed.
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Budget 2016 Report Card
February 25, 2016
Gary Holman gives a hard-hitting and punchy sum-up of the BCLiberals’ budget. He says the BCLiberals use soundbites and window dressing to make BC’s economy look good.
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Putting a ‘price’ on water
July 23, 2015
The Water Sustainability Act puts a ‘price’ on groundwater, bringing up concerns about making water a tradable good under NAFTA. But others are arguing the rates aren’t high enough - Nestlé only pays $2.25 per million litres for water bottled.
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MLA Report
March 19, 2015
North Island MLA Claire Trevena examines BC’s 2015/16 budget. More for the well-to-do, less for the poor?
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Let the ancestors rest in peace
February 19, 2015
Andrea Palframan tells the story of Grace Islet. The protection of the First Nations' burial ground is an achievement, but there is still a long way to go.
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Monopoly could force bankruptcy of Gulf Islands’ recyclers
October 16, 2014
MMBC’s monopoly over BC recyclables could force rural recycling depots into bankruptcy. Meanwhile, these valuable depots are providing more service than just recycling packaging.
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Chill factor in revised BC’s Society Act
October 2, 2014
Patrick Brown points out the ‘chill’ factor in BC’s rewritten Society Act, which seems to allow anyone to initiate litigation against any society that they see as acting detrimental to the public interest. The courts would define ‘the public interest’. Comment period ends soon.
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Teachers’ 12-year struggle highlights government’s contempt for courts, and Charter
September 18, 2014
Has the provincial government met its nemesis? Patrick Brown gives a blow-by-blow account of the court action and legislation since 2002. It’s far from over…
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Editorial: People—BC’s best renewable resource
June 12, 2014
A people-based diversified economy for BC?
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MLA Report
June 12, 2014
Gary Holman summarizes the actions he and the BCNDP took during the spring session of the BC Legislature.
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Budget: regressive tax increases and tricky accounting
March 6, 2014
MLA Gary Holman gives his take on the BC 2014 Budget, North Island MLA Clair Trevena adds more commentary.
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Shaking up the carbon credit business
April 11, 2013 | Patrick Brown
John Doyle, BC’s recently departed Provincial Auditor, left a time bomb in the form of a report on the Pacific Carbon Trust, an organization invented by the also departed Premier Gordon Campbell to trade carbon credits between BC’s public sector and its corporations.
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Friday night environmental deal
March 28, 2013 | Patrick Brown
The Legislature only sat for 19 days this spring. Hours after closing, an MOU between the the federal and provincial governments was signed to devolve environmental assessments to the province. What are the implications for the Raven Coal Mine and Kinder Morgan pipeline?
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BC creates vacant town next to melting Jumbo Glacier
November 29, 2012 | Sara Miles
The controversial 104-hectare Jumbo Glacier resort development is going ahead, under the guise of a municipality.
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An answer-less end to 2011
December 15, 2011 | Claire Trevena
When do we return to the GST/PST system? Why did two Liberals implicated in the Basi-Virk scandal have their court costs covered by taxpayers? What is this government doing about increasing child poverty in BC? Why do students start their working lives $27,000 in debt? The answers are not forthcoming from the BCLiberal government.
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Jobs Plan relies on risky shale gas development
December 1, 2011 | Patrick Brown
By prioritizing resource exports and cheap electricity for mining and natural gas development, the BC Government Jobs Plan creates the need for LNG tanker ships, upgraded ports, and a pipeline to the BC coast. The chemical- and water-intensive shale gas industry in BC’s north is a major component of the Plan, and will also power bitumen extraction from Alberta’s tar sands. With Asian markets paying almost four times North American prices for natural gas, it seems lucrative.
However, not only is BCHydro building the transmission lines, government is offering subsidies for private infrastructure development. With industrial electricity rates set at $40/MWh, but new electricity costing BCHydro up to $100/MWh, the Jobs Plan puts BC taxpayers at risk by using BCHydro, a public crown corporation, to subsidize private resource development, not to mention the risks to the environment.
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The BC Legislature Report
December 1, 2011 | Claire Trevena
The BC Liberals are reluctant to have open debate; a new Family Law Act creates greater protection for children and women; the Advanced Education Statutes Amendment Act would disallow faculty or union members from sitting on college or university boards; too many BC children and youth are living in poverty; some mining operations may become exempt from permitting processes.
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The BC Legislature Report
November 17, 2011 | Claire Trevena
The MLA for North Island reports on the day-to-day issues in BC's government.
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The BC Legislature Report
November 3, 2011 | Claire Trevena
North Island MLA Claire Trevena reports on the continuing CLBC crisis, changes to the Privacy Act, and the Jobs Plan in her community.
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Cooking the books
October 20, 2011 | Patrick Brown
BC's Provincial Auditor doesn't accept the government's accounting method for P3 contracts and BC Hydro payments to Independent Power producers; John Doyle says the deficit should be $80 billion higher than the reported $50 billion.
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The Legislature - View from the North Island
October 6, 2011 | Claire Trevena
MLA Claire Trevena comments on the delay to re-implement the GST/PST, government policies hurting her constituents, and the Ferry Commissioner meetings.
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Jobs, jobs, jobs!
October 6, 2011 | Patrick Brown
Everyone is talking about them. But what kind of jobs are they talking about? And what is the best way to create them? Patrick Brown's special report works out the cost of providing employment—and the most effective method is not corporate income tax reduction.
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Economic mismanagement of the public good
August 11, 2011 | Gary Holman
From the HST to the Clean Energy Act, economist Gary Holman summarizes the Liberal government's trend of managing public resources for private profit.
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HST: more than meets the eye
June 16, 2011
The HST referendum is about nothing less than the shape of the future in BC. The biggest shift in provincial tax policy ever, the HST encourages old-style resource extraction rather than encouraging smaller, innovative, people-centred enterprises. It reveals much about our government.
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HST: smoke thickens, mirrors dazzle
June 2, 2011
In a last ditch effort, Finance Minister Kevin Falcon proposes reductions to HST - but later, and if the HST survives the June/July referendum.
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The HST - Yes, it's a tax grab
May 19, 2011
The BC government's new report shows the costs of the HST will be borne entirely by BC families, with benefits going to big business and provincial coffers.
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BC's HST muddle hurtles forward
May 5, 2011
Voting for the mail-in HST referendum is scheduled for July. Referendum ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the province, starting on Monday, June 13. It is expected that the majority of voters will have received them by June 24.
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Editorial: Failed party politics
Feb 10, 2011
BC party politics is a mess of infighting, horse-trading, lack of representation and a plethora of muddled elections. No wonder the province is in an economic mess.
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Dam regulations swamp Gardom Pond license holders
Jan 27, 2011
Outfall from the 2010 Oliver mudslide has reached the Gulf Islands; a twitchy government is requiring water license holders to get dams inspected everywhere.
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The List - two dozen questions to ask BC politicians
Jan 13, 2011
26 questions succinctly outline BC's issues.
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BC's 2011 political calendar
Jan 13, 2011
Some dates to watch for in BC's tangled political life this year.
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Double Editorial: Gordon Campbell's final hurrah: the restructuring of BC government
Nov 11 and 25, 2010
Maybe Premier Gordon Campbell's 'cabinet shuffle' (actually a restructuring of BC government) followed by a quasi-resignation was no strange muddle but rather a carefully planned strategy. BCLiberals are left with a new, currently unassailable ministry designed to exploit BC's environment. Will they have the courage to undo this? (Restructuring listed in detail.)
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Fight HST recall recruitment race
Oct 28, 2010
The same organizational team, which successfully completed a Citizens’ Initiative against the BC HST, has swung into action to recall Liberal MLAs. Which riding will be the first to start a recall its MLA?
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Provincial budget suite
March 18, 2010
Patrick Brown takes apart the provincial budget to show what makes it tick and that BC has a structural deficit.
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Throne Speech and BC Budget
September 10, 2009
A suite of two articles and an editorial examine the BC budget. In the September 1st Budget Update, Finance Minister Colin Hansen had to admit to a runaway deficit and announce measures to deal with it. A crisis is an opportunity for change, and the BC Liberal government has taken the opportunity of severe economic downturn to make a massive change in the tax regime. Wholesale cutting of grants is a poor move, removing an important avenue of stimulus.
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BC Appeal Court judgement opens up Jordan River lands for development
September 10, 2009
The Capital Regional District's bylaw, to control development of some 2,500 hectares of wild land on the Vancouver Island coast just north of Victoria, has been struck down on a technicality.
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Tree Farm Development
June 18, 2009
Shirley residents express their reservations about RV park lodge and cabin development with a capacity of 1200/night on the boundary of The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.
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Gag law upset in court
April 9, 2009
The BC government’s ‘gag law’, which limited advertising by ‘third parties’ in the 60 day period prior to the 28 day ‘election period’ has been struck down by the BC Supreme Court.
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BC-STV: the pros and cons
April 9, 2009
Any version of Single Tranferable Vote will be more democratic than First Past The Post voting but the BC-STV election system will require a more informed electorate and vote counting by computer.
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Getting ready for the election
April 9, 2009
What are the BC's 2009 coastal electoral districts and how will they translate into 2013 BC-STV electoral districts should the May 12 referendum pass?
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The HST Suite: an editorial and three articles examine the provenance and implications of the Harmonized Sales Tax
August 27, 20
Editorial: 'Tax switch to consumers', 'HST fooferaw: it's not as if they didn't know', 'HST benefits to business', 'Premier's HST justification stems from flawed research'
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STV referendum defeated - Why?
May 21, 2009
Not the end of the road—reasons the BC-STV referendum was defeated show that electoral reform is not off the map, just delayed.
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The road ahead — new ideas for government.
May 21, 2009
Two lists—one about principles of government, the other about critical issues for BC in the coming years.
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Editorial: None of the above … won the election
May 21, 2009
Ins and outs of a disappointing election, poor turn-out; no clear mandate.
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Editorial: The List: the BC Liberal record— love it or hate it
May 7, 2009
An (incomplete) list of BCLiberal actions during the last two government terms.
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BC budget accuracy and GAAP questioned
February 26, 2009
Journalist questions size of budgeted deficit; govenment not using 'Generally Accepted Accounting Principles' for Olympic shortfall.
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Public-private partnerships questioned
February 12, 2009
Given the current economic down-turn and the move to infrastructure projects to get the economy moving, public-private partnerships (P3s) have stepped into the forefront. However, a just-released study by forensic auditor Ron Parks, and Rosanne Terhart, raises questions about taxpayer value for money in the use of P3s to build and manage infrastructure.
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BC Single Transferable Vote quiz
February 12, 2009
Get ready for May 12. An eye-opening, quick-study on the background to the proposed new voting system for BC, which goes to referendum this spring.
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Holiday ferry fare cuts part of premier's economic plan for BC
October 30, 2008
Is the Premier's Economic Plan just handy housekeeping? Will the Legislature be called at last but only for trivia and circuses?
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Strategic voting only a stopgap till proportional representation
October 2, 2008
Can we really say we have a healthy democracy, if the only way we can produce a functional government is for citizens to vote en masse against their conscience'.
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UBCM wins protection from the TILMA for municipalities
Aug 21, 2008
Municipal Land Use Bylaws will be exempted from the provisions of the BC/Alberta ‘Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement.’ This means that property rights will continue to be subject to local bylaws, and bylaws and other measures cannot be challenged because they may be ‘obstacles’ to investment under TILMA.
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Amendment Bill Amended; Advertising Restrictions Remain
June 12, 2008
BC Bill 42, 3rd party advertising restrictions for elections, was amended after public outcry (but no legislative debate). The special exclusion was reduced from 120 days to 60 and then passed, once again without the benefit of legislative debate.
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BC Government would regulate 3rd-party political advertising for 120 days before an election
May 29, 2008
With proposed Bill 42, BC's Liberals are going one step further than Canada's Supreme Court in limiting election advertising. Spending on advertising by unions, NGOs and individuals would be restricted for four months before an election, not just during the election period. Does this unnecessarily restrict public dialogue?
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Stonewalling about Medicare
May 29, 2008
Corky Evans makes a speech in the BC Legislature about BC Liberals' refusal to debate a change to the Medicare Protection Act.
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Credit unions merger possibility highlighted in TILMA Act
May 15, 2008
The largest credit unions in the country are in BC. They are led by Vancity Credit Union, with assets of well over $11 billion, and Coast Capital Savings, at over $9 million. No other credit unions come close, though several of those in the top ten are in Alberta. BC’s Credit Union Incorporation Act is extensively amended by TILMA Bill 32, apparently to provide for interprovincial credit union takeovers.
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Bill 21 — not what, but why?
May 15, 2008
The suspicion about Bill 21, the Medicare Protection Amendment Act, 2008, is a measure of the mistrust in which many people hold our current ‘Liberal’ provincial government.
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BC's Carbon Tax - revenue neutral
May 1, 2008
BC is in the process of setting greenhouse gas emission targets for the next forty years or so. However, nobody knows how effective a newly announced ‘carbon tax’ will be in reducing fossil fuel consumption and resultant GHG emissions. Nonetheless, it is an important complement to the ‘cap-&-trade’ system announced for large point source emitters.
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Carbon tax versus cap and trade
April 17, 2008
With worldwide acceptance of the connection between increasing accumulations of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere and global climate change, many governments are moving to regulate GHG emissions through systems of economic incentives.
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Electoral reform vote set for 2009
March 20, 2008
The Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act, legislation to allow a second referendum on an alternative electoral system, was introduced by Attorney General Wally Oppal on March 6.
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Rejigging the political map; a Valentine for BC?
February 21, 2008
On February 14, the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission announced its final report on political boundaries for BC.
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Government to repeal sections of Bill 29 declared unconstitutional
February 21, 2008
The sections were imposed by the government in January 2002 without any consultation with unions representing affected employees.
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TILMA a major hurdle to BC’s climate action plans
February 21, 2008 | Commentary by Marc Lee and Caelie Frampton
Premier Gordon Campbell has positioned BC as a global leader on climate change, but his interest in harmonizing provincial standards through the BC-Alberta Trade, Investment andLabour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) could prove to be a thorn in the government’s side. Fighting climate change will necessarily involve a lot of regulation, while TILMA is fundamentally a deregulatory initiative.
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Teachers sign-on to undebated TILMA
January 24, 2008
As of April 1, teachers from Alberta’s public and independent schools will be able to teach in British Columbia’s schools and vice versa.
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Boundaries commission will complete work
December 13, 2007
The provincial Electoral Boundaries Commission has announced that it will complete its work under its original terms of reference, even though the final fate of its recommendations is in considerable doubt.
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Not all the bullies are on the playground
November 29, 2007 | Russ Searle
For the past several years the Campbell government has been taking flak from smaller districts around the province due to a lack of specialist teachers in these districts for subjects such as calculus, social studies, and science.
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Call for carbon tax
November 15, 2007
On November 1, Sierra Club BC called on the BC government to introduce a revenue neutral carbon tax in the next provincial budget. The environmental group applauds the 69 BC economists who recently wrote an open letter to the BC government asking for a carbon tax to help tackle global warming.
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Municipalities question TILMA
October 4, 2007
On Wednesday, September 26, a substantial majority of delegates to the annual convention of the Union of BC Municipalities voted to support a resolution which questions the BC/Alberta Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA).
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Editorial: Gnawing at the Heart of Government
October 4, 2007
The British Columbia Legislature sat for only 46 days in 2006; the governing party neglected to call a fall session. In recent years, the Alberta Legislature has sat for about 45 to 55 days each year. The 2007 fall session of the House of Commons has been delayed for at least two weeks by the governing party.
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Deconstructing TILMA: Investment Protection
July 26, 2007
Premier Gordon Campbell has been heavily promoting the adoption by other provinces of the Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA). ‘It’s time we make up our minds what kind of country we want to be,’ he said at a recent meeting of premiers in Iqaluit.
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Municipalities aren’t buying into TILMA
May 31, 2007
Several of BC’s regional municipal associations have passed resolutions expressing their concerns about the effects of the TILMA.
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MLA pay raise may be dwarfed by pension costs
May 17, 2007
An Independent Commission proposal that MLAs once again have a defined benefit pension plan may be more significant than a recommended 29% pay raise (to $98,000), according to the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation.
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MLA’s pay—are they worth it?
May 17, 2007
Behind the public indignation that the governing BC Liberals would introduce a bill that would give each MLA a 29% pay increase, is the public suspicion that they aren’t worth the money.
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Proportional representation elections viewed
May 3, 2007
Fair Voting BC’s director Julian West is joining an international team which will observe the May 3 English local election and the parliamentary election in Scotland.
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TILMA creates hurdles for endangered species and for curbing pollution
May 3, 2007
Although the aim of TILMA is to turn Alberta and BC into an economic powerhouse, Sierra Legal’s analysis reveals that the agreement could seriously threaten the provinces’ endangered species and jeopardize potential initiatives to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Bill 11 and Jumbo Glacier Resort
April 19, 2007 | Corky Evans Commentary
An excerpt from a speech made by MLA Corky Evans in the BC Legislature on March 26. The entire speech, in inimitable Corky-style, can be read in Hansard.
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BC Government Scrambles to Clarify TILMA
March 22, 2007
The BC provincial government, faced with mounting criticism of the Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement which it signed with the Government of Alberta, has been scrambling to explain and reassure individuals and local governments about the expected effects of this complex document. It appears that, in their efforts to draft an all-inclusive agreement, the two governments have over-reached themselves.
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BC Liberals block TILMA debate
March 22, 2007
On March 5, the BC Liberal majority in the provincial legislature changed its position from neglecting to debate the Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement signed with Alberta, to refusing to debate the Agreement.
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Good Government vs. TILMA
March 22, 2007 | Chris Bowers
By now I hope that all Islanders have at least heard about the BC/Alberta Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) which will be coming into effect on April 1 of this year. If you have not, it can fairly be said that this was not the fault of this paper which has been calling the alarm for a number of months now.
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Educational squeeze tighter in rural schools; minister not listening
March 8, 2007 | Commentary by Russ Searle
During the past school year, the Minister of Education, Shirley Bond, backed by Premier Gordon Campbell, committed to visiting every school district in BC, and Wednesday, January 24 was the turn of Gulf Islands School District.
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Kwan calls for public hearings on TILMA
February 22, 2007
NDP MLA Jenny Kwan says that there has been no public forum in which to debate TILMA, the contentious BC/Alberta trade agreement. ‘British Columbians have questions and concerns about the impact TILMA will have on our province’, says Kwan MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.
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TILMA Forum in Nanaimo
February 8, 2007
Despite the wide ranging implications of this agreement British Columbians and local governments are just beginning to learn about the existence of this agreement and its impacts.
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BC Government Approves Three Proposals for Parks
January 11, 2007
The Request for Proposals for new fixed-roof accommodation in BC provincial parks received proposals for four parks: Mount Robson, Elk Lakes, Maxhamish Lake and Cape Scott.
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An Editorial + Letter on TILMA
January 11, 2007
TILMA is due to come into effect on April 1, 2007; here are the opinions of a few people on this agreement.
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TILMA: the Trojan Horse
December 14, 2006
The Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) between British Columbia and Alberta, signed last April in Edmonton, could be a 'Trojan horse’ to create an opportunity for the addition of property rights to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a key part of Canada’s constitution.
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BC Needs More Than Promises When it Comes to Accountability
November 30, 2006 | Keith Reynolds
‘I think legislators made a mistake,’ said BC’s recently retired Auditor General Wayne Strelioff in his final report. He was referring to the government’s decision to cut his office’s funding at the same time that his list of responsibilities was getting longer. These are strong words, and they should worry all of us who want our provincial government to be accountable and transparent.
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Islanders Protest TILMA
November 30, 2006
A small but motivated group of protesters joined forces on the steps of the BC Legislature on November 22 to show their opposition to the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement ( TILMA), made last April between British Columbia and Alberta.
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TILMA: While You Were Sleeping, Your Government Sold Your Democracy
November 16, 2006 | John Hill
This agreement gives big corporate interests the right to sue your local government, even after the fact, if they make any decision that is seen to conflict with any individual or corporate interest in trade, investment or labour’s right to move.
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Editorial: The Invisible Opposition
November 16, 2006
Premier Gordon Campbell decided not to have a fall session of the Legislature. One of his reasons was undoubtedly a reluctance to provide a platform from which the NDP, the Official Opposition, could criticize the actions of his government.
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BC Green Party leader steps down
October 5, 2006
On September 24, Adriane Carr, Green Party of BC leader, announced her intention to step down as party leader at the end of November 2006.
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Editorial: Real Government
September 21, 2006
The BC Liberals have decided not to have a fall session of the legislature. Their excuse is that they don’t need one, since they have no legislation to propose that can’t wait until spring, and it costs $30,000 a day to run.
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Education finance biased against small districts, says report
September 7, 2006
An analysis of the way school districts are funded by the provincial government has concluded that the formula used to calculate grants is biased against smaller and rural districts.
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Campaign launched to oppose new resorts in BC parks
August 24, 2006
A group of high profile BC conservationists have joined forces to deal with the challenge of maintaining the integrity and sustainability of BC Class A Parks.
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Spotted owl survival to get prompt action, says BC government
May 18, 2006
The BC government has announced a $3.4-million, five-year action plan to recover BC’s northern spotted owl. Based on the work of the Canadian Spotted Owl Recovery Team, BC will act as soon as possible to initiate measures to re-build spotted owl populations.
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BC to Hold Another Referendum on Electoral Reform
September 22, 2005
British Columbians will choose between a Single Transferable Vote system and the current first-past-the-post system in a second, more informed, vote on electoral reform in November 2008.
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BC STV: Ingenious and Not So Complicated
April 7, 2005
BC-STV stands for the British Columbia version of the single transferable voting system. It was devised last year by the 160 members of the Citizen’s Assembly to deal with growing flaws in BC’s electoral system.
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More than 10 Reasons to Vote ‘YES’ for BC-STV
March 24, 2005 | Louis Vallée
British Columbia’s May 17 referendum is our chance to change our voting system; the opportunity may not present itself again for many, many years.
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Redesigning BC Democracy
February 24, 2005 | Patrick Brown
BC’s Citizens Assembly has completed its work begun last January.
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Referendum on New Voting System Will Take Place Next May
November 4, 2004
On Sunday, October 24, the Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform recommended that British Columbians adopt a new voting system—the Single Transferable Vote (STV).
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Citizens Assembly Faces Decision Time
September 9, 2004
BC’s Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform wrapped up its public consultation at the end of June with seven meetings (the last of 50)...
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Proportional Representation Could Add 1.5 Million Voters
June 3, 2004
Fair Vote Canada has called on all federal parties to support a referendum on a more proportional voting system to help combat decreasing voter turnout.
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Public Finds Voice Over Electoral System
May 20, 2004 | Paul Harris
The historic public debate over what kind of electoral system would best suit BC is being joined by hundreds of British Columbians during a series of lively public meetings.
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Citizens’ Assembly Invites You to Look at Voting Systems
April 8, 2004
Since January the Citizens’ Assembly has been studying the structure of BC’s political system and five different ‘families’ of electoral systems.
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Citizens' Assembly Learning the Ropes
February 26, 2004
The work of the BC’s Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform has begun...
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Various Bills: Tidings from the Legislature
November 20, 2003 | Patrick Brown
The government has been busy passing bills in the provincial legislature, with, as usual, minimal debate and little explanation...
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Bill 46: ‘Working Forest’ Legislation Goes Forward Despite 97% Opposition
September 11, 2003 | Patrick Brown
Despite public consultation in which 97% of 2700 respondents opposed the provincial government’s ‘Working Forest’ discussion paper, the government appears set to go ahead with Bill 46, the enabling legislation.
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Bill 48: Sablefish Hatchery Raises Concerns
July 31, 2003
At Walker Hook on Salt Spring Island, Sablefin Hatcheries Ltd. is in the process of building a hatchery for sablefish, sometimes known as Alaska Black Cod.
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