You can say one thing for the powers that be in the banking industry. They’ve got a lot of nerve. This past week our own finance minister Jim Flaherty, along with Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, came out strongly in opposition to a modest proposal to regulate the US banking system. Their interventions followed...

By Justin Elliot in ProPublica. Earlier this month, a group of three young Bahrainis arrived in Washington to talk about reform in the small Persian Gulf nation, which has been rocked by Arab Spring protests for the last year. The delegation, including an NGO worker and a tech entrepreneur, both Western-educated, represented...

Last week’s provincial  budget includes two items that will directly impact municipalities: the increase in Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums, and the creation of a new Auditor General for Local Government. MSP will increase local government expenses Increases to MSP premiums will amount to about $60 per year per person. This cost will be passed […]

Over 20,000 Canadians have joined with online campaigning organization Leadnow.ca to call for a full and independent public inquiry into an alleged systematic voter deception phone campaign that targeted likely non-Conservative voters in key ridings during the May 2011 election. Since the campaign launched on Friday, 20,000...

IntegrityBC has awarded seven broomsticks in the first of its annual Broomstick awards signifying the most egregious examples of ineptitude on B.C.’s political landscape from the past year. “Our choice of a broomstick is meant to symbolize that it’s time to clean up a mess,” said IntegrityBC executive director Dermod Travis. “Yet it’s easy to […]

Integrity BC a non-partisan advocacy group championing accountability and integrity in BC politics, recently handed out seven broomsticks as a part of its first annual Broomstick awards. The Broomstick awards signify the most egregious examples of ineptitude on B.C.’s political landscape from the past year. “Our choice of a broomstick is meant to symbolize that […]

The B.C. Federation of Labour said today that Minister Abbott’s interpretation of the fact-finder’s report into the dispute between teachers and the government missed the mark.   “It’s preposterous for this government to conclude that its only remedy is to illegally legislate a contract on its own terms,” said Jim Sinclair, President of the B.C. […]

With two exceptions, Monday evening's committee-of-the-whole recommended that council grant all the requests for funding they received from community groups for 2012. Some $448,400 will be given to 16 community groups and two municipal programs this year through in kind services, waived fees, supplies, utility expenses, and...

[CORRECTION: The rezoning was not for a duplex. It was for an R1 Infill zone to permit the subdivision of the lot into two lots, both of which would have a single family home on it.] Council was evenly split on Feb. 13 regarding a decision to rezone 1794 Black Diamond Drive from a single family residence to a duplex, but they...

Since early February 2012, a series of global vigils have taken place in all over the world to express solidarity with Tibetans, following a call from Kalong Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay. As February 22 is the Tibetan New Year, activists are calling for another round of solidarity action. Lobsang Sangay's statement can be...