City council voted unanimously in favour of helping to pay for a $110,000 upgrade to local RCMP detachment jail cells, but not without first expressing ire over how police funding works. “It’s frustrating, because every time the RCMP in Ottawa decide something, they just send us a bill – there’s no consultation or discussion. But […]

Monday’s throne speech opening the fourth session of the 39th Parliament in B.C. focused on job creation, building stronger, safer communities and continuing to open up government for British Columbia families. The Province could be introducing changes to benefit families: The introduction of a new provincial statutory holiday Family Day, on the third Monday of […]

By: Jordan Bateman, B.C. Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation As hundreds of municipal politicians gathered in Vancouver last week for the Union of BC Municipalities conference, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released the contract with taxpayers they will be challenging B.C. candidates to sign ahead of the Nov. 19 municipal elections. “Taxpayers are stretched thin and […]

The stoppage in negotiations between the province and the RCMP is the perfect time to begin looking at a provincial police force, says B.C. former solicitor general, the Vancouver Province reports. Kash Heed said the province should step back and look at what effective, efficient and accountable police service looks like for the province. The […]

Mayor Lawrence Chernoff says Castlegar has much to offer the B.C. Mayors Climate Leadership Council, despite being the second-smallest participating municipality.   This, after, the group of mayors from across the province met with Environment Minister Terry Lake during the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conference.   “It’s all about sharing best practices – you […]

For some he's a watchdog, for others he's a pain in the you-know-what, and for those of us in the media he's a darn good story. We can always count on Coun. Laurie Charlton to pull off some obstreperous stunt that people want to read about.This grand-standing politician just loves attention. Perhaps, Mr. Charlton, you'll even...

The most interesting thing about those latest radio ads by the BC Liberals is the fact they were done at all … now … more than 18 months (supposedly) before the next provincial election.  And there’s an entire website set up just to attack BC Conservative leader John Cummins!  Congratulations, John! You’ve now officially made...

Friends and foes laid partisan politics aside for a moment Monday as the fall session of Parliament opened with a string of tributes for former NDP leader Jack Layton, who succumbed to cancer over the summer. Taking her place opposite Prime Minister Stephen Harper, interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel opened her remarks by acknowledging the […]

To the Editor, It is our Government’s long-standing position that political parties should rely on their supporters for financing, supporters who choose to fund the activities of political parties. The “per-vote subsidy” to fund political parties is, in fact, a tax-on-voting. Canadians should have choice over whether or not they want to fund political activities. […]

 So, I’m here today to nosh on a heaping helping of good, old-fashioned crow, as I totally reverse a passionate position I took in a similar column several years back. As long as said crow is locally-grown, I think I can choke it down. What on God’s green earth is she talking about? you may […]