If the B.C. government is ever on the hunt for a new slogan perhaps “spending our children's inheritance” would be fitting.  Since 2001, British Columbians have been witness to the sale of key parts of B.C.'s infrastructure, transfers of its wealth to private interests and sweetheart deals for industries that can afford...

I am not sure if Idle No More is a movement or merely a passing protest. Like Occupy Wall Street before it, Idle No More, above all, appears to be an expression of frustration. Earlier protest actions opposed the status quo, but they did have a clear focus — civil rights, women’s rights and gay rights — visions for a new...

By Mark Milke, The Fraser Institute You might think the federal Conservatives, who added $125-billion to the federal debt since 2008 and will add another $21-billion by the end of March, might be shy about unnecessary expenditures. Alas, that’s not the case, as it appears Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his colleagues would rather hand […]

Today Premier Christy Clark set in motion a $5-million fund to provide financial protection for forestry contractors, as well as announcing tax relief on previous compensation payments. “Our promise to logging contractors was to guarantee they receive payment for work performed, and to ensure fair tax treatment on earlier compensation,” said Premier Clark. “Today we’re […]

The B.C. government likes to boast that the province's personal income tax rates are among the lowest in the land, if not the lowest. Expect to hear it repeated a lot in TV ads over the coming weeks, when the legislature reconvenes in February and when the 2013 provincial budget is tabled.   On one level they're right. On...

Computer users in the Okanagan region are getting attacked by a virus impersonating law enforcement and then pressuring people to pay money to fix. The malware virus displays pop-up messages telling users that the RCMP or other government agencies are investigating the user for illegal activity on their computer. To fix the problem, the user […]

The Better Business Bureau announced its top 10 scams for 2012, and it’s obvious from the list scammers are getting a little daring in attempting to steal the trust of the public. “We are seeing trends towards spoofing well-known brands and ‘scams of the moment’ which capture people’s attention because the topic is in the […]

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations’ Wildfire Management Branch is recruiting physically fit, motivated and team-orientated individuals to fill fire crew positions for the 2013 fire season. Interested candidates can apply until Jan. 24 online through the Wildfire Management Branch website: www.bcwildfire.ca/employment The job requirements are listed on the website, including details […]

If the term 'fiscal cliff' became part of the daily lexicon over the holidays, perhaps a new term should come into vogue in B.C. before the May election. Call it the 'fiscal tsunami' and it could hit B.C.'s shores sooner than most think.   It's the hangover that comes from creative accounting, financial wizardry and a little...

When Josh Fox received a letter offering him nearly $100,000 for the natural gas extraction rights on his Pennsylvania property, his first reaction was: nice chunk of change. Then he started wondering what was involved in the hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) process proposed.  Looking for the answer took him on a road trip...