Majority of British Columbians support higher taxes, says poll
An opinion research study released today shows the public is ahead of political leaders when it comes to tax policy. It finds most British Columbians — regardless of how they would vote in a provincial election — are in favour of changes to BC’s tax system to ensure everyone pays a fair share and to enable new or enhanced...
IntegrityBC releases Christy's Christmas Castle animation
IntegrityBC has released Christy's Christmas Castle, an animated video to drive home an important aspect of the organization's campaign on electoral finance reform. Since 2005, the B.C. Liberal party has raked in more than $40 million from big business and is now the only major B.C. political party that still opposes a ban ...
IntegrityBC calls for BC Libs to re-commit to pre-election advertising restrictions
IntegrityBC is calling on the B.C. government to recommit to its 2009 ban on non-essential government advertising in the four months prior to voting day. The organization made the call following growing public concerns over the government's new TV ads featuring Premier Christy Clark. IntegrityBC released a copy of the...
Economists cautiously optimistic about B.C.'s economy
The majority of B.C. Economic Forecast Council members predict B.C. real GDP growth will slightly outperform the Canadian average in 2013, Finance Minister Michael de Jong announced at the conclusion of the annual meeting of the council. On average, the council expects B.C. real GDP growth to be 2.1 per cent in 2012, down...
COMMENT: I am a Nauruan
Luxury and avarice — those pests which have been the ruin of every state.--Cato the Elder [I wrote this essay for the By The People program of Nelson’s Community Radio on October 6. 2006. There is a renewed concern about the resource industry – oil, gas, forestry, coal – in Northern British Columbia. Sue, who grew up in...
COMMENT: Iran's 'cyber police' killed jailed blogger
We know they have openly promised to destroy Israel; we are aware they finance the worst terrorist groups in the world, that deliberately target civilians; we have been appalled at how they brutally suppress their own people; we were aghast when they murdered a Canadian photo-journalist while detained in custody; and now,...
OP/ED: Playing with the dragon II: The architects behind Canada’s China policy
In 1989, I sat alone in front of the TV, watching the fight for democracy and freedom come to a head in China. Who could forget this iconic image of a single man standing before the tanks, facing likely death? What strength lives in a soul to find yourself taking such action ? For a young woman like myself, raised in the...
COMMENT: Addicted to oil
Not long after the Defend Our Coast rallies, a pollster phones, wanting to know who I plan to vote for in the provincial election. The first party to unequivocally say NO to tar sands oil in pipelines and tankers through BC land and waters, I tell her. This causes a bit of confusion, as it clearly isn’t one of the options ...
COMMENT: Separating political myth from reality In B.C.
Myths are powerful things, especially when they feature forces of good (“free enterprise”) and evil (“socialists”), and evoke heroes (BC Liberals), villains (BC Conservatives) and monsters (NDP) to spin a good yarn that is rooted in fear and in distortions of blindly accepted “facts.” Great myths derive their greatest power...
IntegrityBC launches “Take back BC” campaign
IntegrityBC today launched “Take back BC,” a campaign focused on ensuring that the 2013 provincial election is the last election in B.C. bought and paid for by special interest money. The organization is calling on every political party to put electoral finance reform into their 2013 election platform and to make it one of ...