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The last NDP government blew up in spectacular fashion, tossed out in 2001 for a long list of sins. Two were critical. The public decided the New Democrats were both untrustworthy and incompetent. (Rightly, I would add.)It's early days, but the Libe...

topics: election, liberal, liberals, ndp, new-democrats

aggregated from: Paying attention

The Liberal governments education cuts get a failing grade on every count.Politically, they make little sense. Parents vote. Hurt their children's education to save small amounts of money and they'll be angry.Practically, they're glaringly bad public...

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Three years ago, then finance minister Carole Taylor said the provincial budget was for the little ones. The Liberal government's cost-cutting and mismanagement of support for children and families had just been set out in Ted Hughes' report. Ch...

topics: election, housing, liberal, liberals

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My first budget lockup was in March 1998, when the NDP government forecast a $95-million deficit. Why didn't you cut a little more and deliver a balanced budget, then finance minister Joy MacPhail was asked? Because you wouldn't believe us, she rep...

topics: business, election, federal-government, liberals, ndp

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From inside the budget lockup, six things you should know about the Liberals' latest effort.First, the February budget has been revealed as bogus. The deficit is now forecast at $2.8 billion, not the $495 million Premier Gordon Campbell promised duri...

topics: business, economy, election, environment, investment

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After a fair stretch watching politics up close, I remain baffled at what happens to people once elected. Consider, for starters, Stephen Harper and the latest batch of brazen patronage appointments to the Senate.Among the most recent nine were the C...

topics: crime, elected, election, liberal, liberals

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The Whistler Pique had an interesting open letter suggesting massive changes in addictions services. It appears the health authorities - or some of them - are cancelling contracts with community based agencies. They would then, presumably, offer the ...

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Why, after Vancouver had been working for at least 18 months on plans to have waste trucked to the U.S. for disposal, did the provincial government impose a ban on waste exports in the throne speech? The ban also comes out of the blue for the Cowicha...

topics: liberal, provincial-government, whistler

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Wonder where those quotes from Premier Gordon Campbell you see on the news or read in the paper come from?Often, from what press gallery types call secret scrums. Reporters are summoned to the premier's office and wait for Campbell to emerge, stand i...

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If the Throne Speech had been any gloomier, Lt.-Gov. Stephen Point would have had to wear sackcloth and ashes to read it. The worst recession in 27 years. Seismic economic shifts that were unpredictable and brutally deceiving in their speed and for...

topics: design, elected, election, liberals, premier