Posted 5/7/2009
In the last election I voted against STV. I even campaigned against it.
The single transferable vote, an idea that was launched by an assembly of non partisan everyday citizens, didn’t appeal to me. At the time, I believed my vote was the right one because I liked the current system of selecting MLA's.
Looking back, I realize I liked our current system because it served my interests well. I was an elected politician who had been chosen under the first past the post system. I, like many of the entrenched interests who are today fighting against STV, didn’t see a need to change a system that was working - for me.
But since I have left politics my view has changed dramatically. Part of it has been due to the fact that I sit here in this chair at CKNW every day and hear from you. What do I ...
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Posted 4/30/2009
This campaign has been chock full of polling data – with news ones out every few days. How much attention should you devote to them? As little as possible.
Polls just don’t tell you very much. First, they could be wrong. But even if they’re right, they don’t tell us what’s going on in the 10 – 15 key swing ridings that will determine the outcome of this election.
The interesting information in polls is almost always buried deep beneath the top line numbers. That’s where you can find out about what issues matter most, and which leaders have our confidence to deal with them.
But those issues don’t normally make the headlines while the media wants to write vapid stories about the horse race, ignoring the real issues in the meantime.
It’s true that the only poll that counts (and the only one that’s accurate) is the one on ...
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Posted 4/28/2009
If you feel strongly about the carbon tax - you will want to make your voice heard in this campaign.
I predict that if Gordon Campbell loses, there won’t be another jurisdiction in this country that attempts to introduce one. They will look to BC and consider the BC Liberal loss a cautionary tale. But if he wins, despite the strong opposition to the tax that’s come from some quarters, there's no doubt that other provinces will consider it a confirmation that the public is willing to accept it, and will eventually follow suit.
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Posted 4/27/2009
Canada is becoming a rare case in the world because we still use what's known as the 'first past the post' system for electing our representatives. One of its weird outcomes is that it creates whole swaths of the province where the outcome is never in doubt.
If you are a New Democrat in Abbotsford, your vote will never be reflected in the legislature. Ditto if you are a BC Liberal in Vancouver Hastings. And if you're a BC Green voter, your vote wont make much of a difference no matter where you live.
The ridings where your vote will really count in this provincial election are mostly around Burnaby, Prince George and Kamloops. Those are the swing ridings where the votes will be close and where your vote will really count for something.
No matter where you live you should vote - you should make your voice heard. But ...
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Posted 4/22/2009
When you’re approaching crunch time, you bring in a ringer, a pinch hitter, an ace. Fortunately, CKNW already has one.
It’s Christy Clark! Check here for all the inside details on what you need to know about the upcoming election. You can also listen as I lay out the BC 15 ... the 15 most important things you need to know about the election.
April 20, 2009:
It’s not commonly known but nonetheless true that in order to win an election, the BC Liberals have to be ahead by 4% in the polls. Conversely, the NDP can be 4 points behind and still eke out a majority.
It’s a weird fact about BC politics that’s a result of our two party system and our “first past the post” method of electing MLA’s. The Liberals have way more votes than they need in some places and the NDP have their ...
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Posted 4/22/2009
April 21, 2009:
Health care isn’t getting much attention in this election campaign but it deserves it. If he gets a third term this time around, Gordon Campbell is unlikely to seek a fourth. And before he goes, he wants to leave a legacy. Some might suggest that he wants to leave the environment and aboriginal reconciliation as his major legacies. I believe it will be health care.
Our health care in BC is an inefficient, monstrously expensive system that is chewing up our tax dollars at an alarming rate. Gordon Campbell wants big, controversial changes and, if he’s re-elected, he will feel like he has the political capital to do so. Depending on how you feel about public vs. private health care should be an issue on your mind this voting day.
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Posted 4/22/2009
April 22, 2009:
In this election, the BC Liberals hope the question on your mind when you walk in to the polls will be which party is best able to get us through this ugly recession. Polls make it clear that most British Columbians believe the answer to that question is Gordon Campbell.
But when we consider that question, keep in mind that the Liberals have been anything but fiscal conservatives in this, their second term. Drunken sailors is how some critics would characterize their spending over these last four years.
You might decide that they’ll be more careful with your tax money than the alternative but don’t be fooled into thinking that they been prudent fiscal managers – the massive increases in government spending over the past few years proves that’s simply not true.
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