I’ve always liked Colin Hansen. In the more than 20 years I had opportunities to interview him in his various business and political machinations, I found Hansen easily available, fairly forthright and (even when I personally disagreed with his policies or philosophy) very competent at putting forward and clearly outlining his (government’s) reasoning and ideas.
So when I listened to him interviewed by Michael Smyth on CKNW (check their Audio Vault Friday 11:30 a.m. to Noon), I didn’t really have to do too much interpretation to figure out the BC Liberals’ plan to win the May 2009 provincial election.
*Another 2% reduction in Income Taxes (already announced) will go into effect Jan. 1, 2009
*The government has discovered it will have an EXTRA billion dollars coming from better-then-estimated natural gas/oil revenues.
*At least part of that windfall will apparently be used to lower income taxes again … and yes, there may even be another cheque in the mail directly to voters. A bribe, sure, but let’s face it: many voters CAN be bought … with their own money!
*The province will also end the year with enough of a 2008 surplus to allow the Liberals to announce new provincial spending on several projects and programs. (Maybe even a boost in the Minimum Wage?)
*The exact plan and promises for all this will be laid out in the provincial budget Feb. 17.
And based on previous BC political precedent, when the Opposition denounces these plans to buy BC voters with their own money (what the Liberals will no doubt call the “dividends of good government” and benefits of a strong economy) the election campaign will be ON.
What Premier Gordon Campbell will be gambling on is that, once the dough starts to flow, British Columbians will forget or forgive the fact that: the legislature failed to sit this Fall: that he handed out up to 43% salary increases to top government servants; that his government announced the outrageous increases late on a Friday afternoon, after the Premier had left town; and, that he flew to Beijing in a carbon-spewing private jet, while the people of BC struggle under his new carbon tax.
All will be forgotten, the government believes, when the cash and the tax cuts are handed out …. to the voters.
Harv Oberfeld
3 responses so far ↓
1 Brian Gough // Sep 13, 2008 at 4:42 am
I listened to that interview,it was very deceptive, first off the surplus went from 30 million to one billion,not a lot of money with an olympic debt to service,Michael Smyth also asked Hansen about the provincial debt which he waffled and refused to answere.
Hansen went on fumbling about goverment debt service levels and debt to gdp ratio,Michael Smyth again asked for the amount of the provincial debt,Hansen waffled and stated something about the gloom of the nineties and did not answere, after the break when Hansen had left, michael Smyths researchers came up with the debt figures,
The BC LIBERALS have added over 2 billion dollars to our provincial debt since taking office,they have paid off ZERO DEBT in a boom economy, not to mention all the p3s we haven`t paid a dime on yet.
Harv,do you realize that our natural gas is a finite resource and Campbell has been abusing this limited resource and there is only a twenty year supply left!
You talk about bullshit, another tax cut means more user fees and higher rates on all utilities,not to mention the 300 dollar car levy coming this fall!
People are now wise to Campbells tax cuts,he puts 50 dollars in one pocket while taking 200 dollars out of the other and harv the last promised tax cut was not a cut at all,it was some of the Carbon tax returned, how can you take money from people and return a little bit of it and call it a tax cut, SHEESH
Harv I enjoy your columns but perhaps you should do a little investigative research first, maybe you should re-listen to the audio vault and as for raising the minimum wage to little to late from Campbell and no doubt Campbell being the fibbing politician he is every big promise won`t come into effect until after the election!
Remember some of those election promises–5000 long term care beds,still 4600 short, surry memorial hospital emergency room and out patient hospital promised to star in 2007 now not until maybe 2010 or 2011,–the evergreen line to start in 2008 now its not until after the olympics,how about not selling BC RAIL, how about honering the HEU contract which he tore up and got sued and lost! to the tune of 100 million dollars
How about cuts to the autistic -Seniors CARE, childrens ministry, 6 straight years highest child poverty rate in Canada, look how hes corrupted WCB–what about Campbell stalling about fish farms,good bye wild salmon,thanks gordoh–what about the illegal land giveaway to WFP over 100.000 acres of prime land—what about selling off 2000 rivers for 5000 dollars each to big american power producers robbing BCers of potentially 100 billion dollars over 30 years.
I could on for hours Harv but I won`t, writing this is making me sick! I wouldn`t believe a word out of Campbells lying mouth!
Campbells days as premier are coming to a rapid end,also the end for –Rich Coleman–John Les–Shirley Bond–Barry Penner–Kevin Falcon–Ian Black–and about ten others.
Be gone Gordon(party boy)Campbell
(Response: I agree with much of what you say. But the reality is too many voters have short memories ..and I have no doubt that if the government sends out cheques, promises anotrher income tax cut … people will scoop it up, even though THEY will give it all back, and maybe even more, in the ways you mention. Unless, of course, people are wise to it ..and they really surprise the government in May! ho)
2 Clayton Perrin // Sep 13, 2008 at 10:23 am
Unfortunately we get the government we pay for (with our own money no less). It is now up to the opposition parties to start flailing away at Campbell’s record. If they don’t start now and continue right until the first polls close on election day the Liberals will just drag John Daly out to interview Campbell and he’ll tell us how great things are. When Campbell leaves office and whomever is Premier (NDP or Liberal) will be forced to make the kind of decisions Campbell and his government refused to do. Of course Gord will come out of retirement or choose a hand-picked successor to return us to the good old days, passing the bills off to our children and grandchildren once again
3 RS // Sep 14, 2008 at 1:57 pm
If the Right Unctuous Gordon Campbell and his minions are successful in duping the people of BC by bribing them with their own money and the people ignore the countless autocratic blunders, lies ‘n’ deceit, and the outright arrogance of this government then perhaps Elizabeth May is right: “I think Canadians [British Columbians] are stupid! And I fundamentally agree with that assessment.”
RS
Leave a Comment
CAPTCHA Code is needed.