Carole James and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill, NDP Leader

Past Positions: NDP Leader

Family Connections: James won the NDP leadership in 2003 by receiving the backing of all major public sector unions. These remain key supporters of her as the election disclosure will show.

Family Secrets: Upon becoming leader, James set about to build a staff and caucus of former Clark era people. Her two Chiefs of Staff, David Perry and Ian Reid, were senior advisors during the Glen Clark years. Those in her inner circle like Adrian Dix, John Horgan, Maurine Karigianis, Harry Lali, Sue Hammell, Bruce Ralston and Mike Farnworth all served as MLAs or senior staff in the 1990s. James spent a lot of time talking about a new kind of politics but has run the most negative campaign in memory.

Jenn McGinn and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP Candidate in Vancouver-Fairview

Past Positions: NDP MLA for Vancouver-Fairview

Family Connections: McGinn is connected to the NDP network in Fairview, which includes CUPE Vice President Paul Faor and city councilor and former BC Federation of Labour Executive Director Geoff Meggs.

Family Secrets: McGinn is the latest NDP candidate to launch personal attacks in what has become the most negative campaign by the NDP in BC history. Carole James offered her usual half hearted apology.

Doug Brown and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP Candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson

Past Positions: NDP Candidate in Kamloops where he upset at least one resident for his aggressive campaigning.

Family Connections: Brown has been the face of the NDP in Kamloops for years and was appointed the local media officer following the last campaign.

Family Secrets: After the NDP jumped up and down about driving offenses by BC Liberal candidates, it was revealed that Brown has had nine driving offenses of his own. Those who live in glass houses…

Business and Forestry groups warn of damage NDP win will do to economy, industry

In the past few days, business and forestry groups have issued news releases and held news conferences to warn of how damaging an NDP win could be for British Columbia’s economy. Business leaders from all stripes are agreeing that Carole James and the NDP have put out a platform that will cost jobs, business and create havoc for BC’s economy at a time when we can ill afford it.

First, forestry leaders issued a news release on May 4th setting the record straight on forestry issues. The heads of Interfor, West Fraser Timber and Canfor came together to accuse the NDP of playing “politics with the lives of the thousands of people who depend on forestry.” They credit Gordon Campbell for being a champion of the industry, and say that the NDP’s plan to open up the Softwood Lumber Agreement shows a fundamental lack of understanding that would “jeopardize the economic stability of BC companies, their employees and the communities in which they live and work.”

Then on Tuesday, the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia (CHBA BC) issued a joint news release rallying everyone touched by construction in BC to ensure voters get out to the polls to stop the possibility of an NDP win.

“The NDP platform shows their hostility to the interests of home builders and home buyers, by proposing significant re-regulation that would disadvantage independent construction companies and raise prices across the board,” says Tim Kasten, President of CHBA BC. “Our industry has worked collaboratively to build a strong industry training system in recent years, but the NDP is proposing to undermine these improvements in one fell swoop. We can’t stand by and let that happen.”

Also on Tuesday, the Coalition of BC Businesses held a news conference with 13 business associations representing more than 50,000 small- and medium-sized employers held a news conference where they warned that higher taxes and higher payroll costs featured in the NDP platform will put at least 110,000 British Columbians out of work and put at risk the viability of BC’s small- and medium-sized businesses.

“The sectors of the economy we represent are working hard to keep their businesses open and keep people on the job through this global economic downturn. That will become harder with the $450 million in extra payroll costs, courtesy of the NDP’s 25 per cent minimum wage hike. Job losses are estimated at 50,000 as a direct result of the minimum wage increase.”

It seems everyone agrees that the NDP platform promises ruin for British Columbia. We have to ensure that voter turnout is high on May 12th to stop the NDP.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Taranjit Purewal and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP Candidate in Abbotsford West

Past Positions: Before entering the spotlight as a strong proponent of the death tax, Purewal was a relative unknown.

Family Connections: Purewal was a supporter of Glen Clark during his leadership run.

Family Secrets: Purewal has become the self appointed point person for a new death tax in BC.

Bonnie Rai and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP Candidate for Abbotsford South

Past Positions: Ran as a member of Jack Layton’s team during the last federal election.

Family Connections: Rai was a relative unknown until she ran for the federal NDP in the last election where she finished third.

Family Secrets: Rai likes to take shots at her opponents…until she is caught. Then she has problems taking responsibility for her own actions.

New environics poll shows construction community can't be complacent, must get voters out

(May 5, 2009 – VANCOUVER) An Environics poll released yesterday shows the BC Liberals with an 11 per cent lead over the NDP, but that margin has the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) of BC and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia (CHBA BC) rallying everyone touched by construction in BC to ensure voters get out to the polls to stop the possibility of an NDP win.

“If the NDP win, they have promised to bring back policies that will destroy the competitiveness of BC’s construction sector, so even with this lead in today’s poll, we cannot be complacent,” says ICBA President Philip Hochstein. The poll was sponsored by ICBA, and results released today show that 47% of voters support the Liberals, with 36% of voters supporting the NDP, 12% for the Green Party, and 16% undecided.

“The NDP platform shows their hostility to the interests of home builders and home buyers, by proposing significant re-regulation that would disadvantage independent construction companies and raise prices across the board,” says Tim Kasten, President of CHBA BC. “Our industry has worked collaboratively to build a strong industry training system in recent years, but the NDP is proposing to undermine these improvements in one fell swoop. We can’t stand by and let that happen.”

With the NDP platform demonstrating a continued willingness to sacrifice economic logic and the greater good to the interests of big labour, Hochstein and Kasten are urging anyone involved in construction, home building or home buying to rally their friends, family and colleagues to ensure voter turnout is high on May 12th.

“The last time the NDP were in charge, they directly attacked independent, family-owned construction businesses with policies like union-only hiring, pension suspension legislation, and badly hurt the economy,” added Kasten. “Carole James and the NDP are the wrong party and wrong leader at the wrong time, and we have to be sure voters who agree with that get out to the polls.”

New poll has BC Liberals ahead of NDP by 11 points

Check out the data from this recently released poll

http://erg.environics.net/media_room/default.asp?aID=700

Doug Routley and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA in Nanaimo-North Cowichan

Past Positions: A near invisible MLA, Routley was appointed as the apprenticeship critic by Carole James. When Routley ran in 2005, Ladysmith Mayor Rob Hutchins supported him. After four years of watching Routley as MLA, Hutchins is now running against him as a BC Liberal.

Family Connections: Routley was a supporter of Clark-era MLA Jan Pullinger. Pullinger is returning the favour by managing Routley’s campaign this time around.

Family Secrets: Routley was part of an RCMP probe last summer, a fact that Carole James kept close to her vest.

Michael Sather and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: Running for re-election as MLA in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows

Past Positions: Sather recently ran to become Mayor for Maple Ridge where he finished a distant third. He was an assistant to NDP MLA Bill Hartley during the 1990s and has also worked for NDP Members of Parliament.

Family Connections: Sather has had trouble getting along with his political family. In 2007, he took a principled position that angered his boss and was suspended from caucus.

Family Secrets: In 2008, Sather ran for Mayor in Maple Ridge, promising that if he won, he would resign as MLA. He didn’t win, and now decided to run for MLA again and support such progressive policies as getting rid of the carbon tax.

NDP missing the bus on apprentices

The NDP campaign continues to make things up as they go along, distorting numbers and misrepresenting the facts. This week they hit on a topic very close to our hearts by claiming to support apprenticeship training. At ICBA, we sponsor about 1,600 apprentices and are very familiar with how things work in trades training.

After a bunch of misinformation from Carole James, the BC Liberals clarified the facts:

- There are currently 47,000 registered apprentices in BC, which is nearly three times the number from 2001 when the NDP were in charge of the Province.

- The BC Liberals have increased funding for trades training by 42 per cent since 2001. The NDP voted against every increase.

- The BC Liberals created the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) so that skilled workers can have their credentials recognized in other provinces and can work freely in BC or Alberta. Carole James and the NDP voted against the agreement and continue to oppose breaking down barriers that restrict skilled workers.

-The BC Liberals introduced the $90-million BC Training Tax Credit to help employers and apprentices cover the cost of their training. The NDP voted against this program.

In their election platform, the BC Liberals promise to double the BC Training Tax Credit program, whereas the NDP Platform only commits to strike a task force, without providing any tangible support for apprentices.

We have said repeatedly that in the current economic situation many construction workers who had put off education because of the previous boom in jobs are now turning their attention to training and upgrading skills. In fact, we called for governments to bring in more incentives for retraining to help workers improve their future hiring prospects and productivity by going back to school. Good to know the Liberals understand this.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Jaynie Clark and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP candidate in Burnaby-Lougheed.

Past Positions: One of four Directors at the BCGEU.

Family Connections: Another one of Carole James’ star union recruits, Clark works closely with her fellow BCGEU Director and NDP President Jeff Fox. She is part of the record number of union-connected candidates that Carole James has brought onto her team.

Family Secrets: Clark managed the campaign of federal NDP candidate Bill Siksay and is a staunch supporter of Jack Layton.

Bill Routley and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP candidate in Cowichan Valley

Past Positions: President of IWA local 1-80.

Family Connections: One of the best connected union bosses in BC, Routley has been a major supporter of NDP MP Jean Crowder, MLA’s Leonard Krog, John Horgan and Doug Routley.

Family Secrets: For one, Bill Routley is not related to MLA Doug Routley, who is running for the NDP in Nanaimo-North Cowichan. On the NDP profile page, a full of seven of his ten accomplishments are union related. So much for the “new NDP.”

Mable Elmore and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP candidate in Vancouver-Kensington

Past Positions: Elmore got her start as a Federation of Labour Regional Political Coordinator during Jim Sinclair's term as president. She is also an activist in CAW local 111, and an active member of stopwar.ca

Family Connections: Elmore is a proud member of the NDP’s “Socialist Caucus,” a group of people who think that the rest of the NDP are not socialist enough. 24 hrs columnist and NDP activist Bill Tieleman is one her biggest fans.

Family Secrets: Why does Elmore have the shortest “official biography” of any candidate on the NDP website? There is nothing about this or this.

Kathy Corrigan and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP candidate in Burnaby-Deer Lake

Past Positions: Burnaby School Trustee, Researcher for CUPE specializing in “privatization.”

Family Connections: Where to begin? Corrigan is a member of the “first family” of Burnaby. She is married to Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan. She is close to federal NDP MP Bill Siksay. She is tight with the local trade union movement.

Family Secrets: The Corrigan family remained huge supporters of Glen Clark until the very end. She is an outspoken supporter of the NDP “women candidates only” policy.

Jim Sinclair and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: President, BC Federation of Labour

Past Positions: President, BC Federation of Labour. Appointed to BC Hydro Board by NDP government in 1990s.

Family Connections: Sinclair has made the BC Federation of Labour a safe haven for ex-NDP staff members in search of work. He has hired former Glen Clark communications director Geoff Meggs and former Premier’s Office senior staff person Jessie Uppal.

Family Secrets: Controversial anti-Zionist NDP candidate Mable Elmore got her start as a Federation of Labour Regional Political Coordinator during Sinclair’s term as president.

Harry Bains and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA Surrey-Newton

Past Positions: President, IWA Local 217.

Family Connections: Bains is a long-time labour leader who was a star recruit for Carole James in 2005. He was a huge supporter of Glen Clark's leadership in 1995. The Vancouver Sun's legislative columnist, Vaughn Palmer, described his nomination this way in 2005:

"The lone candidate for the NDP nomination is Harry Bains, a longtime trade union official and vice-president of one of the big locals of IWA Canada So there's one comment on the success of James effort to "modernize" the NDP relationship with organized labour."

Family Secrets: Bains landed former Premier's office senior official and BC Federation of Labour Communications Director Jessie Uppal as his campaign manager in 2005.

Maurine Karagianis and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA for Esquimalt

Past Positions: President, Political Staff for NDP government’s in the 1990’s. Esquimalt City Councillor.

Family Connections: Karagianis is part of the Carole James inner circle and is close allies with John Horgan, Adrian Dix and the rest of the former Glen Clark Team.

Family Secrets: Karagianis was a senior aid to Moe Sihota and learned her “tax and spend” and “divide and conquer” politics from the master.

Carole James fails CBC reality check on carbon tax

CBC Radio is running an election feature called Reality Check, where they try to verify things politicians say on the campaign trail. Last Friday, they skewered Carole James’ claim that the carbon tax wasn’t doing anything to reduce carbon emissions.

In fact, James said that carbon emissions increased last year by four per cent. In a stinging rebuke, CBC proved her wrong, and gave her a very bad rating for her dishonesty.

They checked her sources, and found them to be measuring the wrong things. And they checked with Environment Canada, which measures the right things, but found that reports tracking Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Canada are always behind by about 18 months, so numbers are not yet available to show if emissions have gone down.

CBC’s conclusion?

“What did we find when we looked under the microscope? The NDP claim that emissions have gone up four percent since July 2008 is mostly false.”

Told you so. James is making it up as she goes along, desperately shilling for rural votes. And now she’s been outed, again, for her dishonesty.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

What IS the NDP's candidate screening process?

With another NDP candidate being ridiculed by media this week, we were going to write a blog entry about the very poor choices the NDP is making in selecting candidates that it thinks should run our economy in troubled times. We were going to make pithy comments and ridicule them, but why should we, when the media and Carole James herself are already doing it for us?

James is quoted in a CBC story yesterday saying the controversy of disgraced candidate Ray Lam’s racy Facebook photos forcing his resignation as a candidate in Vancouver False Creek reflects “the reality of the new media.” She goes on to add:

“It will be interesting to watch politics over the next 10 to 15 years when you have an entire generation of young people who grew up with their lives public on Facebook.”

Boy, can’t wait to see what kinds of photos other NDP candidates will show us! Imagine, going into politics and having their whole lives made public. These are the kind of people who would have their hands on the levers of power in a $35 billion operation. Really confidence-inspiring, isn’t it?

Meanwhile, saving us from having to come up with commentary about this whole thing is The Province’s respected columnist, Michael Smyth. His story yesterday, headlined “Big holes in NDP's candidate-screening process; Latest in party's parade of wingnuts for elected office,” added up Lam’s Facebook faux pas with Mable Elmore’s anti-Zionist comments, and throws in some federal NDP candidates predicaments to conclude that the NDP don’t know how to screen candidates.

“The NDP promised to do better. Instead, it seems "why stop there" has become the theme song of the NDP's wingnuts-for-office parade…”A lack of judgment," NDP Leader Carole James explained yesterday, Gee, do ya think?”

But the best line Smyth’s newspaper article – and really, we couldn’t have made up this stuff better ourselves:

“But it's worse than that for the NDP: This kind of pattern can plant serious doubts in the minds of people wondering if the party and its candidates are fit to run the province.”

Do we even need to say it? Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Jeff Fox and his NDP Family Secrets

Current Position: President, BC NDP, Director of organizing and field services, BCGEU.

Past Positions: Fox is a long time union activists who was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the Carole James leadership campaign. Fox helped James land the BCGEU endorsement.

Family Connections: Very close to former James Chief of Staff David Perry and well connected within the union movement.

Family Secrets: NDP Provincial Secretary Laura Nichols daughter, Erin Sikora,works for Fox at the BCGEU. He is also not shy about throwing his weight around with independent minded NDP grassroots activists.

Mary O'Donoghue and her NDP Family Secrets

Current Position: Appointed Executive Director of Caucus by Carole James.

Past Positions: Director of NDP Caucus Research, Executive Director of NDP Caucus.

Family Connections: There are few friends tighter than O’Donoghue, John Horgan and Ian Reid. These three were among the most influential staff members of the NDP governments in the 1990s. Following the NDP’s defeat in 2001, the three close friends took their severances and formed a company together. While the private sector seemed exciting when the NDP had only two seats, the prospect of returning to the NDP and gaining a regular, taxpayer-funded paycheque was just too hard to resist. John Horgan became the NDP MLA for Juan de Fuca, Ian Reid worked his way up to becoming Carole James’ Chief of Staff and O’Donoghue is running the caucus again.

Family Secrets: The secret we all want to know is this – by what criteria did three architects of the NDP decade of decline qualify to become trusted advisors to Carole James? Fool me once, shame on you…

Leonard Krog and his NDP Family Secrets

Current Position: Running for election as NDP MLA for Nanaimo

Past Positions: NDP MLA for Parksville-Qualicum. Provincial NDP leadership candidate in 2003 (lost to Carole James).

Family Connections: Krog is one of those old style NDP members who received the support of Adrian Dix, Moe Sihota and Dave Barrett when he ran for the leadership of the party. His campaign was a coming together of former Glen Clark supporters.

Family Secrets: Leonard has one heck of a temper and will not hesitate to use it on environmentalists and seniors.

Do the NDP agree with their apologist?

Bill Tieleman, a left-wing journalist and commentator in favour of all things NDP, was on CKNW on Easter Monday saying that if a business is only barely profitable, then it shouldn’t be in business at all.

A caller to the radio show made the point that raising the minimum wage would cost jobs for many small businesses and significantly hurt profitability in this unstable economic climate. Host Bill Good agreed with the caller. But Bill Tieleman spoke up and firmly stuck his foot in his mouth, saying:

“Why do we support businesses that are marginally, minimally profitable in the first place? If you are that marginal then maybe you shouldn’t be in business.”

After a commercial break Tieleman went on to dig his hole by saying:

“When you’re paying all minimum wage, odds are the state is subsidizing that business with medicare premiums, benefit relief. If you cannot survive without state intervention then maybe you shouldn’t be in business.”

Gee, so if you’re suffering during these tough economic times and not staying profitable, you should just go out of business. Wonder if the Canadian Auto Workers would agree with that, given that Tieleman’s logic would certainly shut down all the North American auto manufacturers.

Think Carole James would agree?

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Why has NDP abandoned young and green voters?

This article was written by Philip Hochstein and was published on the Georgia Straight's website http://www.straight.com/article-214215/philip-hochstein-why-has-ndp-abandoned-young-and-green-voters

In the aftermath of the launch of the “new” NDP platform, it is hard not to feel a bit sorry for Carole James.

While progressive government leaders throughout the world, including Barack Obama in the United States and Gordon Campbell right here in British Columbia, have articulated exciting visions of how we can build our economies and societies on environmentally sustainable platforms that our children will be proud of, James was once again forced to dust off the decades-old big-labour playbook and try to sell it as something fresh.

For a brief time early in her leadership, James made some noises about trying to wrest control of the NDP from its big union bankers. But like others before her, she quickly learned that those who pay the piper call the tunes.

Raising taxes on small businesses. Raising the minimum wage. Giving public unions the power to shut down the province. If it weren’t really the 2009 NDP campaign platform, it would read like bad historical fiction.

Most young voters today are no more likely to identify with a shop steward than they are with Richard Nixon. In the private sector, where there is choice, union market share has dropped to around 18 percent as young workers opt for careers in industries that value innovation and environmental sustainability.

There can be no more damning evidence that the NDP has all but abandoned its green and youth voters in favour of the labour agenda than its opposition to green energy projects.

Heralded by President Obama, and embraced throughout Europe, the development of a renewable energy industry is clearly the social, economic, and environmental opportunity of our generation.

Yet, James and the NDP have come out staunchly in opposition to green energy projects. And why? Because the public unions don’t want any energy, green or otherwise, developed in B.C. unless it is under their control.

While there is no doubt that, on the green energy issue, big labour has shown Carole James and B.C. voters who is really in charge of the NDP, one wonders whether this will end up being a hollow and shortsighted victory.

The green and youth voters that the NDP once competed for are going to find it difficult to draw a connection between their values and an NDP that has chosen its big-labour past over their future.

Philip Hochstein is president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, which represents family-owned construction businesses across British Columbia.

NDP sells out environmentalists for politics, labour movement

Now that the election is officially under way and the NDP has released their platform, it’s hilarious watching them try to skate out of the fact that their environmental policies are so wrong that former friends in the environmental movement are dissing the NDP from every corner.

First Tzeporah Berman, one of the most respected environmentalists in this country, let alone this province, said the NDP were off their rockers denouncing green power production. Then John Horgan of the NDP tried to deny that his party would kill all run-of-river power projects, in one of the funniest radio flip flops ever.

And now a whole group of major BC environmentalists, including the prestigious David Suzuki Foundation, get together to say that eliminating the carbon tax was a daft idea. Oh, and did you read the report from Mark Jaccard of SFU who says the NDP’s climate change policies would exempt about 65 per cent of BC’s emissions, and would cause company closings and the loss of 30,000 direct and 60,000 indirect jobs.

Media and blogger coverage of this has been everywhere. But perhaps our favourite article was from the Globe and Mail’s Gary Mason, who called the NDP’s policies “shortsighted,” “uninspiring,” “wrongheaded” and “dangerous.” As Mason says:

“So what if it was a position fundamentally at odds with the views held by a vast swath of their supporters? Or that it made a mockery of the NDP's core values?

Was this the best the New Democrats could do to distinguish themselves from the provincial Liberals? …it might gain the NDP a few votes in the north, they will come at a terrible cost elsewhere.”

Why are the NDP against environmentalists? Because their public union backers don’t want any energy, green or otherwise, developed in BC unless it is under their control. So they chose labour over green and over youth who see the future in environmentalism.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Comparing the abysmal record of the NDP to now....Part 4

Investment and jobs are most important to an economically vibrant province. The final years of NDP government showed just how abysmal they were at managing our provincial affairs.

click the chart for full size

It’s simple – BC outperformed the rest of Canada under the Liberals and our province failed miserably when the NDP was in power.

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party, Wrong leader, Wrong time.

Bruce Ralston and his NDP Family Secrets

NDP MLA

Current Position: Running for reelection as NDP MLA, Surrey Walley, Appointed Finance critic by Carole James.

Past Positions: Party President, BC NDP.

Family Connections: Ralston is one Finance critic and potential Minister of Finance that the union movement can get behind. Not only has he worked in the union movement himself, but his spouse, Miriam Sobrino, is a senior staff person for a major public sector union. Ralston has never been shy about exploiting his union connections and recently was caught begging for paper clips from his union friends.

Family Secrets: Ralston was an impassioned defender of Glen Clark and the NDP during the 1990s. He was the point person in defending the party during the dark days of the Bingogate scandal and didn’t publicly disagree with a single Glen Clark initiative. And now Carole James thinks that he would make a great Finance Minister under a “new” NDP government

Sue Hammell and her NDP family secrets

NDP MLA

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA, Surrey Green Timbers. Appointed NDP Community Services critic by Carole James.

Past Positions: Was Minister of Women’s Equality in NDP governments.

Family Connections: Married to long-time NDP Director of Organization John Pollard, who best known for being impatient in ferry lineups. Sue was a senior organizer for Glen Clark’s leadership.

Family Secrets: Rumours persist that Hammell has set a record for hiring, firing and resignations of constituency assistants during a four year period (2005-2009). What is most interesting is that there were no grievances officially filed by the BCGEU who represents the NDP caucus staff.

To see more NDP family profiles click here.

Harry Lali and his NDP family secrets

NDP MLA

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA, Yale-Lillooet

Past Positions: Minister of Transportation under Premier Glen Clark

Family Connections: Perhaps the fiercest Clark defender in the 1990’s, Lali is closely associated with the NDP’s left wing and has close, ongoing relationships with Adrian Dix, CUPE President Barry O’Neill and Moe Sihota.

Family Secrets: Lali was a senior economic minister in the Clark government and can take his share of blame for the BC economy falling from first to worst.

John Horgan and his NDP family secrets

NDP MLA

Current Position: Running for reelection as NDP MLA, Juan de Fuca. Appointed NDP Energy Critic by Carole James.

Past Positions: Chief of Staff to NDP Premier Dan Miller, political staff for Premier Glen Clark, Ministerial Assistant to Minister of Employment and Investment Glen Clark

Family Connections: Following a low profile career on Parliament Hill working for one-term NDP MP Lynn Hunter, Horgan reached his full potential under Glen Clark. His friendship with Adrian Dix and Ian Waddell helped Horgan play a senior role in the Clark government. As British Columbians were breathing a sigh of relief following the defeat of the NDP, Horgan took his large taxpayer-funded severance package and got busy in the “private sector.” Horgan partnered with current Carole James Chief of Staff Ian Reid and Ian’s current second in command Mary O’Donaghue to form the consulting firm Ideaworks.

Family Secrets: Where to begin? Horgan was one of the most influential staff members during the 1990s. Fast ferries, fudge-it budgets, job losses… Horgan was there the whole time. We think Horgan’s role in the decade of decline has been underappreciated.

Dawn Black and her NDP family secrets

Current Position: NDP star Candidate for New Westminster

Past Positions: Director of Vancouver Cabinet Offices during Glen Clark government. NDP MP on Jack Layton’s and Audrey McLaughlin’s team..

Family Connections: Dawn is also very connected within the NDP. She was an enthusiastic supporter of both Audrey McLaughlin and Glen Clark during their leadership campaigns. Her son David is a senior official in COPE378 and a long time executive member for Jack Layton’s NDP. David is married to NOW Communications senior account manager Maya Russell. Remember how much money NOW Communications made from government work in the nineties?

Family Secrets: Remember the fast ferries? Record private sector job loss? The fair wage policy? Jobs for Timber? These were all Cabinet Decisions. Dawn was the director of the Vancouver Cabinet Offices. And now she is back as part of the Carole James team.

To see more NDP family members go to http://www.votesmartbc.com/node/100

VoteSmart launches 2nd Phase - All in the Family

This morning we unveiled the second phase of our VoteSmart BC campaign at a press conference in Vancouver. The campaign will feature television, radio and internet advertising (along with a continued social media presence) linking the current NDP to the 1990s NDP that hurt small family-owned businesses throughout the province.

Check out the new television ad that will start airing tomorrow

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArYVu3qnRDE

Judge dodges issue of worker rights in election spending decision

With the full verdict issued yesterday in the unions’ legal challenge to Bill 42 restricting spending by third parties in an election, the judge chose to sidestep the question of the democratic rights of workers who do not support their union’s political views.

Two educators: Gloria Laurence, a CUPE member, and Wendy Weis, a member of BCTF, were parties to the court case to try to prevent their unions from spending their mandatory dues to attack a government they support.

See the full text of ICBA’s news release on this issue at www.mydues.ca.

ICBA President Philip Hochstein, in an op-ed in today’s Vancouver Sun, is calling on government to stand up for worker rights on use of union dues.

“Unlike every other democratic country in the world, and despite a Supreme Court ruling that forced union membership is a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, British Columbia clings to labour laws that force workers to join unions, and then force those workers to contribute to the unions' political agendas, no matter how extreme.”

It is ludicrous to say that every single union member in BC supports the NDP, yet they’re all forced to watch their unions spend millions creating ads that say Gordon Campbell wants to kill their grandmas. This has to stop.

Arnie makes Carole James's Port Mann flip flop look even sillier

With Arnold Schwarzenegger praising the BC Liberal Government for doing Public Private Partnerships (P3) well, it seems all the sillier to look at how Carole James flipped her position on building the Port Mann Bridge component of the provincial Gateway Program.

James and her MLAs have gone out of their way to diss the bridge twinning project, going so far as to call it “…a colossal waste of taxpayers' money.” Of course, back in the 1990s the NDP were pushing for the bridge to be twinned, but obviously holding one opinion for any length of time is hard for the NDP.

And now the Georgia Straight caught James out again for a flip flop. Despite her 2007 talk of the Port Mann twinning being a bad way to spend public money, she told the Straight last month that now it seems like a good idea to her:

“You have to have a bridge. You have to have a crossing across there. It's very clear that the traffic is high enough that you need to have a bridge there.”

So it was no surprise that James’ flip flop brought out B.C. transportation minister Kevin Falcon to call a spade a spade. He termed it one of the “most extraordinary backflips I’ve seen in politics.”

Falcon added:

“I have sat for two years and listened to Carole James and the NDP say this would never get done, just like I had to listen to them say for two years that the Canada Line would never get done. So as we deliver the Canada Line ahead of schedule and on-budget, and as we move this project forward—and it’s going to be on-schedule and on-budget—I imagine I’m going to hear the same thing from the NDP.”

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Rub a dub dub, Only 2 business people in a $30 billion tub....

Carole James spoke yesterday to the Business Council of BC in an attempt to make nice with business, but despite her protests that she’s different from the NDP of the 1990s, no one was buying it.

James said if she were in charge, she’d build homes, instead of the kinds of infrastructure projects starting now that can help turn our economy around. She made it clear that she plans to change the labour code, likely eliminating the democratic rights of workers and making it easier for unions to organize. That is no surprise given the NDP’s intimate relationship with big labour, but is hardly the kind of thing a business audience needs to hear to have any trust in someone who wants to lead this province during an economic crisis.

She told the Business Council that she would “study” green projects like run of river hydro, which really means she’ll make the approval process so cumbersome as to put an end to them. She says she’s going to consult with business, but that’s political code for “I’m making changes and they’re not good for you.”

There have been a lot of questions lately about the NDP’s lack of any experience in the private sector, and how they could possibly run the province’s economy with no business experience among their candidates.

So we listened closely when James was asked about the complete lack of business experience in her field of candidates. And we couldn’t help laughing uproariously at her answer. It seems there are a whopping two candidates (among 85 ridings!?) with experience in the private sector – a lawyer and a farmer. Oh sure, that instils confidence, doesn’t it?

No matter how many times she claims to be different from the NDP of the 1990s, the NDP who destroyed our province’s economy, she’s not different. She’s surrounded by the same people and making the same mistakes.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Comparing the Abysmal Record of the NDP to Now… Part three

Putting more money into people’s pockets to spend on themselves and their families is a record of which the BC Liberals should be especially proud.

When the NDP was in power “Tax Freedom Day” arrived in BC more than two weeks later than it does now.

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

A nice wednesday bit of NDP inconsistency

The NDP’s energy critic, John Horgan was on CKNW last Friday trying to dig his way out of a hole. Guest host Michael Smyth asked why the NDP(click the link to listen), who have come out strongly opposed to independent power production (IPP), support an IPP in Lytton.

Horgan touts the old party line that the NDP would put a moratorium on IPPs (despite environmentalists like Tzeporah Berman being in favour of them). But maybe not the ones already approved. Huh?

Smyth calls him out, saying “But, look, I thought you said the other day that you like this Lytton project because they need the power there, they’ve been having brownouts there and that it’s a good project in that respect. Now you’re telling me you wouldn’t approve it.”

And Horgan has the audacity to claim he’s being consistent.

Horgan: I'm not changing my position, Mike, but this is a much larger debate than a small micro-hydro project that will service a community that's underserviced today…the fact that the First Nations in Lytton have a power purchase agreement from B.C. Hydro, a contract to provide electricity to the community, means that that debate is over. The debate that we should be having….

Smyth: Yeah, but if you guys were in power, you wouldn't approve it.

Horgan: I'm not in power, Mike. You might have noticed that.

Thank heavens for that!

Perhaps our favourite line, though, goes to Smyth: “I think you’re making up your policy on the fly here.”

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, Wrong leader, Wrong time.

NDP versus clean energy advocates....again

The Prince George Citizen reported on another incident of the NDP getting knocked back for their stance against independent power production (IPP). The NDP’s view on this is mind boggling, given that major environmentalists continue to say IPPs are a great way to produce clean energy.

In a speech to the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, Harvie Campbell of Pristine Power is reported to have taken “a swipe at the B.C. New Democrats…for vowing to impose a moratorium on the projects if elected.”

Harvie said that "We can choose a clean energy future that will grow our economy, create new jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions or we can turn back the clock and choose a course that would increasingly rely on imported, dirty electricity, while we export jobs and opportunity to our neighbours."

The NDP keep pissing off environmentalists. First they don’t want to tax carbon, then they want to stop green power production. They are losing any support they might have had from green-minded people. I guess that just leaves the unionists to support them. And we know how well that went last time!

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Comparing the abysmal record of the NDP to now...Part two

This is the second of a series of blog posts using economic facts to compare the NDP’s performance while in power in the 1990s to the past six years of the BC Liberal government.

When the NDP was in power, people left our province – it is that simple. There was no reason to stay, as NDP policies hampered investment and job creation. In 1998 alone, this included an exodus roughly equivalent to the current population of Fort St. John.

(Source: Statistics Canada)

Since the Liberals took charge of the Province, British Columbia has attracted on average close to six times as many new residents each year from 2002-2007 as we did from 1995-2001.

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party, Wrong leader, Wrong time.

Comparing the Abysmal Record of the NDP to now....Part one

This is the first of a series of blog posts using economic facts to compare the NDP’s performance while in power in the 1990s to the past six years of the BC Liberal government.

The growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is one of the most important indicators of economic health, and shows how well our provincial economy performs in terms of jobs and investment and the likelihood of improved incomes and living standards.

Source: BC Financial and Economic Reviews

This chart compares the final seven years of the NDP and the first six full years of BC Liberal government. There is no comparison. During the NDP’s reign BC badly under-performed as our province’s s growth fell behind the national average by a whopping 25 per cent. On the other hand, since the Liberals took over, GDP growth has exceeded national growth by almost 25 per cent.

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.

The company they keep

Did you know that NDP is a member of Socialist International? This is a world-wide alliance of socialists who believe, we assume, all the same ideals as Carole James and Jack Layton.

Yup, there sits the NDP, along with the Sandinista National Liberation Front of Nicaragua, the New Space Party of Uruguay and Panama's Democratic Revolutionary Party.

Oh look who else is in this illustrious company -- the Democratic Socialists of America. What kind of group is this? Well, on the DSA website, they say:

“Key to economic democracy is a democratic labor movement that plays a central role in the struggle for a democratic workplace, whether worker or privately owned. In workplaces that the employees do not own – traditional corporations, family businesses, government, and private nonprofits – only independent, democratically run unions can protect workers.”

Hmmm, that sounds so much like the BC NDP. Remember the 1990s when they tried to legislate union rules onto non-unionized workplaces? If their brothers and sisters at the DSA want to force everyone who works for a living to join a union, no doubt they’d also support Carole James’ NDP when they try to get rid of the secret ballot vote when workers are choosing whether or not to join a union (imagine the peer pressure from the socialists without the secret vote!).

Just goes to show that the company the NDP keeps really does speak to their desire to prop up unions and hurt small family-run businesses.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

NDP step into it again by protesting green power

Environmentalists have said they want BC to pursue green power, Independent Power Producers (IPP) are making it clear that they are ready and able to produce green power, but still the NDP keeps fighting against new clean sources of electricity for the province.

And now it’s getting them into a dispute with First Nations too.

As the Campbell River Mirror reports, “North Island NDP MLA Claire Trevena was blasted by two First Nations chiefs…over comments she made in the Legislature against Plutonic Power's Bute Inlet power project.”

According to Hansard, Travena said:

“The promise of jobs is dangled along with the plans for development…These wilderness areas are their traditional territories, and these bands are poor. Their people need work, and they need the promise of a better future.”

Travena’s comments “infuriated Homalco First Nation Chief Richard Harry” and “angered Klahoose Chief Ken Brown,” who accuse her of insulting all First Nations by saying that they will take a few dollars and jobs in exchange for the destruction of their lands.

And IPP companies, at a luncheon sponsored by the Vancouver Board of Trade, said that the NDP is threatening investments. As reported in the Vancouver Sun article headlined “Power producers say criticisms costing B.C. billions of dollars – Firms complain NDP imperils investments,” Resja Campfens of Sea Breeze said:

"Almost every jurisdiction in the developed world has opened up their electricity grid to some form of competition, all for the benefit of the ratepayer. Yet, the [NDP] opposition has called for a moratorium on IPP projects in B.C. In the least, a moratorium would drive away clean energy investment to other jurisdictions."

The construction industry is excited about the possibilities of independent power production in BC, because not only is it a clean, green source of power, and not only is it the way of the future, but it holds the promise of emerging markets for construction contractors and for more jobs.

Let’s see, construction industry, in favour. First Nations, in favour. Environmentalists, in favour. Yet Carole James and the NDP continue to stick their feet firmly in their mouths and protest clean power at any cost.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Good Bridge, Bad Bridge - NDP flip flop on Port Mann

In 1993, an NDP member rose in the Legislative Assembly to state clearly that the Port Mann Bridge needs to be twinned. The transportation minister Art Charbonneau said:

“…we need to twin the Port Mann Bridge…When we are able (to do this)…then we will have resolved the traffic congestion problems around that area, while allowing a safe and efficient transportation system.”

But back in the present day of 2009, the NDP transportation critic Maurine Karagianis continues to reject the new Port Mann Bridge and the 8,000 jobs that will be created during construction. In fact, in Question Period this week she called the Port Mann Bridge project “…a colossal waste of taxpayers' money.”Gee, has traffic congestion eased in the past 15 years? We certainly keep seeing more cars and trucks queuing up to get into or out of Surrey over the Port Mann. Do the NDP have special rose-coloured traffic cameras that show them a different picture? Or are they trying so hard to distance themselves from the 1990s that they lost sight of common sense?

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.
www.votesmartbc.com

Newsletter offers statistics proving NDP wrong choice for economy

The latest edition of the BC Construction Monitor is now available online, and it clearly shows what the economic impact of an NDP government would be for the construction sector.

The BC Construction Monitor provides ahead-of-the-curve information and statistics on the BC construction industry and issues relevant to it. The Monitor draws on analyses and outlooks from various sources, and provides current and substantive insight.

This issue examines economic indicators from the past eight years and compares them with the 1990s when the NDP were in power. The numbers clearly show that a change in government, especially at this time, could harm BC’s economy further and halt a recovery for construction jobs and growth.

Family owned businesses can’t afford to return to the bad old days of low growth and debt.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.

Carole James wants to spend more and tax less - where would the money come from?

How does Carole James plan to pay for all the spending she is planning? Her party platform is expected to cut many sources of government income and taxes, yet her platform promises significantly more spending. She is kidding herself to think she could manage a provincial budget with that kind of thinking.

As Vancouver Sun political columnist Vaughn Palmer points out:

“There's much less discretionary money in the budget, at a time when James wants to spend more and tax less… if you put together all the places where she would second-guess the government plan -- a deeper decline in the economy, less revenues, more tax cuts, more spending -- it points to bigger deficits than the $750 million over two years projected by the Liberals.”

We’ve been saying for weeks now that letting the NDP have a say in BC’s economy is inviting a return to the bad old days of the 1990s when the NDP ran huge deficits. And now the Sun agrees:

“…that may recall the record from their last time in government, when they produced eight deficits in 10 years and doubled the provincial debt. Not the most welcome point of comparison when opinion polls already suggest that voters think the Liberals are the best choice to manage in tough economic times.”

What revenues will James cut? For starters, she’s made it clear she’d get rid of the carbon tax, losing $2.3 billion in projected revenues over the next three years, but would keep the tax breaks brought in by the Liberals to offset the carbon tax. As we’ve pointed out before, the carbon tax hasn’t been a hardship for British Columbians and is doing what it set out to do, so getting rid of it can hardly be seen as prudent fiscal management.

There have been NDP calls for lower ferry fares and lower Hydro rates (even though are hydro costs are among the lowest in North America) and condemnations of liquor taxes. How much revenue would that all take out of the province?

And how much more does she plan to spend? She keeps criticizing the Government for not spending enough on everything from children at risk to forestry to health care. But if she started spending more, where would she get the money from?

Granted, deficits are expected for a couple years, but if Carole James gets her hands on our budget, she is ready to drag us back to the 1990s with huge debts and long-term deficits. British Columbians can’t afford to let Carole James determine spending and taxation for our province. Small family owned businesses will pay the price if this inexperienced leader is ever in charge.

Wrong leader. Wrong Party. Wrong Time.

New transit line to create construction jobs for BC

Good news from the BC Government last week with the announcement that the new Evergreen Transit Line is going ahead.

This project shows that the provincial and federal plans to invest in infrastructure to generate economic recovery are on the right path. Construction is expected to start in 2010 and be completed in 2014.

The best news for the construction industry is the more than 8,000 direct and indirect jobs that will be a part of the Evergreen Line construction.

This is another example of why the current BC government is the right one to lead us through this economic turmoil.

www.votesmartbc.com

The Carole James Experience

Big shout out to the Battleground BC blog for asking an important question about Carole James

"Where is Carole James' private sector experience?"

A great line from the blog post which really makes you think is:

The province is a $34 billion dollar business, no matter what ideological side you’re from.
Should a person who has no private sector experience be running the province?

Check out the rest of the post and see a break down of Carole's resume here

NDP blowing smoke

After last week’s provincial budget, one of the first things out of Carole James’ mouth was disappointment that the carbon tax hadn’t been axed. The NDP, self-professed home of environmentalists, continues to claim that the BC carbon tax is bad for taxpayers and bad for the climate. But the facts keep proving them wrong.

As pointed out last Thursday in the Victoria Times Colonist by Les Leyne, the tax is actually doing what it’s supposed to do. And the new budget contained a report card on the carbon tax that proves it.

“The carbon tax ogre is an essential part of the New Democrat election campaign. They need the impression that it's a punitive assault on pickup truck-driving rural B.C. to hold as much sway as possible for the next three months. So they'll likely just keep talking about it, regardless of the facts.”

Over the last eight months, gas consumption declined (although high prices at the pump probably helped that). But the structure of the tax has now created a net benefit for BC taxpayers.

The government’s report card on the tax showed that the 2.4 cents a litre more we've been paying at the pumps and similar hikes in heating fuels have been offset by the low income tax credit, the corporate and small business income tax cuts, and the reduction in personal income tax. The tax brought in $300 million in revenue, and the corresponding tax cuts have cost $338 million, leaving BC taxpayers $38 million ahead.

As Leyne wrote:

“…the vast majority of people came out slightly to the good in the first winter under the tax.”

"Are the NDP really sacrificing environmental good sense just to win rural voters driving seven gas guzzling pickups and blasting the home heating with all the doors and windows open? Because those nine people are the only ones coming out on the wrong end of the carbon tax."

Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.
http://www.votesmartbc.com/

I spy with my little eye, union reps on the NDP's Exec

Despite claims of severing ties between the BC NDP and unions, Carole James and other senior NDP people clearly don’t intend to break those bonds.

"We want working people and their families to join and become active in the NDP because we share the same values of social justice and solidarity. Throughout our history, we've only been successful when unions and the NDP have stood together united. That's how we will defeat Gordon Campbell in the next election." – Carole James, Lead of the opposition, The Democrat, December 2006

"Labour is an integral part of the NDP. We need to get union members more involved at every level in the Party." – Jeff Fox, President of the BC NDP, The Democrat, December 2006

Look at the list of the NDP provincial executive and you’ll find:

- former BCGEU Director of Organizing and Field Services, Jeff Fox
- current Vice-President of Canadian Office and Professional Employees (COPE) Local 378, David Black
- current Secretary Treasurer for BC Federation of Labour, Angela Schira
- current communications for BC Federation of Labour, Glen MacInnes
- OPIEU’s Kelly Quinn
- current President of USWA Local 2952, Scott McRitchie
- current chair of HEU Provincial Bargaining Committee, Barb Burke

It would appear that Carole and Jeff have gotten their wish of getting union members involved in the Party.

Unions paying the piper for NDP

In the last four years, unions have donated more than $3 million to the NDP. This is on top of the money – another $3 million -- unions have spent for their own third-party advertising leading up to and during election campaigns. Ties between the NDP and the unions are as tight as they ever were, with the BC Federation of Labour continuing to hold hands with Carole James and her party.

Carole James committed years ago to severing ties with organized labour, but obviously that doesn’t count when it comes to taking their money. In a recent speech to the BC Fed, Carole James made it clear that the NDP and the BC Fed were one in the same. She said:

"Together we will stand up for working families, for the everyday people who keep B.C. going. And on May 12, 2009, we will win an historic victory!"

How much did the BC Federation of Labour and its affiliate members donate to the BC NDP? The reports cover each calendar year, and January to October 2008 (when two by-elections were held in Vancouver):

2005-Oct 2008

· Total union donations: $3,320,751.52
· Total donations from the BC Federation of Labour: $614,783.00
· Total donations from the BC Federation of Labour affiliate unions: $2,386,664.51
· Total union donations for 2008: $483,186.51
· Total union donations for 2007: $219, 841.00
· Total union donations for 2006: $86,925.00
· Total union donations for 2005: $2,530,799.01

Do we want unions dictating economic policy for our province?

Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.

NDP have magic wand to make clean power appear!

A recent ad in the BC NDP’s magazine, The Democrat, calls for a rally to stop independent power projects (see page 8). But prominent environmentalists have said IPPs should continue. Tzeporah Berman who heads PowerUp Canada told Bill Good on CKNW on January 22, 2009.

“I think we need to see a lot more support for green power in this province than we’ve been seeing in the public…the opposition that we’re seeing in British Columbia…to the move towards green power…needs to be rethought.”

“What I’m saying is we need to support the move to green power. We need to reduce carbon emissions, as a priority. And yes, we need to do it smart; we need to be careful about our rivers. But the fact is we need to support the move to green power.”

In seven of the past ten years, BC has been a net importer of dirty electricity from the U.S. and Alberta. Carole James’ NDP say they are for clean power, but have opposed every clean energy project in the province. They’re against all Independent Power Producers, even calling for a moratorium on every proposed project.

The NDP oppose the 45 operating independent power production projects that are providing badly needed construction and operating jobs in rural and First Nations communities. In March 2008, they called for a moratorium on future developments of power projects.

Environmentalists say we need green power. Independent Power Producers are creating green power for our province, and creating jobs in needed areas. Do we really want Carole James and the BC NDP deciding energy policy for our province?

Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.
www.votesmartbc.com

NDP in need of acronym translator ASAP, current one MIA

The NDP is running scared after the Vote Smart BC campaign launched. So scared that they’ve created a website mocking our campaign. But they’ve missed the point, and can’t even focus their attack on the right group. One email sent to promote their fake website said Vote Smart BC was launched by the “Independent Contractors Business Association”, and another said it was from the “Independent Contractors and Builders Association. We’re pretty sure they know what the BCTF, HEU, and BCNU acronyms are for, but they just can’t quite seem to zone in on what ICBA is an acronym for.

The group behind Vote Smart BC is the “Independent Contractors and Businesses Association”, something the NDP and their supporters would know if they actually took the time to read our site, or even googled “ICBA BC.” Can we really turn our economy over to a group that can’t even look up the right name for something they oppose?

Of course we really should thank them for giving us more exposure!

And for the record, ICBA is a member-based organization that represents open shop construction companies in BC. If the NDP could find our website, they’d see that we offer a full suite of member services, including affinity programs, insurance and health plans, apprentice programs, education, networking and other benefits for family-owned construction businesses in BC. Our website, in case you want to let the NDPers behind the failed attack know, is http://www.icba.ca/.