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Wednesday, April 22, 2009 01:04 AM
Carole James backs a winner
Burnaby - New Democratic Party Leader Carole James’ campaign bus rolled up to the Mountain Shadow Pub tonight to watch the contest that has usurped the election campaign for many British Columbians - the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Wearing a Canucks’ jersey, Ms. James mingled with patrons - including a guy in a “Steelworkers for Carole James” t-shirt.
Despite the news cameras following Ms. James, most of the pub’s denizens were intent on following whether the Canucks could clinch this series tonight.
Ms. James, who had earlier in the day told a radio show host she’s led a boring life, drank cranberry juice with soda - “It’s very unhockey-like, I think,” she confessed.
Ms. James said she follows playoff hockey because her kids followed the game. She even had a bet against her husband, Albert Gerow, that the Canucks would take the series against the St. Louis Blues in four games.
Mr. Gerow now owes her a dinner, after the campaign, after the Canucks won in overtime.
Link to this postTuesday, April 21, 2009 02:04 AM
Voting is not enough, Campbell says
Ian Bailey
VANCOUVER – Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell tonight enlisted about 1,700 supporters as foot soldiers in a Liberal drive for a third straight term in power governing British Columbia through a tough, partisan speech at the city’s new convention centre.
Mr. Campbell covered some of the same themes in a speech earlier this month in the same ballroom to a luncheon hosted by some of the province’s key business groups, but this latest speech took a tougher partisan edge that basically brought the week-old election campaign into the vast complex, which ironically soared way over its expected budget.
“The consequences of the wrong choice on May 12 are enormous. We can lose all we have done, all you have built in a heartbeat,” Mr. Campbell told the audience at the $350-per-plate Leaders’ dinner held as a fundraiser for the Liberal party Mr. Campbell has led for 16 years.
There was little new in the speech in terms of policies or promises. Mr. Campbell stuck to familiar attack themes against the New Democrats, accusing them of being intent on hiking taxes, and chastising them as opponents to transit efforts, infrastructure projects and the new convention centre itself, which he linked to vast economic spinoffs
But standing at a podium labelled ‘Keep B.C. Strong,’ before a vast screen used to warm up the audience with video images of Mr. Campbell in action as premier, the Liberal leader struck an urgent tone, seeking to rally supporters to an earnest effort on the campaign trail.
Voting is not enough, he said.
“We can ask our friends and we can ask our colleagues and we can ask the people we work with to vote. We can ask them to decide whether they want to go back or do they want to go forward,” he said.
“We ask them to decide whether they want the governments that’s thinking about the long term future of British Columbia or they want a government that wants to take us back to the 1990s. On May the 12th, we get the opportunity to cast that ballot.”
He noted that Liberals would have won the 1996 election with 1200 properly distributed votes; and lost the 2005 election without 5,000 votes.
“So as you think about the next 22 days, think about your decision. Think about what you would like to do. Think about the steps you are willing to take to keep B.C. strong.”
Friday, April 17, 2009 12:27 AM
Some support for paramedics
KAMLOOPS - Thirty striking paramedics surrounded Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell when he arrived at a rally this evening to demand his government appoint a mediator to settle their dispute.
They spoke for two minutes outside before the Liberal Leader, who complimented them for their work, moved on to his campaign event.
But it was Health Minister George Abbott - who happened to be in town for his party leader’s rally - who offered the workers some encouragement.
Mr. Abbott, who is seeking re-election in the neighbouring riding of Shuswap, was inside the hall and did not meet with the paramedics. But speaking with reporters, he said he’ll meet with the union’s president to discuss mediation.
“We’re absolutely happy to have a mediator engaged again and we are happy to talk about who that mediator should be,” Mr. Abbott said.
“But I don’t think there is any point in the parties pretending to go back to the table just to have another impasse in relation to the monetary issues.”
The two sides are still far apart. The paramedics are one of the few public service unions that didn’t sign a contract that would ensure labour peace when B.C. hosts the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Mr. Abbott is set to meet Friday morning with John Strohmaier, president of the Ambulance Paramedics, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 873. But he isn’t leaving his campaign work for the meeting: Mr. Strohmaier has to travel to Salmon Arm.
Thursday, April 16, 2009 11:41 PM
Campbell wins bragging rights in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Voting day in the B.C election is weeks away, but Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell appeared tonight to score a minor win in this interior city considered a bellwether in winning power in Victoria.
Mr. Campbell outdrew NDP Leader Carole James as both held meetings to make the case for being the next premier.
At least 200 people showed up for a rally held by Mr. Campbell to bolster the cause of the party’s two candidates in the Kamloops area. Beyond the supporters were about 30 paramedics protesting the lack of a mediator in their labour dispute with the province.
By comparison, a group of about 60 people were on hand for a town-hall meeting held by Ms. James at a community centre shortly before Mr. Campbell’s gathering.
Ms. James took it in stride. She was asked about her turnout before numbers were in on the Campbell gathering.
“This was billed as a town-hall meeting - a chance for people to drop by; pulled together for the first couple of days of the campaign,” Ms. James said following the gathering in which she was politely asked about such issues as raw-log exports, programs for special-needs children, and bridging the ideological gap of B.C politics.
“We’ll be back through Kamloops,” she said. “You will see rallies and other events. This was a chance to talk to people; to hear about the pressures they were facing. It wasn’t a time for me to give a speech and do a rally.”
Asked about how the meeting was promoted, Ms. James mentioned Facebook and noted it was not advertised in a newspaper.
Thursday, April 16, 2009 08:51 PM
Kinsella questions abound
Justine Hunter
KAMLOOPS -- Liberal leader Gordon Campbell spent another day on the campaign trail fielding unwelcome questions about the involvement of his one-time campaign co-chair, Patrick Kinsella, in this election.
The New Democratic Party has sought to make Mr. Kinsella’s name toxic since his lobbying activities were raised in the BC Rail corruption trial.
Mr. Campbell was clearly unhappy to be asked, once again, if Mr. Kinsella is helping the B.C. Liberals win re-election.
“You’ve had a day since you were asked Mr. Kinsella’s role in the campaign. Have you clarified what he’s doing?” asked CTV reporter Jim Beatty.
“I know of no riding that Mr. Kinsella is working in,” Mr. Campbell replied, one of his most abbreviated answers throughout today’s campaign events in Dawson Creek, Taylor, Fort St. John, and Kamloops.
Mr. Beatty reminded the premier that Mr. Kinsella has reportedly said he is working on a local Liberal campaign.
“Jim, as I said to you, you are going to have to talk to him about that. I know of no campaign he is participating in.”
Mr. Beatty persisted: given the ruckus the NDP is making, “have you not clarified?”
Mr. Campbell: “I think it’s pretty clear to say I know of no campaign he is participating in.”
Mr. Beatty: “So you have asked?”
Mr. Campbell: “I know of no campaign he is participating in.”
And with that, the media availability was over.
Thursday, April 16, 2009 08:37 PM
In Encana's doghouse
Justine Hunter
DAWSON CREEK -- The folks at Encana, the natural gas giant, are usually on pretty good terms with B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell. But company VP Richard Dunn sent Mr. Campbell into the doghouse today.
Mr. Campbell was on a tour of gas rig 521 south of Dawson Creek, and the visit included a stop in the control room, known as the doghouse. Mr. Campbell was invited to sit in the controller's seat where he quickly spotted something wrong: "Why is the red alarm flashing?"
Mr. Dunn assured him it was only because the operation was suspended for the campaign tour visit. "We better get moving – don't want to lose all that revenue," Mr. Campbell replied.
Encana has 10 natural gas rigs running in British Columbia right now even though it is still the breakup season – the time when roads in the north are usually too soft to move heavy equipment. Mr. Dunn thanked the Liberal government for that – investments in northern roads have allowed vehicles as heavy as a campaign bus to travel to the rigs.
Thursday, April 16, 2009 08:29 PM
James seeks common ground with environmental movement
Ian Bailey
BURNABY -- Carole James says she hopes to find common ground with the environmental movement beyond the carbon tax they support and she would axe.
"We agree to disagree," she said on day three of the B.C. election campaign, using a Chevron gas station as a backdrop for restating her opposition to the groundbreaking price on carbon.
She said she was "very proud" of the B.C. green movement's work on such issues as offshore oil and gas, protecting rivers and streams and aquaculture, and that she hoped to continue to work together in these areas.
But she dismissed the concerns, published today in a newspaper column, of pre-eminent environmentalist Andrew Weaver, who labelled NDP opposition to the Liberal-launched carbon tax of a few cents per litre of carbon a "desperate attempt to gain votes" that is "mired in propaganda and misinformation."
Mr. Weaver is a professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Victoria and author of scientific climate-change assessments for the UN-affiliated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Mr. Weaver raises concerns about various NDP environmental policies, but is especially scathing on their carbon tax stand, taking issue with their description of the tax as a "gas tax", even though the revenue-neutral tax is applied to all fossil fuel combustion.
"Of course, this is nothing more than another gimmick designed to make people think that the government is making a money grab from regular people who have to drive to work and school daily."
Ms. James gently said Mr. Weaver is biased.
"Andrew Weaver likes a carbon tax. I understand that. I understand that's the direction he wants to go," she said.
But Ms. James said a recession is a bad time to introduce a new tax and that she prefers a cap-and-trade program. She noted that fuel consumption has increased since the tax was introduced last summer.
"I think it says everything that there is no other jurisdiction that is looking at a gas tax," said Ms. James. "British Columbia stands out at putting a tax on that is unfair to people and that doesn't do what it's supposed to do -- reduce emissions."
The carbon tax, now at $10 per tonne, adds 2.4 cents per litre to the cost of gasoline. By 2012, that levy is to increase to 7.24 cents under the current schedule.
Ms. James is headed this afternoon to Kamloops for events to bolster NDP prospects at winning seats in the battleground Interior city.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 09:16 PM
Campbell the 'tour guide'
Justine Hunter
PRINCE GEORGE — Liberal leader Gordon Campbell was in his best ‘tour guide' form this afternoon when his campaign plane touched down in Prince George. The Liberals are seeking to hang on to three seats in the region, which has been hard-hit by forestry job losses.
Mr. Campbell hauled reporters across the tarmac to admire a new runway — the third-longest in Canada — before heading over the new Simon Fraser bridge construction site to chat up workers.
While Mr. Campbell touted the jobs created with the $32-million project, crane operator Curt Shewchuk leaned down from his rig to tell reporters that his crew are largely from out of town.
“The locals are coming to us, looking for work.”
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 09:10 PM
Campaign pop quiz
Justine Hunter
Liberal leader Gordon Campbell unveiled his election platform today and as a crush of reporters pressed in around him, the first question was...?
a) about the platform;
b) about the New Democratic Party's news event regarding the BC Rail scandal;
c) about the Vancouver Canucks' playoff chances.
Correct answer: C
Mr. Campbell's response: “I think everyone's excited about the Vancouver Canucks hitting the playoffs, so am I. I'm not sure there's going to be a lot of people listening to my speeches when there is a game going on.”
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 09:06 PM
Campbell's vision: Tax cuts and a better bus pass
Justine Hunter
Liberal leader Gordon Campbell's unveiled his vision for the next four years: More tax cuts for business, and a better bus pass for students.
Mr. Campbell released his election platform at a party event in Vancouver but said voters should look to his past record to decide if they want four more years of Liberal rule.
“When you think about what we are doing in the province, we're recognized for the leadership we are taking with regard to the green economy… in health care or housing and homelessness,” he said.
The 50-page platform refers to “six pillars for a strong B.C.” but it was dismissed by New Democratic Party candidate for Vancouver-Kingsway, Adrian Dix, as “contemptuous.”
Mr. Dix was quickly swarmed by placard-waving Liberal supporters as he spoke to reporters after Mr. Campbell's rally. “Out of gas, out of ideas,” Mr. Dix summarized.
B.C. Election '09 Contributors
Patrick Brethour
Patrick Brethour writes each Friday on business issues from a western vantage point. The National Newspaper Award nominee is the the Globe and Mail's British Columbia editor, heading a bureau of 14 journalists.
He was previously Alberta bureau chief and a Report on Business correspondent, arriving in the province just as the oil boom began in 2002. Previous to that, he was a technology reporter and editor for the Globe in Toronto, launching a weekly technology section in the midst of the dot-com boom.
