Premier Christy Clark speaks in Kamloops on Sept. 20, 2011.Jeff Bassett for the Globe and Mail
Is she scared, or just procrastinating?
As Premier Christy Clark puts off the decision to call byelections in the ridings of Port Moody- Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope, local newspapers are turning their eye to political affairs in their area.
The Chilliwack Progress says the byelection will provide "a telling barometer" of Ms. Clark's popularity as she prepares for next year's provincial election.
"For the Liberals, the stakes are high," says an editorial by newspaper editor Greg Knill. "True, byelections are notoriously difficult for governing parties to win. They often garner only the protest vote; voters satisfied with the government usually stay at home. But the Liberals rightly know this byelection will be different," he says. "First, they can't afford to see a Liberal stronghold slip from their fingers. A victory for the B.C. Conservatives would give the party credibility and possibly its first sitting MLA. A win for the NDP would give the New Democrats further motivation as they prepare to ride their current wave of popularity into next year's general election."
John Martin, the B.C. Conservative Party candidate in Chilliwack, and NDP candidate Gwen O'Mahony says the Liberals are "running sacred," the Chilliwack Progress reported. Several cabinet ministers have been in the riding in recent days to announce government grants for local projects. B.C. Liberal candidate Laurie Throness says cabinet ministers touring the province making announcements are "routine."
Meanwhile, The Tri-City News writes that Premier Clark has been in Port Moody and Coquitlam so often in recent weeks she might as well move in.
"Of course, the meet-and-greet sessions with local business, arts and ethnic groups are more about lubricating votes for an upcoming byelection than anything else," the newspaper says, "and while it's great to see the premier here, perhaps there are more pressing concerns that require her attention." The newspaper suggests that education should be "top of mind . . . something needs to be done to help resolve the current impasse."
Elsewhere on its pages, The Tri-City News drew attention to the failure to announce a byelection date before the resumption of the legislature on Tuesday. Conservative party leader John Cummins says Premier Clark "should give the people of Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope their voices in the Legislature by calling the by-elections as soon as possible," the newspaper reported.
"Port Moody-Coquitlam has been without an MLA for 130 days and the MLA for Chilliwack-Hope resigned 32 days ago. Because of the delay in calling the by-elections the new MLAs will not be in the House in time for the budget," Mr. Cummins said.
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The announcement of a new 360-cell prison in the Okanagan received mixed reviews from the local newspapers. Almost a year later than anticipated, Premier Christy Clark announced the $200-million facility will be built north of Oliver in an industrial park on land of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Although the bid from the Penticton Indian Band, District of Summerland and Village of Lumby had been rejected, the decision was "the right one," says The Penticton Western News.
"The new correctional centre will create hundreds of jobs that will allow many South Okanagan residents to be able to continue to call the area home. Hopefully, the benefits the project will bring to the region will help smooth over the differences that have divided so many in the community," the newspaper says.
The Summerland Review was disappointed that the province had rejected Summerland's bid.
"Without the prison, Summerland is left in an uncomfortable position. The population has been declining and in recent years, some significant employers have left town. Summerland desperately needs to reverse this decline," the paper wrote. "If there is one lesson from the prison decision and other past projects, it should be to plan for our future without expecting a rescue from the government or an outside developer. We need to consider our options and come up with our own suggestions, to promote and enhance our community."
In Kelowna, the Daily Courier said the new jail was good news for several reasons. on several front. "First of all, given the drama over where such a facility might be located, who wanted it, who didn't, and the drawn-out process to get us this far, it seemed like a new provincial prison might never be built," the paper's managing editor Jon Manchester says in an editorial.
"That it was announced at all during these unsteady economic times, is good news in itself." Although Kelowna was not interested in the jail, the city can expect to receive some of the benefits of the project that will boost the entire Okanagan economy, the newspaper says, adding that the jail is sorely needed to reduce triple bunking in the Kamloops correctional centre. "That no date has been pegged to begin construction is worrisome. Let's hope we aren't left waiting long."
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Premier Clark received some qualified support in Nanaimo for her announcement of a review of the province's justice system. The Nanaimo News Bulletin dismissed the appointment of nine new Provincial Court judges as not doing justice to the magnitude of the problems facing the court system. With recent retirements, the appointments will result in only a slight, if any gain for the region. As for the review of the entire system, the paper says the province will have to wait to see what suggestions are made.
"But taxpayers can rest assured that unless there is a call for a major restructuring in our system of delivering justice – from police on the streets all the way through the courts and into the prisons – we'll continue to struggle with courtroom backlogs and criminals walking free on technicalities. The situation is so bad right now, it's entirely possible those instances will continue, even with a major overhaul."
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The premier's musings about using revenue from carbon tax for public transit, rather than tax cuts, was endorsed in editorials in several Black Press newspapers, including The Campbell River Mirror. "In the global scheme of things, the impact of B.C.'s carbon tax on the release of greenhouse gases since its inception can be considered miniscule. But it has led to some positive changes in awareness and attitudes, with examples found in industry and civic infrastructure where energy-efficient measures and alternatives to fossil fuels were implemented," the editorial says. "If alternative energy sources are not vigorously pursued now, the world is headed for a worsening crisis. That makes for a strong argument that instead of carbon taxes being neutral, they should instead be funnelled directly into energy-wise initiatives, such as transit and other transportation alternatives."
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Meanwhile, in federal politics,
Prime Minister Stephen Harper received some backing from the Nanaimo News Bulletin for his suggestion of raising the age to qualify for Old Age Security payments.
"Based on demographics alone, OAS as it stands now simply won't survive," the newspaper says. The costs of the program are high and growing as the number of seniors in Canada increases. "Seniors advocate groups were quick to jump on Harper's idea, shunning it as irresponsible," the paper says. "But changes would be phased in and aren't likely to affect anybody nearing retirement now, and certainly not people already collecting OAS. If any group should be nervous, it's working Canadians in their 30s, 40s or 50s who will be stifled from advancing because people are working longer, and who will be forced to pay more to support the bulging retirees ahead of them," the editorial continues. "By making changes to OAS, at least there is hope there will be a few pennies left for future generations."