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Martlet: “Canada’s next great Prime Minister could be in your class”

Robert — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:59:43 +0000

If you think young people don’t have a national voice, one UVic student will change your mind.
First-year political science and environmental studies student Emmy Marshall-Hill is competing in the CBC competition Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister, a contest for Canadians ages 18 to 25.

The competition started in 1995 as an essay contest but has since evolved, with contestants answering questions through online video posts and creating their own websites for their campaigns.

In November, the contestants were asked what they would do to make Canada a stronger country socially, economically and politically.

“It took a lot of research and a lot of time,” said Marshall-Hill, who had to answer the question via a video post on the contest’s website. “Whatever we do to improve our lives socially, economically and politically must be guided by two key principals. First, we must not harm our mother earth, and second, we must begin to think and plan in generations not in years.” More.

Public Eye: “Follow the leader?”

Robert — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:23:10 +0000

Earlier, we reported Infospec Holdings Corp. and New Asia Capital Investment Corp. paid an estimated $5,000 for provincial Liberal caucus chair John Yap to be part of a “delegation of business representatives to promote trade and goodwill” between British Columbia and China. This, despite the fact, Premier Gordon Campbell criticized the New Democrats for letting the Chinese International Cooperation Association pay at least $12,441 for Opposition Leader Carole James, three legislators and two staffer to go on a trade mission to Taiwan in 2006. So why did Mr. Yap think it was appropriate for him to travel to China on the private sector’s dime? More.

Paul Willcocks: “Four months to go, and the Liberals should be worried”

Robert — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:10:30 +0000

British bookies take bets on election results and post odds years in advance. Perhaps it’s the next bit of gambling expansion the B.C. Liberals will look at, now that people are getting less keen on scratch and lose tickets. But the oddsmakers would be having a tough time right about now. Even a year ago, Gordon Campbell and company would have been heavy favorites.

The economy was good, Olympic plans were allegedly on track and voters in the Lower Mainland could see big infrastructure projects all over the place. There were problems – homelessness and street disorder, health care waits and gaps in seniors’ care. The forest industry, especially the coastal industry, was a mess.

But problems are part of governing. It’s only when they become really serious, or when the party in power doesn’t seem to have any plans to deal with them – or worse, doesn’t acknowledge them – that voters get really riled. And Carole James and the New Democrats hadn’t convinced voters that they could do any better. More.

Jody Paterson: “Watch the spin on your way to the facts”

Robert — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:01:11 +0000

I wrote in last week’s column about doing my part for the next few months to take the measure of the B.C. government, in the interest of helping us all be better informed come the May election. It’s only just sinking in this week what a complicated task that’s going to be. I’m neck-deep in fascinating statistics already, but no doubt you’re familiar with that Benjamin Disraeli warning about “lies, damn lies and statistics.” I love stats for their simplicity, but they spin like a dream and are rarely as black and white as they first appear.

What is good government, anyway? It strikes me that I’ll have to settle that point in my head if I’m to have any success with this exercise. The answer that comes quickest to my mind is that good government acts at all times in the best interests of British Columbians overall. More.