ROAD TO DAMACUS– The climate religion evangelist federal NDP appear to be seeing the light, shifting away from carbon taxes as the only solution to the perceived changing climate. Now they want premiers to come up with new ideas to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. This week the NDP supported a Conservative motion demanding that Prime Minister Trudeau meet provincial and territorial leaders within five weeks to discuss the policy. The Conservatives preach that the carbon price is making life less affordable for Canadians. Trudeau says that message seems to be resonating with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. As long as voter opinion polls show the Conservatives rising, and the NDP lagging, Singh recognizes the need to veer away from the Liberals. How much longer can the NDP and Liberals stay in bed together, how much longer can their common law relationship last?  24-04-11

A GIFT HORSE – Ottawa is extending the amortization period to 30 years on insured mortgages for certain homebuyers, on the premise of making home ownership more affordable. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the extended amortization will be on insured mortgages for first-time home buyers of newly-built homes, effective Aug. 1. What that really means is paying interest for an additional five years, and that can that add up. Always be careful of government bearing gifts. There will be a lot of that in the next year and a half. 24-04-12

Some things don’t make sense. The province is bringing in legislation to establish bubble zones around schools to keep protests and demonstration at a distance. That’s a good thing. We’ve had similar legislation in place for years protecting abortion businesses from demonstrations, and it has worked. But why do our courts strike down similar zones around schools and playgrounds to protect against open drug use?    24-04-11

ARE THE FOUR PARTIES in the province aware there’s an election on October 19? Why are none of them addressing homelessness and street disorder, while it remains “the” topic here in Nanaimo? Is it because we have a lack of shelters and therefore are more visible? The situation is pretty much the same across the Province. It would be great to hear from our MLAs their explanation for the lack of serious discussion. How about someone canning the bafflegab and delivering the solutions needed including secure involuntary care? There’s only six months remaining until October 19.

HERE WE GO AGAIN like a broken record leading up to the provincial election. The governing party runs taxpayer-funded puff advertising and the opposition screams foul. It was the same thing when roles were reversed, the Liberals/United in power and the NDP in opposition they complained about what they said was partisan advertising by the government. For countless elections I have challenged all parties to unequivalently commit to ban such advertising in total for the future. It never happens, they just can’t help themselves.

The carbon tax and its rebate scheme is a dream come true for socialists – redistribution of wealth. This program hits the target bang on. It makes all Canadians pay the tax through various avenues from fossil fuels to basics like food. One third of the amount collected is returned to only some Canadians in the form of rebates, based on income. Best of all, the carbon tax is designed to rise each year, more money in the hands of the powerful elite. The gift that keeps on giving. It makes Prime Minister Trudeau’s insistence on raising the carbon tax perfectly clear, take from everyone and give back to a chosen few to buy their votes. Who wouldn’t vote for a leader who is so generous with other people’s credit card? Saving the the planet? Nah, that's just the convenient diversion.

Everyone's an expert at telling government what to do. There’s been a lot of reaction to possiblle shutdown of the music program at VIU. And the Elder College program is also on the chopping block. It comes down to priorities, and that’s the big question, what's more important? The university has announced 2024 Fulbright scholar Dr. Sara Vogel’s four-month residency will focus on "democratizing, decolonizing and Indigenizing" sexual education. Perhaps lipping in a little romantic music could perk up her sessions, and seniors would jump for joy at the very thought. So what will it be, music, seniors or sex?

RED TAPE DOUBLETALK– The province was going to cut red tape to speed up the housing approval process, but now they want municipalities to implement housing density legislation. For instance, Nanaimo’s share of funding, $620,000, will mostly go toward retaining consultants to help staff to create reports and develop plans to cope with creating increased housing capacity. How does that speed up the process?     2024-03-24

We just got the bad news of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and family’s Christmas vacation in Jamaica. It cost the rest of us Canadians $234,000, with a large chunk of that being the cost of RCMP security. Thankfully the accommodation was free, they stayed with friends. All things considered, why should any prime minister’s expenses be paid by us while he/she’s on personal time? This breakdown gives us some idea of the costs of all of Trudeau's pseudo business junkets around the world.

It's a question of priorities
24-03-20

We’ve got seven months until the next provincial election, and the train is chugging down the tracks with gravy flowing every which way. Some of those handouts are badly needed, but what should be the criteria and the priorities? Health care, education, housing and homelessness top any lists. Blatant vote buying handouts raise eyebrows, you see them in the news daily. Premier David Eby doesn’t have any money, it’s our money that he’s handing out. Don’t forget farmers, vineyards and countless interest groups. Should we be subsidizing new cars for wealthy people, replacing windows, roofs and heating units for those who own homes? When do priorities override wish lists?

Power elite protecting their turf

24-03-19

The government reaction the Freedom Truckers in Canada and the Jan. 6 demonstration in the U.S. show how hell-bent they are on making an example of them. The message they want to send across both our nations is this: “never stand up to the government!”

Political discourse lacking

24-03-17

You've got to love David Taxman Eby’s reasoning. Replying to a letter from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre asking to halt an April 1 carbon tax increase, Eby argued that by taking less money from us he would have less money to give back to us in rebates. Poilievre asked Eby to join seven other premiers in opposing the increase, saying the 23-per-cent rise amounts to an extra 18 cents on a litre of fuel. The premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have asked the federal government to drop the increase. Eby rejected the plea and threw in an insult labelling the idea as coming from a baloney factory. Poilievre shot back saying people in our province don't have money to even buy baloney. Is that what we really need in our political discourse? MORE

Anti-vaccine loonies were not all that crazy

During the COVID pandemic vaccine debate we were inundated with conspiracy theories from a bunch of loonies about DNA sequencers in the injections. Just a Minute, it turns out that they were not as crazy as they appeared. Health Canada has confirmed the presence of a Simian Virus 40 DNA sequence in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which the manufacturer had not previously disclosed. Some scientists are now saying it has the potential to cause cancer, and others saying it poses little to no threat. Oh, that makes me feel so much more comfortable.   – 24-03-16 

Ready or not, goodbye to cash

Some things change, ready or not. We’re been hearing about adopting a cashless society, but it’s actually sneaking up behind us. Some banks have already shut down all cash operations, moving to kiosks in malls where you can do your business. In the long run that means no more cashiers – shades of Walmart – and possibly no more high-rent district branches. Basically, we will be their cashiers, and they'll still charge us. I tried to do some transcations recently at a local bank and they said the only option was online. Like it or lump it.

24-04-01

Corporate

welfare

prospers

Why should we subsidize private businesses? Canada’s independent cinema owners are crying crocodile tears saying their industry is in crisis and need they more public funding to stay afloat, about $50,000 a year in extra funding for three years. They say COVID drastically cut into their audiences which have not come back. That’s business. Canadians’ viewing habits are also changing, thanks to the internet. Changing times lead some to fail and it should not be up to the public purse to keep them going. That’s the way the ball bounces, or the way it should bounce. Shades of David Lewis who introduced us to the term "corporate welfare."     – 24-03-15

Deception scandal is imaginary

Scandal, conspiracy and deception, the vitriol is deafening in reaction to Kate Middleton’s photography acumen after releasing a family photo that had received the Photoshop treatment. What’s the big deal? Photos have been adjusted forever, from the days of black and white, photographers have adjusted photos lighter or darker, focussing and highlighting chosen spots. The princess did not add any family members or remove any from the photo. If this is the biggest issue facing the world today, we’ve in deeper trouble than we could ever imagine. Give the lady a break. We’re overrun with too many holier-than-thou critics these days.        – 24-03-12

Politicians need to quit pretending

While Canadian politicians doubletalk, coal exports from B.C. hit an eight-year high in 2022, at a time that the Liberals promise to ban exports completely. In 2022 Canada exported more than eight million tonnes of thermal coal, a 60-per-cent increase over 2021. That would produce 18 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, enough to fuel four million passenger vehicles for a year. On top of that, another 10 million tonnes of coal exports from the U.S. are shipped through Canada. Federal NDP environment critic Laurel Collins has introduced a private member’s bill to completely ban thermal coal exports. Thankfully most such bills die on the order paper never to be heard about again. Hopefully that's where this one winds up. 24-03-07

Electric fire truck takes leak

Vancouver's $1.8-million electric fire truck has short circuited all the way to the garage for repairs less than a month after it went into service. It has a leaky water tank, but none of the electrical or battery systems. Thank goodness it was still under warranty after being in services from Dec. 4, 2023, to Jan. 2, 2024, and has been out of service ever since. These units cost about $300,000 to $500,000 more than diesel units. The same problem sidelined the first Rosenbauer RTX truck in the Los Angeles Fire Department fleet in May 2022.             – 24-03-03

A

question

of pride

The town of Weslock, Alberta held a plebiscite for the public to decide whether to ban pride flags and rainbow crosswalks. A majority voted to allow only government flags and paint crosswalks with a white stiped pattern. In true moderm journalistic form the reporter stated a slim majority supported the motion – 1,302 for the ban and 663 against, 67 per cent to 33 per cent. Mayor Jason Kramer says the town of 4,800 will continue to find ways to embrace marginalized people. adding change is incredibly hard for some people.  

– 24-03-02

The Province has an official guide for government workers who draft Indigenous content. Writers can’t use the term 'British Columbian' because it excludes Indigenous Peoples who may not identify with it. Bureaucrats must avoid any name associated with Canada, a “nation that has actively worked to assimilate (Indigenous) people.” British Columbians also excludes other groups such as newcomers and refugees, it adds. The guide amonishes that we are “people living in B.C.” That falls in line with government-sponsored changes for homeless people or drug addicts who are now “people experiencing homelessness” or "unhoused" and “people who use drugs.” Here’s the government website that explains what you can and cannot say. – 24-03-01

Blown up for sake of inclusivity

It's time for real action

on mental health problem

Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Williams, who has a smart head on this shoulders, is calling on the provincial government to rethink its mental health strategy, even if that means putting people in care against their will. We have to look at involuntary care for people who can no longer care for themselves, he said. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy was present, said it’s a topic of conversation within government. Some experts say it doesn’t work, and other experts that say it does, she said. It always boils down to who pays for care, while those with mental health, addiction and life on the street say meeting basic needs like housing will go much further to address these problems than involuntary care. Sure, that way they continue to get their government drugs. What is clear is someone needs to stand up and address the issue, it’s not going to solve itself.

Covid money handout

turns into nightmare

As I predicted from Day One, when the federal government rolled out the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, it was a disaster waiting to happen. For many Canadians it was like winning the lottery – free money. Now they have to repay what they took when they were not eligible. The Canada Revenue Agency said previously that the program was launched in a hurry becaus money needed to get to Canadians. Sad stories are emerging of people scrambling to return the money and CRA bungling appears rampant in dealing with those cases from people who can’t afford to pay the refunds.

Politicians need to quit

pretending on coal exports

While Canadian politicians doubletalk, coal exports hit an eight-year high in 2022, at a time the Liberals promise to ban exports completely. In 2022 Canada exported more than eight million tonnes of thermal coal, a 60-per-cent increase over 2021. That would produce 18 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, enough to fuel four million passenger vehicles for a year. On top of that, another 10 million tonnes of coal exports from the U.S. are shipped through Canada. NDP environment critic Laurel Collins has introduced a private member’s bill to completely ban thermal coal exports. Thankfully most such bills die on the order paper never to be heard about again.

Wokism has run amok

It's difficult to separate fact from fiction these days. Like when the National Post reports our federal government allocates $4 million to create a non-descriminatory gender-inclusive landmine clearing program for Ukraine where there are reportedly two million buried mines. The $4 million is not for mine clearing, but to "develop a program" to do that. C'mon man. 24-02-29

The adult court docket for Nanaimo on any given day makes up to 36 pages! Take a look at what courts are dealing with, the whole gamut including rape, sexual assault, threats, common assault, weapons charges, possession of child pornography, thefts and drug charges galore – all in one single day. Take a look HERE.  24-02-28 

THE PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS CENTRE has been controversial from day one, resulting in two failed Alternate Approval Process attempts to get funding. Now some of those organizing the opposition point to the gold-plated goodies of the project, including the "gender neutral" washrooms that form part of the cost. What, no bidets? It would be enlightening to get a cost breakdown for taxpayers. Wokism is on a rampage and we're expected to pay for it. Before proceeding further, city council needs to ReImagine Nanaimo and bring the costs down to an acceptable level for a garage with office space.

24-02-25

Affordable housing nothing but a fairy tale

Federal and provincial politicians do a lot of talking about affordable housing, yet they are responsible for a lot of the rising costs. The B.C. budget added another tax, the flipping tax which is in reality an inflation tax. It will be 20 per cent for income earned from properties sold within the first year, declining to 10 per cent if sold after 18 months, and further reducing to zero after two years. These taxes are added on to the selling price. Take a $750,000 house and the buyer has to add $12,000 in the government's property transfer tax grab. That raises the price to $762,000. Real estate fees are up to $30,000. That makes is $792,00 just to break even but in the government's eyes you made 30 grand. Then the flipping tax, depending on how long you've owned the home, is $5,000 or so, just to break even. In round numbers that It all adds up to $800,000 or more for that $750,000 home – you haven’t made a flipping dime but the government lines its pockets and blames you for making housing unaffordable. If  you're going to make a profit you add quite a bit more to the price.  24-02-28

The town of Weslock, Alberta held a plebiscite for the public to decide whether to ban pride flags and rainbow crosswalks. A majority voted to allow only government flags and painted crosswalks with a white striped pattern. In true moderm journalistic form the reporter stated a slim majority supported the motion – 1,302 for the ban and 663 against, 67 per cent to 33 per cent. Mayor Jason Kramer says the town of 4,800 will continue to find ways to embrace marginalized people. adding change is incredibly hard for some people.    – 24-03-02

THE PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS CENTRE has been controversial from day one, resulting in two failed Alternate Approval Process attempts to get funding. Now some of those organizing the opposition point to the gold-plated goodies of the project, including the "gender neutral" washrooms that form part of the cost. What, no bidets? It would be enlightening to get a cost breakdown for taxpayers. Wokism is on a rampage and we're expected to pay for it. Before proceeding further, city council needs to ReImagine Nanaimo and bring the costs down to an acceptable level for a garage with office space.

24-02-25

OUR OWN ILLEGALS ­– The U.S. has a serious border problem, but how about Canada? A report in the Globe and Mail says federal authorities have active arrest warrants for 300 foreign criminals deemed a danger to the public and facing deportation, including violent sex offenders and people convicted of violent crimes, says the Canada Border Services Agency. As of last month there were 37,326 active immigration arrest warrants, of which 33,032 are to remove people from Canada, They included 306 Canada-wide arrest warrants for people deemed a danger to the Canadian public.

WHEN WE GET TO MY AGE, some of us yearn for the old days when life was much simpler, we used to speak the King’s English. We used to have rain or sunshine. Now that’s an atmospheric river and a heat dome. We used to also have only men and women, and the two were not interchangeable. We had never heard about personal pronouns, it was simply he and she. We seldom had homeless people then, now they are unhoused. Remember self-esteem? Now we worry about stigmatization and hurt feelings. What happened to personal accountability and personal responsibility? 24-02-16

THERE IS A TRUISM that you can’t spend your way into prosperity, yet that appears to be what the provincial government is trying to do with Thursday’s budget. The record spending spree comes with a deficit of close to $6 billion this year, rising to $8 billion next year. The interest alone on that level of borrowing adds greatly to the cost of government, an expenditure that contributes nothing, just circling down the drain. Municipalities have to balance their budgets. If they want to spend more than the income they have on hand they must have the courage to raise taxes accordingly – true accountability. It may be a radical idea, but it would bring a lot more fiscally responsible if higher levels of government were held to that standard.

THE PROMISES ARE STARTING in the lead up to the fall provincial election. Finally someone has come up with viable ideas to help with housing affordability. B.C. United is touting a lease-to-rent plan that would take the first three years of rental payments and apply the full amount to the downpayment. Another thing that makes sense is the promise to dismiss the property transfer tax for first-time buyers up to $1 million. That could cut purchase prices by up to $18,000. Exempting the provincial sales tax on new residential home construction is another solid plan. Now we wait and see what the others come up with. See the details HERE.

24-02-18

BAD INVESTMENT – It’s not surprising that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls massive layoffs and sale of radio stations at Bell Media a “garbage decision”. After all, he invested hundreds of millions of tax dollars in special funds for newspapers and radio and television owners across the country. Since taking the cash, some of those recipients are now cutting back or even bailing out. It’s a changing world and advertisers are no longer committed to private media – other avenues have made them redundant to a growing extent. We can only hope Trudeau doesn’t pour more good money after bad.

THEY ARE STILL WAITING – The entire town of Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire in 2021, but that's past history . . . or is it? Well, it should be history, but all this time later most of the residents are still waiting for help to re-establish their town. More than two and a half years later red tape is holding them hostage. There's been the debris removal, the cleanup, the contaminated soil remediation, and then the backfilling and the archeology and insurance claims through it all. How much longer will they have to wait to get what they are entitled to? 

National housing advocate Marie-Josée Houle says tearing down homeless encampments is a violation of human rights. In a report, she says while encampments may not be safe, they exist because of a systemic failure to provide housing. It is an issue of life and death for a lot of people and we need to make sure people living in encampments have access to the basic necessities they need to survive. Premier David Eby doesn’t see it that way, saying encampments are not acceptable, decent, reasonable places for people to live, adding we’ve seen the violence, fires, brutality that can arise. Argue all you want about semantics, the question is what are you going to do about it?  24-020-15

ACCOUNTABILITY – Have we ever had a greater accountability crisis from those who govern us? Recent local and national events cry for someone to be accountable for what happened. In Nanaimo we have now had two Alternative Approvals that have gone wrong at a great cost. Nationally, we had the revelations on Monday that there was no accountability in Arrivecan – or Arrivescam –during the pandemic when government money flowed out like a river to the point the federal auditor general was unable to identify the waste. Some people got rich when the money was handed out. On top of that, every-day citizens were virtually robbed by the system when they needed to travel during the pandemic. It’s sufficient to say that we are owed some answers.

Politicans need to quit pretending

While Canadian politicians doubletalk, coal exports hit an eight-year high in 2022, at a time the Liberals promise to ban exports completely. In 2022 Canada exported more than eight million tonnes of thermal coal, a 60-per-cent increase over 2021. That would produce 18 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, enough to fuel four million passenger vehicles for a year. On top of that, another 10 million tonnes of coal exports from the U.S. are shipped through Canada. NDP environment critic Laurel Collins has introduced a private member’s bill to completely ban thermal coal exports. Thankfully most such bills die on the order paper never to be heard about again.  24-03-06

Covid handout turns into nightmare

I predicted from Day One, when Ottawa rolled out the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, it was a disaster waiting to happen. For many Canadians it was like winning the lottery – free money. Now they have to repay what they took when they were not eligible. The Canada Revenue Agency said previously that the program was launched in a hurry because money needed to get to Canadians. Sad stories are emerging of people scrambling to return the money and CRA bungling appears rampant in dealing with those cases from people who can’t afford to pay the refunds.

Oregon makes drugs

illegal again

The state of Oregon has done an about-face on its experiment with decriminalization of drugs. Simple drug possession is illegal again and those using or possessing drugs can be arrested ­– and here’s the smart part – or they have an option of going into treatment instead of jail. That makes a ton more sense than government handing out prescription opioids. Our government needs to keep a serious eye on the results of the new Oregon policy. 24-03-05

Plenty of

nurses are

available

Hey Health Minister Adrian Dix, good move on the bonus plan for nurses and the commitment to hire a whole bunch more. Aren’t there hundreds and hundreds of them still unemployed after you fired them for refusing to take unproven vaccines? Just asking. 24-03-05

Censored by Big Brother

Holy cow, I've hit the big time, being censored by Facebook. I posted the little item about Weslock Alberta holding a referendum on pride flags and rainbow sidewalks. I guess those two topic are enough to send their algorithms into convulsions. Even legitimate new stories can't escape Big Brother these days.  24-03-04

Time for action on mental health

Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Williams, who has a smart head on this shoulders, is calling on the provincial government to rethink its mental health strategy, even if that means putting people in care against their will. We have to look at involuntary care for people who can no longer care for themselves, he said. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy was also present, saying it’s a topic of conversation within government. Some experts say it doesn’t work, and other experts that say it does, she said. It always boils down to who pays for care, while those with mental health, addiction and life on the street say meeting basic needs like housing will go much further to address these problems than involuntary care. Sure, that way they continue to get their government drugs. What is clear is someone needs to stand up and address the issue, it’s not going to solve itself.