New Democratic Party leader Carole James used her speech to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention to call on Premier Gordon Campbell to recall the legislature and to outline her party's priorities.
The government should return to Victoria to do what's needed to move up the referendum on the harmonized sales tax. It's now set for Sept., 2011. “That referendum needs to be helds as soon as possible,” James said.
The legislature could also work on growing the economy, creating jobs, addressing climate change, health care and child poverty, she said.
“Let us get back to the work that matters to you and your communities,” she said.
The province has abandoned some responsibilities to cities and towns, she said, citing the example of Victoria where cuts to mental health facilities and services have contributed to a growth in the number of people living on the streets. Disorder on Pandora Avenue in Victoria “fills me with anger,”
Mayor Dean Fortin and the city council are working on it, she said, but “They can't do it on their own. They need a partner with the provincial government.”
She listed four NDP priorities: growing a strong economy, investing in human capital through education and apprenticeships, committing to sustainability and environmental health, and encouraging “strong vibrant democracy” with open government policies and improved freedom of information processes.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
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Sask Resident
1 year ago
Growing the Economy
How can BC help grow the economy thereby creating jobs when they also want to rescind the HST and put all those hidden, regressive taxes back into place? Also, don't forget rehiring all those provincial civil servants that now are paid by the feds. Carole James has become a real politician so you cannot believe a word she says but only watch what she does.
Carole James should have been saying that the HST is a done deal but requested a lowering of the provincial take to 5%. She should also have explained how she would improve education and apprenticeships, hopefully not by just throwing money at them. She should also explain what she means by sustainability and environmental health, since nothing man does is sustainable except for a short period of time form 20 years to a few hundred years. Mom nature has figured most of it for herself, even if all the dinosaurs dies after a few million or so years.
DPL
1 year ago
Didn't Gordo bring in
Didn't Gordo bring in legislation that provided a time table as to when the house sits? I do believe it included fall sittings. But if King Gordo doesn't want it, it doesn't happen. He has no interest in the poor or anyone who can't or wont fund the BC Liberals
G West
1 year ago
Regressive Taxes??
Do you have any idea what you're talking about Saskboy?
A regressive tax is a tax on consumers. It is a tax which has NO relationship to ability to pay.
Why do you think people are upset about the HST?
They are upset because it is simply another form of a regressive tax.
Furthermore, it transfers tax points from consumers to business - largely big business.
The only good tax is a progressive tax which takes into account INCOME and provides for escalating rates of tax as ability to pay increases with income.
You need to pay a lot more attention.
Frank
1 year ago
Sask Resident
If you know of a why to improve education while simultaneously spending less on it by all means tell us.
Or email Gord at least.
Skywalker
1 year ago
To much potash Sask Resident?
The tax is revenue neutral but admittedly a shift in costs from business to consumer. Nothing in the liberals calculation of "savings" is intended for anything except making BC investor friendly. We all know what that means. Trickle down economics which means clearly more getting peed on. I've been trickled on quite enough by these guys
Blindsite
1 year ago
NPO vs the Economy
Why do we even bother with business in the first place? You can't tax what you don't buy or sell. Why don't we just stick it to the corporate sector and invest our time in non-profit societies? If people went non-profit across the board, all industries, we could not only minimize debt but also create a new backbone of industry, one based on the community rather than self.
I agree the HST should be repealed, it was brought in against the will of the people and under the table. However whether the private or public sectors shoulder the debt (and I do believe it should be public and the NDP is far more capable of keeping the books straight. . .) we're still going to be in debt either way. As long as people keep lending to one another and perceiving a job as a means instead of an end we're just going to dig the hole deeper.
I apologize if this is off topic however I just wanted to point out that promoting the economy may not be necessary nor desirable in the grand scheme of things and that there are alternatives to getting involved in it.
Cambell should bump up the due date for the HST, to delay is just going to aggravate British Columbians. He's just stalling for time and trying to get us to forget the details. What he seems to fail to realize is the more he fights repealing the HST the greater a rallying point it becomes for his opposition. Don't you just love it when the politician you hate shoots himself in the foot?
Yes even if we succeed in getting rid of the HST we will have but 2 options. Privatize a bunch of the public services or reinstate the PST. Or, as I have mentioned above we could promote non-profit societies and volunteering within our culture. The province is hugely in debt. The country is in debt. The world is in debt. And we're arguing about whether stimulating the economy is worth letting Gordon Cambell break his election promises and get away with word play? If our political engine fails how do we make change, economically or otherwise, without taking up arms? Assuming our economy takes a hit, we'll survive be it by paying taxes and using public services, by using private business or by going non profit. Economic failure is only a disaster for those that treat work as a means. It doesn't mean a thing for those who problem solve and do a job in order to get it done.