Yes I agree the domination si extremely evident here on Vancouver Island where you very seldom read a story on why we have so many Noro viruses in Duncan and Nanaimo Hospitals

Damn, there's much in these presentations to be optimistic about and much to be alarmed about, none more so than this statement: "prospective prime minister Frank McKenna." Gawd, can you imagine this corporate lackey facing off against Harper or Mackay for the PM's office? I get shivers down my back thinking about it. Geez, Layton had better get a hair plant by then, or else... this country's media ownership structure had better improve lest we be watching the CBC lapping up the corporate-influenced justifications from the likes of McKenna.

Bravo, David and Charles.

Why are you suggesting tax write offs and tax incentives? Doesn't that go against the whole socialist attitude? Independent media should be strong enough to survive through the worst business climate. Is that not your attitude to every other business. Why should my tax dollars go to supporting you?

One thing that worries me is lets say the Senate recommends to Parliament that the Vancouver Canwest monopoly has to be vroken up and the highest bidder for the Province is an American news company, Knight Ridder for instance. Is this going to be good for Canada? I wonder if any of the delegations spoke about the need for Canadian ownership of our press?

When the corporate media conglomerates and the interwoven "shareholder" corporate morass actually begins to pay their true fair share of taxes you can pose that question.

..posted in reference to Rob's comment on subsidies, tax incenties, and who subsidizes whom.

Even if the senate committe agrees with every thing we say, and includes it in their report, it is MPs who have the final say, to be more specific MPs from Paul Martin's party, and Stephen Harper's party.

I would like to know if there was any media coverage of this important event. Did the CBC send a reporter and a camera crew? Considering the ramifications of the senate committee's invstigation this was big news.

Yeah, I agree Ranbir, but because those MPs aren't trained journalists, they'll just screw up anyway. This country needs reporters and journalists in office if we hope to have informed decisions made about media concentration - eh?

...or people who aren't corrupted by private industry, and actually have the best interests of the Canadian people at heart and in deed. Wouldn't that be nice for a change, eh?

Alex, it would indeed be nice. Alas, it is now no longer possible.

Our public acccess power structures have in place very carefully and cleverly constructed sets of weirs and chicanes designed to ensure that any candidates harbouring "the best interests of the Canadian people at heart and in deed" emerges from the process with their principles in tatters.

Besides, the Canadian people as a separate genus are slowly passing out of existence. We function now merely as a labour providing symbiot to the new electors within our confederation. Although there is a new school of thought beginning to be heard that holds that we are not true symbiots but rather parasites.

Thanks, David Beers, for your clear statement of hope for the future of news reporting.

Thanks too for The Tyee which is so good, so often.

What about a mega web-portal, already common on the internet, containing links to other progressive publications? Progressive BC media links could fill one third of the page, progressive Canadian links another third, progressive international links _ Harper's Mother Jones, Atlantic Monthly and so on, the final third. Last time I googled "BC politics," only about ten major entries turned up, and I don't think the Tyyee was one of them, which it should have been. Overall, a good report and job from Beers and Campbell. Doomsayers, you'd be surprised what COURAGE can accomplish.

,,,,,,,: try www.independentmedia.ca for a Canadian one which does include the Tyee.

http://www.demochoice.org/dcsetup.php Set up your own STV election in a mock 5 6 or 7 seater in victoria or vancouver. Get some residents to vote in your election. Input the votes into the website and you have got a stv poll which gives the partys info on how close they are to each other. (Are the greens off the wall rich libs? or back to the earth disaffected ndpers?) The transfer patterns will tell! Your stv poll will inform people about the system, will give info about which partys compete with each other for votes and create news! Here is a mock poll that is currently going on! Gordie and Colin against Adrianne, Elaine and Carol and more! Vote in it. Its fun and you can check the result right away in that poll (Because it is just for demonstration). Brian White http://www.demochoice.org/dcsetup.php In an imaginary 5 seater: Shirley Abraham (Democratic Reform)

In answer to Alex's important question, there was no converage of the Senate hearings in the CanWest media. As far as I can see, that proves everything Beers and Campbell told the Senate committee about the problem with the media in our community.

I am a believer in Kevin Potvin's (of The Republic Of East Vancouver's) argument that makes an EXTREMELY strong case that STV will lock in rightwing governments. Why? Because only three candidates will be elected in rural ridings, as opposed to 7 in urban ones. Therefore all the rural righwing parties NEED TO DO IS RUN A SECOND CANDIDATE AND AS RURAL VOTERS ARE ALWAYS MORE RIGHTWING THAN URBAN THIS WILL AUTOMATICALLY INSURE THAT THE SECOND CHOICE LOCKS IN A 2 OUT OF THREE MAJORITY. Put another way, a rural candidate needs about 33% of the vote to win; an urban one about 13%. (And how much money will fringe candidates be able to raise in rural ridings??) Since rightwing leaning rural ridings will nearly always take at least the first two seats, this means that STV is simply a covert way to lock in rightwing governments. One should as well question why the BC liberals, so anxious to tear down democracy in every other form in this province and huge fans of the biased media that elected them are so suddenly concerned with democracy, in this policy which they, themselves have spear-headed. And, NO, it's not just the 96 election results as they are all too pleased with the 2001 election results stemming from the same conditions and problems.

Point one, In a 3 seater, the quota is about 25% not 33%. That is a big difference. Second of all, there will be a heck of a lot of large seater urban ridings and just a few rural ones. This stuff about STV locking in right wing partys is crap. It is inspired by unions who have the NDP totally armlocked out on the far left fringe. Stv will bring both lunatic fringe partys closer to the centre by popular demand. And why would anybody want that? Because it is popular? I want to live in a society where my exgirlfriend can safely walk home (in one of the "better" parts of Victoria) without nutters bothering her. In "socially responsible" centreist society, those people are not wondering the streets wondering what is in a shoppers thrifty bags. (It was books). I do not want to live in a society that apes america. No need to bring your handgun to the store just yet, but if we keep the current system the right and left wingnuts will rapidly bring us to that point. We need government that reflects the wants of the BC people. STV will achieve that much better than the current system.

Thanks for finally having the guts to reveal your rightwing anti-union bias Brian. Oh, those damn unions, attacking little old ladies and disabled children to pay for a taxcut for the rich that's turned BC INTO A FEDERAL WELFARE BASKET CASE. Oh, wait, no, that was YOUR FRIENDS the BC LIARS and GORDON BACKSTABBER. Potvin provided proof for his figures -read his article and rebutt it -if you have the courage. Thanks for finally revealing just how rightwing you are. STD stands for STEALTH TERMINARTION OF LEFTWING GOVERNMENTS IN BC.

TESTING...

Thanks for your insights. I always wondered why so many reporters I met were alcoholics. Now I know. You ink stained wretches have my deepest sympathies...

Funny with all that discussion of media ownership you didn't think to tell the senators who bankrolls The Tyee.

Coming form a cultural "so called" protected minority, I have myself wasted far too much time with the CRTC and other Ottawa based bureaucracies. I think focus has to be on building community support rather than on the regulators. Called me a gaulcon if that helps understand.

One of the biggest things our society is going to have to face in the juggernaut of large corportions. This juggernaut is at war with the people they say needs them. Just take a look a (m)onsanto, they are tying up the food supply for their own use. They are at war with us! Media has taken the side of those who pay them their wages, thus the weakness of those who are owned. The media is bought and paid for those who own those company's. Just take a look at the one-sided views, without proper examination into all sides so the public can decide. Everything is decided for us by the reporting but as anyone knows, there are more then one side to any story. Equal reporting and media coverage paint pictures that after awhile people will believe, eg: Bush's War on Iraq. The bottom line is the media sways the ones who refuse to here the warning bells that democracy is dying an ugly death while a few are standing up and saying, "Something stinks around here!" And the media stands up while standing in the corporate cesspool and says, "Yes sir, But the smell appears to be the people out there." Perhaps when the freedoms my father fought for, when the Constitution of the usa is actually adhered to without a gun, we will live the dream we have been taught is ours to begin with.

Good journalism...good comment;ButI would like to know what these people have to say about the C.B.C. being shut out of the 2010 Olympic Games, in favour of Rogers, Bell. What more can be done to us than denying the Public Media Of Canada?

Journalism, if its practitioners want to be taken seriously, especially as a "profession," needs to take a leaf from disciplines such as medicine, in which they savage each other ruthlessly on theory in their journals -- without making personal attacks, or taking criticism personally. There is too little of that in a near-monopoly town like Vancouver, so kudos to Tyee for trying.

But it's silly to knock Canwest for not covering the Senate hearings -- those who take such things seriously aren't going to believe a single word a Canwest employee has to say about it, and on the other hand, most people could care less, aside from perhaps joking that the Ottawa-fresh canapes and libation must have been good. And really, what's going to change?

A paper is only as good as its managing editor, never mind who owns it. The publisher and the financial officers only care about the fiscal performance; content is secondary, and they tend to believe whatever the idiots running the paper tell them is actually happening in the world. It's a small circle. Hence, lefties figure the Post is a right-wing neo-con conspiracy, while Stephen Harper and Co. whinge that the Post is a Liberal pinko conspiracy out to get them. Quite hilarious, and Canwest is laughing all the way to the bank.

Good luck to Tyee's publisher David Beers (and don't give up the day job teaching journalism) and with any luck the Tyee will grow, and Mr Beers will grow with it. There are moments of transcendental joy in the publishing world that more than make up for the rocky times when everything piles up seemingly at once: the bank's on one line, the tax auditors are on the other line, advert customers are complaining about this or that, the union's pissed at stalled contract negotiations, lawyers are threatening you with libel suits, and you just discovered that your managing editor is an illiterate, lazy pissant.

But for a fleeting moment you'll remember what Mancken said about there always being a candidate for a managing editor's vacancy, but there are precious few jobs out there for an unemployed managing editor.

Someone Misunderstood my comment. I am a little left, a little right. Fairly centered. Just like most people in BC. I believe in retaining services just out of self interest. Gordie can afford bodygaurds for himself and his family. But the average Joe or Brian cannot. I do not approve of his cutting people off welfare and terrorising people on disability or emptying the mental hospitals. I believe STV will give us more centerist government. I stand by my comment that unfettered left and right wingers are nothing but trouble for this society.

Brian White wrote about: "the NDP totally armlocked out on the far left fringe." Oh, how I wish!

One more thing about Mr. White and the NDP. It is typical of the far right to take some rather mild, innocuous, pale pink group like the NDP and start screaming that it is extreme and far left. Similar propaganda has been done with a motherhood group like Greenpeace, who have also been labeled extremist and even “ecoterroristic” by some of the Natpest trash. Such raving only shows; 1. That the people making these accusations are insane or 2. They are so far to the right, so reactionary, that even wishy-washy moderates seem super radical.

For once I find myself agreeing with anarcho here. One of the great problems we face in our political life lately, more and more, is this idiotic intolerance we have for some reason decided to characterize as 'polarization'. There is almost no left wing to be found in BC, and as far as I can tell there never has been. There have been some very small semi-sane groups of activist wannabes in the areas of ecology and animal rights, and these often fail to object when the press characterize them as leftist, but they really have no economic theories of any sort to promote in society, only objections to some specific thing or other that somebody else persists in doing that just annoys them. I don't think it's enough to qualify anyone as genuinely left wing.

Even those card carrying Communists, few and far between, who speak out seem to espouse very moderate views when you listen to them. If they didn't call themselves Communists probably nobody else would.

Except the right wing. The people who think of themselves as the right in Canada now just attack all who dare disagree on any point to any degree, and they attack with a venom that's frightening to see. With hatred, you'd think. Yet their own claim to right wing thinking is very difficult to understand. Their theories on economic matters always seem to boil down to a simple conviction that all the money rightly should be theirs, and anybody else who has any, or needs any, is their enemy. And they leave no enemy standing. Organized labour, for example, has had a hugely beneficial effect on the prosperity of the neighbourhoods and communities of BC, but are attacked as though they're thieves. The poor, mentally ill, abused, sick or elders? Why do they need money? It's ours! They can't have any!

Sorry, this isn't an economic theory at all. It's a rant, and a scary one. The Socreds had a genuinly right wing association in the 50s and 60s, and some vestiges of economic theories, and now they are attacked, or the products of their theories are, as leftist remnants to be destroyed and redistributed to themselves. I mean BC Hydro and BC Ferries, and our hospitals.

The NDP, the public service unions and the economically disadvantaged in BC can't possibly be truthfully thought to be a risk to the economy. In policies like the ALR and ICBC the NDP has acted conservatively in the tradition of Bennet sr. and his Social Credit buddies, and created economic protections for the society at large from the depredations of the predatory who threaten the stability of the economy with their apparently boundless greed.

Hardly a left wing agenda, I think.

Thanks Bailey. If the NDP are somehow "left" well, I must be in the Outer Limits. But when you look at what I would like to see,(and many others like me) that is actually quite moderate too. The spread of cooperatives, worker self-management, community ownership of resources, decentralization and direct democracy brought about nonviolently, this is not wild-eyed tear everything up radicalism. So if genuine "far leftists" like me are really moderates, what does that say about right-wing propaganda painting the left as raving loonies?

Yes, well. The point of my harangue is that when whole media and most major news organization seemingly deliberately mischaracterize the nature of the opposition like that, people believe them. It's a very serious problem that leaves a huge set of false beliefs in the minds of the electorate. It goes way beyond point of view or differing opinion. It seems like purposeful deception, and the only purpose I can see is to influence elections by fraudulent means.

There ought really to be a penalty for doing that. When politicians or their supporters lie to get a vote, that is a serious thing. Akin to fraud, which is lying to get a different sort of benefit. In fact, if they benefit by getting contracts or salaries or something, it isn't like fraud. It is fraud

Good comments from Bailey and Anarcho, with which I can only concur. I would like to add that what the right does is really not so much an argument as hate speech. The idea is not to attack your opponent but to demonify him. Thus unions become "lazy and greedy," disabled and economically marginallized and no longer in market demand persons become "parasites." etc. Demanding a living wage becomes "selfish," and so on.

This may get censored but it is worthwhile noting that these are classic fascist tacticts, and that such prestigious publications as Harper's and Adbusters have published essays noting the classic facist elements in so-called neo-conservative policy. It is worth noting as well, that Hitler's rise began with attacks on unions, disabled people (who were exterminated) the poor and leftists in general. While campbell has not DIRECTLY exterminated or tried to rub out these groups, his targets, and his inherent facism, have born strong resemblance. The typically facist Straussian neo-con belief, that calls for a hidden elite, whose strength is their soul justification has been well dealt with in Kevin Potvin's magazine, The Republic of East Vancouver. Had the ndp been the polar opposite of the BC liberals they would have unnannounced raised corporate taxes 25%, banned Canwest newspapers, forcefully unionized BC's workplaces and so on...

I can only sit here and nod my head in agreement with everything I have read. But, how to effectively change this situation around? The philosophy of von Hegel is in full stride in the western world, and as was said by others if you stand up and try and change this preferrential treatment for and by the wealthy. You get attacked and dehumanized ( politcal correctness is a great censor). So how do we go about it effectively?

That is a hard question to answer. The science of persuasion may have had the highest level of funding in our society, (the western democracies) excepting weapons production. Count up advertizing, universities, political activity, psychological research, propaganda both overt and covert, media, motion pictures, broadcasting. I'm sure that list goes on and on. All expensive, all designed to produce one effect or another in human minds. All of them work amazingly well.

The only protection that has existed was diversity. When the messages conflict judgements are required and choices can be made. When the message is uniform, and false to boot, what basis is there for judgement? Hell, what use is thought?

Why were journalists ever in need of a code of ethics at all? This is a real question. There was a time when even biases needed corroboration, The two source rule. The accuracy standard. Why?

Just a comment about comments. I am politically central. Last year I had a letter printed in monday magazine. It asked for a snake drive in commemoration of Saint Patrick (March 17th) to drive the snakes out of BC politics. Specifically Gordon Campbell for making us look a laughing stock in front of the world in Hawaii And Stephen Collins for his super control of the finance department just over a year ago. (Legend says St Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland). Personally, I believe that if you organized such a march, and it got big enough, it might just get worldwide coverage! I will not even mention ST Patrick's preferred method of converting celtic chieftains to Christianity. So, why not? Commerate Paddy's day by showing your leaders the respect they diserve. So, over to you, mr winger. Take the ball and run with it.

A good article, gives one plenty of food for thought. I gave up buying the Sun four years ago, never did buy the Province. I watch Tony Parsons news hour because a person really should know what her enemies are up to, I don't watch CNN because I'm afraid of what my enemies are really up to and I get a number of alternate news sources. The thought the NDP is a far left wing socialist party has me laughing; a somewhat weak and sickly laugh, perhaps but... ah, no, the NDP has moved past the centre of the bird and is heading toward the right wing. The Lib's are so far right they start to sound like Atilla and Kublai Khan, and the Greens are where the Conservatives used to be and will soon go where they went! Up their own doofus leaving only a lump of compost like Whozit Harper lying on the rug, stinking up the entire House.

So have you read, Biill tielemann's article in this week's Georgia Straight, Brian White, detailing the pathetic number of women candidates STV helped elect in Malta, and how Malta hasn't elected an independent candidate since 1950, and only three prior to 1950? The article is available online at the Georgia Straight's website, and is also in this week's straight...

Some great comments from The Tyee editors--hope the committee was listening. Why do we allow the unregulated corporate concentration of media ownership that exists in B.C.? Apart from the common evils of market monopolies, this also undermines the news media's traditional role in assuring free speech and functional democracy. Having said that, the media industry has evolved to a level of maturity and focus of purpose that it's probably unrealistic to expect corporate news organizations to double as guardians of free speech and democracy. They are no less advertising-delivery instruments than cigarettes were nicotine-delivery instruments to the tobacco industry... Seems silly to expect either one to put public interest ahead of the corporate mandate. The failure of the mainstream media to cover the Committee's visit--like the failure to cover so much else--says it all.

I agree with Dawn Steele, above, and will only add that since I got my journalism degree from Ryerson nearly 20 years ago, my forays into mainstream journalism were almost all marked by chronic disappointment, and especially infected by management agendas that undermined any real journalism that happened to be emerging (mine and others). Real journalism takes courage and persistance, making me damn grateful for those who work in service of it.

Well, Hombre, always nit picking. Where is Malta, anyway? You really think a tiny island country between southern Italy and northern Africa is going to have a tradition of electing Women? Ireland is closer to this society in size and nature. STV opens up the nomination process. you do not have to be a party slave to get nominated under stv and if you get kicked out for rebelling, you can run successfully as an independent. A lot more votes count in STV than in the current system. AND more than 50% of the population is women, so, if womem want women in government, it WILL happen. I have voted for women using STV and they got elected. With a handle like Hombre, I guess u are the strong "get back in the kitchen, i will protect ya" kinda guy so what do u care anyway? If you were a hombrette, then maybe there would be more credibility.

No, not really, Brian. My handle is based on the movie "Hombre," after the Elmore Leonard book, a brilliant study in classs relationships in the old west. Leonard, although it is not well known, is quite left leaning in his politics. The character in the movie artfully played by Paul Newman, is a tough half native man, who the other stage coach characters first shun, making him ride on top, and then later expect him to die for them, which he does by and by, after first rescuing them from their plight. In my mind this same class relationship is somewhat replicated by those like yourself who expect poverty activists, the poor, and other vulnerable groups to not only do your dirty work in strreet level protests, but also to die on those same streets for the incredible stupity of middle class twits like yourself being dumb enough to give gordon liar a 75 seat legislative majority, which you now claim out of your vast wisdom will be instantly rectified by STD. And Tielemann's argument also included the fact that almost no independent candidates have been elected in Malta, a fact I notice you ignored. Nor did I find your rebuttal of Kevin Potvin's arguments in any way convincing, his argument being, if you recall, that rural ridings predictable lean to the right mean that the first candidate the right runs is bound to get 33% of the vote, the second nearly as much, and that the second choice offered for leftist voters will probably be mostly rightwing candidates as well, a stealth maneuver likely to lock in rightwing goverments, especially in BC where the left/right vote is often split down the middle. When you combine Tielemann's and POtvin's arguments and the fact that the pernicious BC liars, will all their access to Fraser Institute NEOMATHEMATICIANS support STD, an unbiased analysis can only conclude that STD is merely one more rightwing Trojan Horse. Have you actually READ, either article Brian?? You should rent "Hombre," and watch it, maybe it'll even inspire you to give your taxcut to the foodbank...by the way who are you voting for in the next provincial election...??

Hombre- interpretation- dumbest of dumb ndp dip turds, half ndp, half arse hole = 100% Arse hole

Hello, jean...still whining I see...how convincing, an ndp supporter who thinks the ndp are excrement...boy, you must have really been in the bottle when you wrote that one...heh, heh.

Man sticks head up own ass, talks out of it...film at 11.

Well at least you're good at SOMETHING, jean...

Well at least you're good at SOMETHING, jean...

-Excellent Article.

-This is something public interest freelance journalists have been ranting about for years, especially in BC, where the Global Canwest Liberal Lie Machine controls everything.

-That is why the quality of journalism has sunk through the floor in this province, and why we keep hearing/reading/seeing endless lies about how great our economy supposedly is, when in fact it is bordering on recession.

-This is also why with drug raids on the legislature, declining hospital conditions, boondoggles P3 mega-projects, massive cuts and layoff contrary to BC Liberal promises, etc, the Liberals are still portrayed as basically OK in the media.

-Some of the suggestions Beers and Campbell make are fairly straightforward and need only a bit of political guts to get them to happen.

-Unfortunately, with the federal and provincial Liberals both joined at the hip to large media conglomerates, that political will is non-existent.

-Ultimately, it needs to be the labour and cooperative movements (the two most powerful public interest forces) to set up a democratic pro-public interest media that is more committed to social justice and change and journalistic ethics. This has happened in many European countries and seems to have positively influenced the political and economic climate there.

I realize this is quite late in the debate, but could someone please tell me what historic precedent most of you are hanging your optimism on that a Senate committee will actually do anything other than travel, feed itself, blather on about the importance of pork-chop appointees such as themselves and then file a few milquetoast recommendations along with their grossly inflated expense accounts? Too puzzling? Well then, answer this question: how many Senators sit as diectors on media company board, how many sit as diectors on bank boards and how many have ever visited and or helped out at a food bank?
I wonder what Dickens would say about this naive expectation that non-elected fat-cats have our best interests at heart?

Best comment of all. Thanks, allan.

I'm with you on that one, pfrovtar. Great questions, allan. Historically, the Senate has been a well-paid resting place, hardly an engine for change.

Allan, Kevin Potvin's comments on this issue at the The Republic of East Vancouver, most easily found online by typing that complete name into a google search are very similar to yours. I believe you would enjoy them...

Did the Senate have anything to do with the just-announced augmented funding for local CBC news? If yes, they are far cheaper than the Gomery Commission as a force of change. Also take a look at the CBC Watch web site and the latest web poll at www.globeandmail.com on the subject of the CBC.

Contumely, sorry but the Gomery Commission was never meant as a force for change. You may have thought that after reading someones press release at the time of it's formation.

It's mandate is to determine just what went on.
Canadians have been electing MPs who are supposed to be a force for change.
Unfortunately, as we know well, the combination of undue influences from the porkers in the Senate and the lobbyists for corporate Canada have pretty much neutralized most MPs.

It is fortunate, though, that we have one of the best and most open news sources in the world with CBC, which like The Tyee presents a semblence of balance in a world of conservative and hostile (to alternative thought) news media.

Alan, they are certainly looking at what happened. Nevertheless, there will be a phase in the Gomery Commission devoted to recommended changes.

Go to www.gomery.ca/en and take a look at the second manate. The
second mandate calls upon the Commission to make recommendations to the the Government of Canada, based upon its factual findings, to prevent mismanagement of sponsorship programs and advertising activities in the future.

My point was that the Senate is a much cheaper means of getting work done than this hiring of Conservative lawyers at extremely expensive rates. The Gomery Commission is spending more money than what was estimated to be spent on what they called "little or no work" by the Sponsorship program.

Contumely, It does make sense that the commission recommend. You are correct.

I do hope, however, that Gomery make only one recomendation and that is to do away with all but individual political contributions.

Bring in individual citizen contributions and outlaw corporate, labour and other third party financial involvement.

To me, that will go a long way toward reducing the need to have federal tax dollars spilled all over the place when a convenient opportunity arises.

I guess you could also argue we have already committed to paying the senate appointees' salaries, so a senate committee wouldn't have that cost.

I agree that corporate and unions dollars should not be controlling what happens in BC elections. Has not he federal government has already eliminated corporate and union donations?

I live in BC , but, unlike some of the posters above, I am not so sceptical about the Senate, adam. I may be naive or may just not know enough about the Senate. In any case, any Libertarian attack on government or in this case the Senate originating from the Reform Alliance Conservative "characters" is immediately a point of view that I have to challenge in my own understanding. The same is true for the BC Liberals who I will fight with everything that I can muster. Everything that they say is questionable if not an outright lie. Voting for Gordon Campbell is the same as voting for George Bush. If BC does re-elect the BC Liberals, they are just accepting the lazy uninformed media nonsense that they are being fed.

Much as I commend the lead article here, the Big Media versus Little Media sounds too much like the other polarity that frames absolutely every discussion in BC: Left versus Right.

Two points define a line. A line is a one dimensional concept. We need to live in a three dimensional world, but the conventional wisdom in BC is if you're not in one or the other of the two camps, then you're no place.

The media in B.C. seems to suffer from this syndrome too. Where's the alternative media that have not been conscripted by the Left / Labour camp?

Contumely, I appreciate your need to challenge the libertarian attacks on the Senate as presented by the Reform/Alliance/Conservative crowd. I support your goal

But my concerns, and I don't think they are libertarian, are that the process of appointing senators is pork-barrel to the core.

We are a nation of more than 30 million. We are quite capable of finding enough "wise" and "sober" thinkers among that number who would be more than able and willing to serve if the people elect them.

Perhaps then, with the tinge of patronage erased, hearings, investigations, comments and other outflows from the Senate would carry the clear, unmanipulated aura of respectability you get in a truely democratic body.

Re: the coming provincial election. I suggest how this next one turns out in terms of Libs. v NDP is of little consequence. Of more consequence is how many eligible voters take the time to participate. A recent Op-Ed by the Chief electoral officer listed the declining participation for the last five or six elections. If memmory serves me correctly it was dropping by about four percent each time and the last one was down to 53%. The commentary failed to acknowledge that among those who do turn out, there must be a large proportion who are not convinced its really a valuable exercise.

The establishment is probably starting to get a bit nervous about this already. If the trend continues (I hope it does), it will soon be evident that the public has already turned off and tuned out the the entire political system. Then there's no denying its lack of legitimacy. Will the press and all fans of orthodoxy still try to berate those of us who refuse to pretend for failing to do our patriotic duty?

If the numbers get low enough, that will be the signal we need to do something meaningful and radical with the current system.

The last election I watched the NDP go from leading in enough ridings to make a full opposition, around twenty I think it was, to winning only two. This happened in the last ten minutes of coverage.

When Bush ran in the states the new voting machines were made by his supporters, and nobody knows what the code looks like.

Do you blame anyone for being skeptical when the same crooks who want to control the treasury also control the vote counting?

I love this Tyee stuff.Finally a place where I can read other views that is not propaganda.
As for the senate investigation,just window dressing to placate the public.
Keep up the GREAT work!