Sounds great, but what are the job numbers? Over the same period, did they go up, down or remain constant?

The reason I ask is that in theory, this could be explained by the number of jobs in PG remaining the same. along with a shrinking population of unemployed people who have left to look for work in other cities.

Not saying this is the case (and I hope it isn’t), but without additional information it’s hard to take much out of the stats.

So my question is, have more jobs been filled in PG (and if so, where) or are there less people seeking work because they have left?

Yeah that’s just too funny….. Lowest unemployment rate in the country? How come we seem to have so many dead beat pan handlers and recently discharged unemployed persons wandering around? The downtown core is great for conducting a pan handler or street urchin count, just sit in front of St Vincent’s or the men’s shelter or even around the court house. Just a freaking joke, stats can be worked any way you want .

Some people are simply unemployable and others are not looking for work, the stats pertain to people that are looking for work, not street people and people who are not hireable.

Bell… aka gas bag

pan handler = self employed

Bell used to make all the announcements on lumber exports to China. Now that he is not longer responsible for forests, we hear nothing. Now its the employment numbers.

We need someone to explain how these numbers actually work.

Ie; If a person from Vanderhoof, was working in Tumbler Ridge BC, for Wolftek in Prince George, would he show up on the Prince George Stats???? I suspect that it is this type of thing that is taking place.

With a population of some 73000, it is highly unlikely that 50,000 of us are employed. Once you knock out the retired, those in grade school, college, or university, those actually unemployed, and those no longer registerd as looking for work, plus the unemployable, you certainly would not have 50,000 people working.

I think that P Val hit the nail on the head.

two points:

1 – it amazing me how people can complain about a “good news” story.

2 – anyone that thinks Pat Bell hasnt been good for our area in the last ten years is far too party loyal.

@interceptor, I used to be amazed at how many people could complain about a ‘good news’ story, but I have come to expect it from the crew around here.

Interceptor.

Name us a few things that Pat Bell and the Liberal Party did. Firstly lets get some thing off the table.

1.They brought in appurtancy which allowed for the closure of a number of sawmills in outlying areas.

2. They brought in the $6.00 training wage, which allowed business to continue to exploit youth, and then after much whining and sniffling they increased the minimum wage. It took them 9 years to increase the minimum wage.

3. They are responsible for the basic failure of BC Hydro, and the huge cost (Billions) for the private run of the river projects.

4. They lied and cheated in brining in the HST, and then lied and cheated and delayed for 2 1/2 years getting rid of it.

4. They are allowing Alcan to proceed with the Kemano two tunnel, even though this issue was settled by the NDP.

5. The are pushing ahead with Site C even though they have information that a natual gas fired plant, could produce the same amount of electricity, be up and running in two years, and cost billions less that Site C.

6. They brought in the carbon tax which increased the cost of gas to consumers to the tune of 7.5 cents per litre. This (insane) idea was to reduce greenhouse gas emmisions by reducing gas consumption. It never happened. In fact other Provinces had reductions in gas consumption without a carbon tax. Duhhhh.

7. They are in the process of twinning Highway 97 South and spending hundreds of millions of dollars even though anyone with a brain and a blowhole would know that traffic on this Highway is declining. More passing lanes would have been sufficient.

8. They set up the BC Transmission Corp., at a cost of millions of dollars. BCTC was to operate independently of BC Hydro, however after 5 years of doing nothing it was quietly folded back into Hydro. However some of the high paid employees are still hanging around.

9. The sold off BC Rail and thus created a CN Rail monopoly in North Central BC. This monopoly basically calls the shots to shippers. Thier mantra is basically **take it or leave it**.

10. What sort of use are we getting from BC Rail between Prince George and North Vancouver. (Basically none) In fact someday they will close the line South of 100 Mile, with a connection to Kamloops.

11. The skimmed some $700 Million dollars in the last 3 years from ICBC and popped it into general revenue.

12. They have increased every service charge you can think of and continue to increase them as we speak. The latest is the MSP Premiums.

13. The built the Sea to Sky highway for some $500 Million dollars with a 3rd party and basically have everyone in BC paying for this fiasco through what is referred to as **shadow tolling**.

14 They gave very low stumpage rates to lumber co’s as an incentive to get them to log the beetle kill, however they also allowed them to take the good timber. We are now facing a timber shortage, and they are in the process of allowing these firms to log closer to the highways, and our lakes.

There is more, however you get my drift.

Now you can tell us what Bell did for us.

Have a nice day.

Palopu,
So I get your drift, although it is more like a sunami…
Having been so detailed about what the Liberals have done while in power; do you have opinions, point by point, what should be done in BC to turn this turtle upright?

This is great news. Must be Bond and Bell doing a great job.

Vote Liberal in May.

Drink the coolaid…..drink the coolaid….drink the coolaid!

Excellent list Palopu.

Palopu, you forgot the 6 million we paid Basi and Virk for their BCR legal fees and the first in history RCMP raid on our parliament buildings.

They are taking their sweet time on the twinning of Hwy 97 South but are going flat out on doing Hwy 2 from Dawson Creek to the Alberta border.

Yes, a most excellent list Palopu. Hang on to it and post it again down the road when people start to forget what wondrous things this party did for us. And then post it again, please and thank you. People need to be reminded of these self serving decisions that were made on the backs of tax payers.

Palopu, wonderful list!

Would you be able to provide us with a list of all of the things that the NDP did during their last kick at the can, a list of all the wonderful things that they did that caused BC to go from a “have” province to a “have not” province, a list of all of the things that caused so many to move to greener pastures in other provinces! Please and Thanks!

I find it ironic that Palopu agrees with another poster that Pat Bell is a ‘gas bag’.

I remember that last good thing the NDP did, in 1975. Just before they closed down the legislature they outlawed pay toilets in BC. As usual, all good things do come to pass!!!

The liberals introduced the “Alternate Approval Plan” for communities. Another one for your list.

Lets not forget the 1/2 billion dollar roof on BC place stadium. As for corruption it doesn’t matter who is in power, NDP or liberal, they are equally corrupt. BUT, the liberals vision for BC is basically reverting back to the days of serfdom. A few rich landowners and everybody works for them or is left out in the cold to starve.

Hwy 2 from Dawson Creek to the Alberta border?? … gee .. .all 15 km or so of it?

Sounds like a tough project on the mountainous prairie of the Peace.

Whatever it costs for that, the 450 km to Cache Creek is 30 times the distance and, because it goes through more populated areas and more difficult terrain will likely cost 100 times more.

Apples and oranges.

Election coming up, spew any BS you want, I don’t think it’s going to work.

Don’t forget about the $2.5 billion dollar bridge boondoggle that cost 6-times what the fast ferries cost.

Pat Bell said in the Free Press that the number of people employed in PG dropped by 1200 people, but the unemployment numbers also went down… hmmm isn’t that admitting that the numbers don’t tell the whole story?

People employed down 1200… unemployment drops to near record lows… means more than 1200 people have had their EI expire after finding no job. Possibly 2000 people in PG were so desperate they couldn’t get a job before their EI expired and thereby bringing down the unemployment rate as they are no longer counted as part of the workforce… a BC liberal success story.