Conservative Leader Set For Election Run
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @ 5:52 AM
(BCCP Candidates Terry Rysz, PG-Mackenzie, John Cummins, Dan Brooks, Nechako Lakes. Photo 250 NEWS)
Prince George, B.C. – The leader of the B.C. Conservative Party says the troops are ready for the provincial election campaign which begins next week.
With the writ set to drop April 16th, John Cummins says his party has just over 60 candidates already in place, and the number will increase to 80 in the days ahead. Cummins told an audience at the Ramada Hotel Friday night about his three-pronged Northern policy platform. It addresses the rampant gang problems in interior communities through the funding of ten special prosecutors who will work solely on gang-related cases. Secondly he promises to conduct a complete review of air ambulance service so that people requiring service in small and remote communities can get it when required for urgent medical treatment. And he reiterates his plan to invest $200 million over five years on infrastructure upgrades so that a city such as Prince George, which has terrible road conditions, can get the money it needs to finance repairs.
Cummins says he is committed to getting rid of the carbon tax. “We think it is harmful to business in British Columbia, it’s harmful to people that live here. It doesn’t matter everything that you buy in this town is shipped in here by truck, you’re paying a carbon tax on it. If you want to heat your homes, it costs you a lot more to heat your home here than it does in the lower mainland. And it hasn’t done the job it was supposed to, which was to eliminate, or at least lessen the carbon footprint.”
Cummins has two issues with ICBC. “One is the Liberal government is taking the profit out of the corporation and putting that money into general revenues. I think if I pay insurance on my car then I should be paying insurance on the car and that money shouldn’t be offloaded into general revenue. That has to stop. The other issue with ICBC and with other crown corporations is that there’s been a lack of scrutiny on the part of the legislature in the way they do business. Last August the government asked for a review of ICBC’s operations and were quite surprised that the number of people earning over $200,000 a year had gone in four years from 11 people to over 54 people.” Cummins says ICBC was required to report its financial statements “but nobody’s been looking at the books.” He is in favor of setting up three committees: one to examine expenditures of the various ministries of the government, one to look at the spending of crown corporations, and a third to look at the spending of schools, colleges, universities and hospitals. Cummins says “we think with that added scrutiny that we’re going to see some significant savings in the spending of taxpayers’ dollars in those three sectors.”
On the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline proposal, and the Kinder Morgan pipeline, Cummins says “If you’ve gotta ship oil, the safest way to do it is in a pipeline. We all know that over the last 60 years technologies have improved in the abilities to construct a pipeline and the ability to monitor it has also improved. One thing that I would like to see is that the monitoring of a pipeline be done by a third party rather than by the operator themselves. I think that would give people a sense of security that there’s no other influence on that monitoring company other than to do its job. They’re not concerned about the profit levels of the operator they’re concerned about ensuring the safety of the operation.”
Cummins says another key fact is that Canada is losing out financially. “We as Canadians are getting hit in the pocketbook because we’re not selling our oil at world prices. And we need those revenues if we’re going to continue to supply the educational services, health services and infrastructure that we need in this country to a level that we want. So we’re in support of both of those pipelines. We’ll wait with Enbridge to see the result of the environmental assessment and we would be prepared to work with Enbridge to see that they can address whatever shortcomings or challenges that may flow from that assessment.”
Cummins says he understands that support for Northern Gateway is not a position that’s popular in British Columbia, “but I think it’s the right thing to do and there’s a selling job to do with the position that we’ve taken. Sometimes you have to make the right choices and we’re prepared to live and die by it if that’s the case.”
Comments
We’re ‘losing out’ because WE have to pay ‘world price’ for our OWN oil. And a whole lot of other things. As if BC consumers should be penalised financially for living in a land of bountiful abundance. Well, we SHOULDN’T be. But if we can’t fund “education services and health services and infrastructure” it’s because WE ARE. And increased sales anywhere at ‘world price’ that has to be the same increased price we pay here isn’t going to rectify the problem.
But does John Cummins and the Conservatives want to look at that? No, they do not. No more than Christy Clark’s Liberals, or Adrian Dix’s New Democrats, or what’s her name’s Greens do. They all have their heads in the sand when it comes to the REAL issue facing British Columbians. Why increases in our COST OF LIVING continues to outpace any advances in our STANDARD OF LIVING, and more and more of our citizens find the Good Life we are ever more capable of ‘physically’ providing for ALL is ever increasingly ‘financially’ unaffordable for more and more of our citizens.
Which one of them is going to do anything meaningful about THAT? Or do we have to bring back Social Credit that IS FOR ‘SOCIAL CREDIT’ to correct what’s wrong?
The Northern Gateway pipeline is such a bad idea that it wouldn’t be enough to get me to support it, but where we do have pipelines, third party monitoring is a very good idea. Indeed, it shouldn’t just be monitoring that is done by a third party – it should also be the emergency response and inspection. We’ve seen that the pipeline companies can’t be trusted to respond quickly and effectively to spills. A third party organization whose preparation and operations are transparent and subject to scrutiny by local communities, First Nations, environmental organizations, etc. would do a lot to bring credibility to spill prevention, containment, and cleanup.
We pay world price for our own oil now but the US.does not, they are paying us less than world price so we are not making as much as we could. The pipeline will allow for more competition so we will be able to demand a higher price.
Never been quite sure if John Cummins is serious…or if this is simply a retirement job?
Unfortunately for him…he doesn’t instill a lot of confidence in people…but that’s his own fault.
He has done little to raise his own, or the party’s profile.
The recent infighting over his leadership did some serious damage as the polls suggest.
It will be interesting to see how the B.C. Conservatives do in the provincial election.
I think it will be Cummins one and only kick at the cat, and he will disappear from B.C. politics…with a little help from his “friends”!
His will replacement will likely be a disgruntled former B.C. Liberal.
The price and sale of oil on the world market is a mugs game.
The refineries in Eastern Canada pay the world price for oil imported from Norway, etc; This oil is then refined and sold as gasoline and diesel. Who owns the companies that sell the oil.???
We then export our crude oil to the USA from Alberta for approx. $30.00 per barrel less to US refineries in Texas. This oil is then refined and sold as gasoline and diesel. Who owns the companies that sell this oil???
If the oil pipeline is built to the West Coast is will be the oil companies that will decide where it is refined and where it is sold.
The oil companies pay royalties on oil, and they decide where it will be sold, not the Government.
Once the oil line is built, the oil will go wherever the oil companies decide. My guess is that it will go to refineries in California.
Selling this oil to China may get you a higher price per barrel, however it would (or could) create a shortage of oil for US refineries, and therefore effect their profits on the sale of gasoline.
There is much more to the oil business than what we (the peons of the North) know about.
seamutt: So it’s all about profits to you isn’t. You know you can make oil out of Cannabis.
The Conservatives might think their ideas are fresh and new, but it’s the same neoliberal garbage that is choking the life out of us.
Sorry John, special prosecutors will not solve our gang problems. I’m glad you’re leading with that though, it’s a quintessential facet of the wrong types of thinking that have increased poverty, criminality and violence that we don’t need anymore. Too many people are falling through the cracks, we need to stop that.
http://youtu.be/XIUWZnnHz2g
To the fellow who seems to think the return of the Social Credit party is the answer, who do you think is in power now? Pay less attention to banners and more attention to policy.
So selling cannabis is not about profit?
At least someone will get rid of the carbon tax. That one point alone could get my vote.
John is a famous anti native activist too….I wonder what his governments policy would be on natives tax free status?
See if he was against the pipeline and for Cannabis he would get my vote, but he’s not.
I don’t “Mongols” should get taxes free either.
Natives are from Mongolia, they were here first which makes them first Nations. However the same can be said about the Vikings. They were here long ago too.
I am a firm believer in no group of people should have special status in Canada, that includes Quebec. No race of people should have special status. That’s the problem with Canada. To many special interest groups wanting to much from the rest of the country. I never did a thing to them, nor did my family for hundreds of years.
As for this old man that still lives in the 19th century. He shouldn’t be allowed to run in any election. He should take his money and get the hell out of Canada and leave us alone.
That goes with anyone else too that thinks this guy is any kind of leader.
To me Politics has been for the rich to play in. They got no respect for this country and puts the all mighty dollar first. You wanna live like that, go to the United States. That’s where capitalist belong, go get the hell out of here, leave Canada and it’s values alone. Beat it, bugger off. Who says that Canada has to be like the U.S, you!
It’s supposed to be an opinion website, or maybe my eyes are seeing different.
Sooo what is your alternative to capitalism.
I would be alight with a communist state. Government owns all land. Nobody is allowed to say anything about the government or be hanged for treason. Nobody would be allowed to speak their minds. Websites like this would cease to exist. Nobody would be allowed to make huge money like our greedy politicians. 100 thousand dollars a year would be a thing of the past. All the money would go to health care and education. Science would be the ruler. Religion would be outlawed. Cannabis would be legal. If you are caught doing things against the law, the Spanish Inquisition would be more like a country club compared to what would happen to you in this country. Nobody would be allowed to own a car, you would be made to walk. I would bring back the guillotine would be a good determinant. I would make sure everyone would toll the line, or off with their heads.
ProCannabis, I think perhaps you should smoke less and seriously consider reading a book once in a while.
lol
Naw, Canada needs to start voting or we will have what I posted for a country. It will get worse and the bottom line here is people like this cummins dude won’t give crap about you, me or anyone else for that manner.
That’s pretty fair to say wouldn’t ya think. I don’t think the BC Liberals nor the BCNDP deserve to govern this Province, but what is the alternative. The Green Party never seem to have a clear platform, Yet they want to govern.
So what we got now is what we deserve. I can’t find one person within a few blocks of here who care about politics, until it effects them of course.
Pro: “I can’t find one person within a few blocks of here who care about politics, until it effects them of course. “
Too much dope.
It’s true.
Going to sit back and watch “Cleopatra.” I never saw it.
Pro cannabis please stop, you are giving pot smokers a bad name and yea, try reading a book or two.
Who the hell are you to tell me to stop.
Sine Nomine:-“To the fellow who seems to think the return of the Social Credit party is the answer, who do you think is in power now? Pay less attention to banners and more attention to policy.”
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That’s good advice, Sine. Who is in power now? The BC Liberal Party. It’s really been pretty much in power ever since most of its then MLAs pulled a ‘reverse takeover’ when the old BC Social Credit ‘League’ absorbed them and became the BC Social Credit ‘Party’ way back in the early 1970’s.
The idea then was to avoid splitting the ‘free-enterprise’ vote to try and rid ourselves of Dave Barrett’s NDP. Which worked. Only it spelled the death knell for almost any semblence of the BC Social Credit ‘Party’ with the principles and policies of ‘social credit’.
The name was retained because it was then the most marketable label-of-convenience for those people to get elected under. Once they’d discredited it thoroughly they went back to their true colours, and ran as BC Liberals.
There really is NO difference in ‘policy’ amongst any of the four main Parties contesting this election. The only difference is in the ‘method’ used to impose it on us. In this they all differ very radically from the original policy of Social Credit (the BC Social Credit ‘League’, which WAC Bennett led, not the latter day so-called BC Social Credit ‘Party’).
The guy is a bit too old to compete with Dix and Clark and to play the game. The conservatives missed their golden chance to bring on board the defected BC Liberal MLAs and be a more serious contender this time.
But the participation of Conservative candidates will damage the chances of BC Liberal candidates more than anything else.
Sine Nomine, if its the policy and not the name that defines a party than the Social Credit of the WAC Bennett is nothing like the current day BC liberals.
WAC created BC Rail to open up industry in the North… BC liberals monopolized it to choke off industry in the north.
WAC created the crown corporation of BC Hydro to ensure domestic sovereign benefits from BC water rights… the BC liberals have attempted to sell off and privatize for profits BC water rights.
WAC stood for true free enterprise in the competitive economy of equal opportunity based on merit with strong public infrastructure to enable this vision… the BC liberals stand for monopoly capitalism disguised and mislabeled as free enterprise so as to benefit their friends in business and open the financial divide of haves and have nots in this province.
Very different policy objectives in those three policies alone.
I hope for the sake of our legislature and democracy that the BC conservative have some worthwhile candidates that do get elected. Best case scenario would see a half dozen to a dozen get elected and John Cummings to come up short.
Best case scenario is a minority government in the legislature with no party having more than 40% of the elected seats and a dozen independent MLA’s to take the power of the elected representative back from the centrally controlled party power system we currently have.
I think John Cummings has some good policy ideas, but he burned the Conservative chances in the way he handled the dissidents in his party and the support he has for the Northern Gateway against the interests and the risk costs for British Columbia.
IMHO
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