Clark Promises Balanced Budget, Better Relationship with First Nations
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Prince George, B.C. – Premier Christy Clark says BC has been able to diversify its economy and in February her government will deliver a balanced a budget. She notes BC may be the only province this year to achieve that goal.
In her keynote address to a sold out luncheon at the Natural Resource Forum, she says natural resources are fueling the economic engine “Our quality of life, all of those things we depend on in this incredible rich society, start with the private sector and a resource sector that has always been there to support British Columbia.”
She spoke of the Tsihlq’otin decision being an opportunity to build a more stable and fair relationship with First Nations. “For 200 years British Columbia has been great at developing natural resources, but we have not been great at sharing those resources, and that is going to change.”
Clark announced the government will be giving CNC another $375 thousand dollars to buy new equipment to support trades training, and will work to increase the apprenticeship opportunities.
“2015 is going to be a pivotal year for forestry” says Clark. The Softwood Lumber agreement will expire in October, and the work has begun to renew that agreement “The U.S. isn’t going anywhere” says Clark “and we want to make sure that great customer is there for us.”
Clark says there are still very sad events in forestry and mining, and she is looking forward to the final reports on the Mount Polley tailings pond breach and the explosions at the Babine and Lakeland mills. Clark says we all need to know how those tragedies happened, and see that the necessary steps are taken so that people are safe at work.
LNG is moving forward. Clark says there is progress on at least 5 proposals, but although the projects may not go ahead in the way she thought they would, she believes they will happen.
Clark is calling on British Columbians who have left BC to find work elsewhere, to come home, “Come home, we need you for forestry, we need you for mining, it’s time to come home, to come back to the place where you grew up and the place where you wanted to raise your family.”
She says the Province is looking for ad space at the Ft.McMurray airport calling on B.C. workers to return to B.C. as she says B.C. is where the action will be.
Comments
What diversity? Lost thousands of jobs in forest industry, nothing has replaced it.
Her government cut 10 of millions from the education budget and she thinks yptossing $375,000 to CNBC will make it better..
At time,of the election there where 11 long proposals..now down to 5, talk about dropping the ball.
Her constant tax increase, user fees, taking hundreds of millions from ICBC then razing ICBC rates.. People left because she has made it unaffordable for lots to live here.
This lady needs to buy a mirror and take a good look at who is wrecking havoc on our province.
Come back, what a joke. Political delusions.
Better relationship with first nations? – Has she forgotten about everyone else who lives in BC, or does she just not care about us?
JUST held back 400,000 dollars from CNC and told the ABE dept. to start charging for basic upgrading courses. SHE is so two-faced you cant believe a thing she says. SAID it before, more crooked than a dogs hind leg.
And despite all this, she’s still better than the NDP. :-)
“She notes BC may be the only province this year to achieve that goal.”
Also the only province to collect $2.4 Billion in MSP premiums this year…
Did she mention about her raising medical every year for seniors? The cost of prescription drugs increase? Increase in hydro, natural gas, etc etc.. Yeah way better than NDP..
“And despite all this, she’s still better than the NDP. :-)”
One thing we can agree on.
PVal
don’t you think that will happen every year no matter who is governing?
Wonder how we diversified the economy. As far as I know we have the same industry now as we had 10/20 years ago, only less of them, and less jobs.
Pulp and Paper Industry-Declined
Foresty Ie; Sawmills/Planers/Plywood Plants-Declined.
Operating mines. About the same with some closures, and some new mines opening. At present we have Endako Mines closing, Walter Energy Coal, Tumbler Ridge Closed.
Railways. Consolidated and downsized.
I think for this Government, if you add an addition to a Hospital, or a couple of rooms to a school, or a few bathrooms to a park, they consider that as diversification.
You forgot oil and gas, Palopu. Not sure if you did that on purpose to strengthen your point. The northeast is booming, even despite the drop in the price of oil.
“She notes BC may be the only province this year to achieve that goal.”
Fate: “Also the only province to collect $2.4 Billion in MSP premiums this year…”
You say that as if the government wouldn’t get that money some other way if the MSP didn’t exist.
Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 @ 4:11 PM by Fate
“She notes BC may be the only province this year to achieve that goal.”
Also the only province to collect $2.4 Billion in MSP premiums this year…
——–
Health care ain’t cheap. You want it, you have to pay for it.
JohnnyBelt. Actually never gave much thought to oil and gas, mainly because it fluctuates so much. In any event here are some numbers for wells drilled in BC in the past.
1970-1980 651
1980-1990 2498
1990-2000 5876
2000-2007 11579.
Don’t have the numbers from 2007-2014, however I expect that they would be approx. the same or a little higher than 2000-2007. So do we really have a boom, or do we have a continuation of past practices.
When you speak of health care I have a question.
Do you think that the people who pay health premiums but cannot get a doctor should be charged the same as those who get a doctor for the same money??? Seems to me that if you pay the premium you should get the service.
Well, BC voters voted for her…..so you can’t fix stupid
BC is in a bit of a fix when it comes to politics.
1. Liberals who at best would be described as incompetent.
2. NDP who seem incapable of electing a leader that can lead, nor do they seem to be able to Govern.
3. Fledging Conservative Party that may make a small dent in the big picture in the next election.
Its a sad state of affairs. To bad we couldn’t elect about 10 Independents who could hold the balance of power, at least then we could put some pressure on the Government in power.
Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 @ 7:26 PM by Palopu
When you speak of health care I have a question.
Do you think that the people who pay health premiums but cannot get a doctor should be charged the same as those who get a doctor for the same money??? Seems to me that if you pay the premium you should get the service.
——–
I don’t. I fully support a user pay system with some basic tax payer subsidies. People that don’t use it or can’t use it shouldn’t pay as much as those who can and do.
But since we live in a quasi-socialist country we’re all forced to dump our money into the big pool.
axman. My point was that there are a large number of people in BC who are forced by law to pay premiums for health care, however because of the doctor shortage they cannot get a family physician, while on the other hand, there are those who pay the same premium but do have access to a family doctor,.
Seems to me that this is a form of discrimination. If you pay the premiums then everyone should have the same benefits,.??
I’m pretty sure that if we brought in a user pay system there would suddenly be plenty of doctors.
Everyone has the ability to go to the walk in clinic. So you have the same benefits, it just takes a little longer to get them. It may not be a “family” doctor but it’s still a doctor.
Her picture looks a little like a crazy person who just escaped from the asylum.
Palopu – I agree with your points 1, 2 and 3 regarding BC politics, but 10 independents? They’d be fighting among themselves in no time.
What a government needs are good advisors behind them. Christy seems to just have her friends backing her, and all they seem to know is how to play politics.
lbear: “Palopu – I agree with your points 1, 2 and 3 regarding BC politics, but 10 independents? They’d be fighting among themselves in no time. ”
Palopu has had this same wishful line of thinking since at least the last two Provincial elections.
Balancing the budget , is Christy behind wage cuts at UHNBC?
I hear trades were the ones at UHNBC having their wages cut, why add money to CNC trades program? Not a bright future in trades.
Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 @ 7:03 PM by axman
Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 @ 4:11 PM by Fate
“She notes BC may be the only province this year to achieve that goal.”
Also the only province to collect $2.4 Billion in MSP premiums this year…
——–
Health care ain’t cheap. You want it, you have to pay for it.
————-
I’m not disputing that, I was pointing out that we’re the only province in the country to pay for it on the backs of those that can least afford it, and brag about it.
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