I am not all that fond of the Liberals, but the NDP scare the crap out of me!!! So unless some kind of miracle happens with the Green Party, and I am pretty sure thats not going to happen the Liberals get my vote wether they deserve it or not !

I am not at all fond of the Liberals either and will not vote for them ever. That only leaves the NDP so that's where my vote is going.

Too bad some other parties couldn't step up. Like a Conservative party.

The NDP likes to export raw logs too. I guess we in BC are unable to make anything with a raw log. Go figure.

So what are all those sawmills doing?

I will never forget the nineties.

Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me.

The theory is that if we export our raw logs,at least SOME people are working. That really doesn't hold much water, and the only ones who benefit to any extent are the forestry corporations.
Export enough raw logs and a lot of sawmills will become a thing of the past.
IMO,there is a demand for our wood products, and if they can't get our logs,they will buy what we mill, and even more people would be working.
We need to quit being such nice guys here in Canaduh!
I have family working at the port in Prince Rupert and they tell people have no idea how many logs we are shipping out of the country.
Many,MANY logs...and that doesn't count the ones being hauled across the border down south!
Nobody ever likes to talk about that very much.
The selling of raw logs is a losing proposition over the long term, and we really need to get a handle on it!

Getting back on topic,the NDP have only themselves to blame for a poor showing in the polls,and that is unfortunate.
I think if the Liberals had another leader, things may be different.
I don't think it is the party itself people hate as such,it is the leadership and the arrogance!
A third term with them in power scares the hell out of me!
Considering what they have done to this province over the previous two terms as far as selling off our resources and corporate a**kissing,we are going to feel it in our wallets bigtime.
It would be nice to have something else to choose from, other than what we have had for far too long!
Change is good.

What about BC-STV? I think that's the most important reason to vote this time around.

Sorry, as much as I like to say something, i can not say anything nice, so I refrain.

Dated august 14/2008
The sheer size and audacity was stunning, leaving most observers with jaws dropped and in a state of shock. No, I'm not talking about the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics. Although, if there were medals being handed out, give Gordon Campbell the gold when it comes to arrogant, out-of touch governments.

Friday's announcement of a 43 percent increase for Campbell's Deputy Minister, putting an additional $105,000 in her pocket, increasing her salary to $348,600, is either cronyism at its best, or the sign of a government that's grown wilfully ignorant of the real challenges facing British Columbians. But he didn't stop there; he tossed the Deputy Ministers a 35 percent increase (all these people already got hefty wage increases two years ago). If you listened to BC Liberals politicians, (those not lucky enough to be in Beijing with Campbell,) they were forced to do it, they had no choice, and they had to keep up with other provinces. But, before you feel too sorry for them, let's remember that Campbell's government has shown no desire in keeping up when it comes to the minimum wage.

This year alone, every province, except BC, has increased their minimum wage. Over 100,000 British Columbians are earning the minimum wage, and thanks to the Liberals, British Columbia has the lowest minimum wage in purchasing power and the fourth lowest minimum wage in the country (three Maritime provinces are lower). But these workers are not even on Campbell's radar. For two years, the voices of these workers demanding a $10 minimum wage, joined by more than thirty three municipal governments and the Union of BC Municipalities, have been ignored.

They say the economy is booming, but in seven years have not only refused to raise the minimum wage, the BC Liberals cut it by 25 percent to six dollars for new workers. It's not just minimum wage workers. This government ignores people who struggle with rising food and fuel costs. They ignore those on the coast who face announcements of ferry fare increases more frequent than announcements for the Sunshine breakfast. They ignore the 15,000 forest workers who have lost their job this year, telling them their hands are tied, while log exports have tripled and as the Auditor General pointed out, orchestrated rich land giveaways for forest companies, some of their biggest political backers.

What does it say about our Premier when he tells minimum wage workers not a penny, but shovels money off the back of the truck when it comes to his own wages (54 percent increase) and the wages of his political advisers? This is disgraceful. Does anybody in Victoria care that we have the highest child poverty rates in Canada? Do they even notice? But it's not just the lowest paid. While the Liberals take care of their friends the average British Columbian is being pounded with price increases everyday. Gasoline at the pump has hit record levels and the Liberals help by piling on another tax for everybody else instead of taxing the windfall profits of the oil companies. On the other side, unless you're a politician or a friend of Gordon Campbell, your wages have remained stagnant for nearly a decade.

But the truth is, Gordon doesn't care and he's counting on all of us forgetting. He and his friends know that three months from now, the media will never mention the raises. They're surprised it's even a story this week. They're counting on the rest of us to forget their arrogance, forget their neglect of forest workers, forget the increases in everything but real incomes, forget wage cuts for health care workers, and forget the cuts for those on disability.

Is Gordon Campbell right and British Columbians will forget? That's a question for the rest of us to answer and answer it we must. Don't wait. Send Gordon Campbell and his MLA's a strong message---the only message they understand---you won't forget and you won't be voting for him and his crowd in the next election. Maybe, just maybe, Gordon Campbell will start listening again when he hears the sound of his own government crashing down.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY for Western Canada. For the first time in a very long time Sask, Alberta and BC are in sync with conservative governments which have proven to be very good for almost all its people. It is also great that the BC Liberal party has a very good working relationship with the Feds which also helps us all.

I know there are lots of unions friends out there but remember union jobs comes from mills, mining, and forestry companies that prosper. As for those that require social assistance remember that it takes taxes and taxes comes from small, medium and large business and business works under a conservative type government and for BC that is the BC Liberals.
Saskatchewan has proved that under a conservative government a province can go from welfare state to leading the country with jobs and social programs.

Also hats off to Pat Bell [url] http://www.patbell.net[url] and Shirley Bond [url] http://www.shirleybond.com[url] for there massive help here in Prince George and central interior.

Also hats off to Pat Bell http://www.patbell.net and Shirley Bond http://www.shirleybond.com for there massive help here in Prince George and central interior.

Doneright, what is your PERSONAL opinion?

The seven paragraphs rant you copied and posted here is from some other author(s), dated August 14/2008 and I think I have already bumped into it somewhere else.

To me it sounds like the usual impersonal election campaign pamphlet stuff put together by some spin doctors and party policy hacks.

Whatever...

Sounds like theres a little politiking going on around here. Saskatchewan is experiencing a boom because of the increased prices for uranium, potash, grain products, mining products, etc; it has nothing to do with politics. Alberta because of the drop in oil prices are experiencing some problems, again not because of politics.

The BC Liberals had a good opportunity to give us good governance, and they blew it.
They have done a lousy job. I cant think of one thing that they have done right. Everything they touched turned brown.

I for one who has voted for them in the past, have no intention of voting for them this time around. I refuse to reward bad behaviour. Nor will I vote for the NDP, mainly because they do not have any ideas, or solutions.

I will probably vote for the BC Refederation party if for no other reason than they have some good ideas, and are aware of how we are being ripped off.

At least the leader of the BCRefed pointed out that ICBC has a surplus of $10 Billion dollars. I checked out ICBC 3 years ago and thier surplus was $7Billion. Whats with that???

I think at this time the polls are skewed. I expect that a lot of NDPer's will vote in this election, and a lot of Liberal voters will stay at home. If so, then you can kiss the Liberals good-bye.

Have a nice day.

I have seen Campbell's Stalinist Public Affairs Bureau in action. I saw some of his 250 apparatchucks set up displays and lighting, work media crowds, short shrift scrutineers. And they do this stuff daily. Because the content is nominally public product, the Libs feel free to use same in their public advertisements.

PABabaganda has already been put on the agenda in the Lakes region:

http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=18701

If you want preliminary info on Lib election content, I suggest you consult North Korea's "great leader" prop machine for equivalence:

http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

I agree Palopu.

I will hope and pray that its bye bye Gordo!Thats the people's tax money that he so tosses around like he's got some money tree to pick! I'll be voting against Liberal, 8 years is enough! Time for new blood.

And another thing we should keep in mind when we consider these polls.
Accuracy is not one of their finer points inspite of what they tell us,considering mainstream media hates the NDP bigtime.
The media loves the Liberals and the Liberals know it,which does not make for fair and unbiased reporting!
These polls are not worth the paper they are printed on!
I don't think anybody actually expects the NDP to win, but damn...it would be nice to see the arrogant Campbell get his head handed to him by the people of B.C.

I'm still undecided as to who I will be voting for, however, I know that I won't be voting NDP. I don't see anything in their platform or from their leader that gives me any confidence that they can run the Province.

The Libs are like Jekyl and Hyde. They've done some good things in regards to infrastructure spending but they've also has several ridiculous blunders that are simply too big to be considered an "oops" type of mistake.

I for one wish we had a party more in the middle. The NDP is still too much aligned with labour for my liking and I think the Libs are too in bed with big business. I don't really have a problem with either of those groups, but it would be nice to have a government who is distanced from both of them a little more than the two main options we currently have. How about a party that respects both parties but is also strong enough to not cave into their demands? Dreaming I know.

BS-STD? If that passes we might have to spend the first six months of the mandate forming coalitions. That is my understanding. Kinda like Israel.

As long as we are typing out our wish list here is mine: I hope all parties try to rein in the rhetoric. All the apocalyptic language and exaggeration really bores me. Someone from outside the country would have to conclude that there is either blood and starvation in our streets or that our streets are paved with gold.

when really there are just pot holes

....many,many,many potholes!
I don't know if I have ever seen the roads in PG in such bad shape!

I'm not going to vote in the upcoming election, there is no choice.

I'm sick and tired of the BC political system. We don't vote for a party we like, we vote to get rid of the party in power. And before anyone says, "Get involved, change the system if you don't like it!"

Independants can't win, or effect change. It's money and marketing that wins elections, mostly money.

The NDP are supported by unions interested in championing left wing pinko causes. Heck, the average union doesn't even represent their own membership, look at any of their webpages, they're advocating for homosexual rights, women's rights, rights of the oppressed in other countries, etc.... the only people they won't help are their own members working conditions. The NDP are not even a real party.

The Liberals are supported by greedy business, the bottom line is the only thing that matters to them. Anything they negotiate with business will be a bad deal for BC taxpayers. To the liberals, everything in the land is for sale to whoever can afford to pay for it, with a nice discount for cash under the table.

There is no party representing the average voter. We would be better off without a provincial government at all.

"At least the leader of the BCRefed pointed out that ICBC has a surplus of $10 Billion dollars. I checked out ICBC 3 years ago and thier surplus was $7 billion. Whats with that???"

The leader of that upstart party likely does not understand the insurance business.

The linked article is about 3.5 years old, but is one of the best I have read to explain the insurance business and how it is different from normal businesses. The $10 billion is nowhere near what the gentleman calls a "surplus". It is primarily the money that has to be there to cover the claims that are in the systems which have not resolved yet, and which will come into the system over the next year.

http://thetyee.ca/Views/2005/11/03/ICBCSuccess

Oh, as far as the increase goes over a three year period?

Think about the increase in the number of cars in the province + the increase in the value of the vehicles in the province + the increase in the cost of fixing the same kind of accidents. The last three years have been generally good years in the province when people were purchasing more than they could afford as we are finding out.

Some other wild hysterical accusations in this election campaign can also be debunked with a rational explanation, just like the one you gave about the ICBC claims settlement account surplus.

We may be well better off if ICBC were not the type of Crown corporation it currently is, but rather was organized along the lines of a 'mutual' insurance company in which the policy holders are also the 'actual' shareholder/owners.

This might also be the case with BC Hydro.

Right now, there is no proper accountability to the ultimate shareholders, you and I, from the 'trustee' for those shareholders, the 'government'.

Both these entities were formed to deliver 'product' to the BC public at the lowest AFFORDABLE cost to the BC public. Not provide a hidden revenue stream to 'government' that amounts to taxation without representation.

If the ICBC rates, which undoubtedly do have to be high enough to meet the worst case scenario of expected claims, actually do turn out to generate a 'surplus' in the manner most of us would envision, then we, the shareholders, as individual policyholders, should receive either reduced rates in future or a dividend on the ICBC's 'profit'. The same with BC Hydro, and our power bills.

As regards that latter, if BC Hydro finds that it is more profitable to export electricity to the USA, and then feeds us the old song and dance that we, and our industries here, have to pay the same rates their American customers would so as not to have an 'unfair' advantage over them in terms of cross-border trade, then so be it. The increased revenue we, and they, pay to BC Hydro would be returned to us as the direct shareholders of that company as a dividend. After all, WE do own it.

To say that that's the same thing as having it owned by the 'government', which is going to spend the profit on our behalf, misses the real point. Without our having first received this money, how do we have any kind of 'sanction' over 'our' government ~ no matter which Party is in office~ on how it will be spent?

There is no party representing the average voter. We would be better off without a provincial government at all.

Actually Chug I feel I must agree, Exhausted:{