SAT or FFC

As BC election-day draws closer I am torn between the “Spend And Tax” policies of the BC NDP and the ”Fact Free Campaign” of the BC Liberals. Both want my vote, especially in a predominantly NDP riding (Stikine).

My choices are actually much wider, having the luxury of being able to choose from

• Roger Benham: Green Party of BC,
• Jonathan Dieleman: BC Conservative Party,
• Doug Donaldson: BC NDP,
• Sharon Hartwell: BC Liberal Party,
• Jesse O'Leary: Independent,
• Rod Taylor: Christian Heritage Party of B.C.

While I have nothing personal for or against any of the individuals who have shown the intestinal fortitude to publicly wear a specific political stripe, I find four of the party choices to be somewhat distasteful, leaving me to choose between the best of a poor bunch: specifically the Liberals and NDP (order is alphabetical, not preferential).

In the early 1970’s Dave Barrett ran for (and won) the election for Premiere of BC under the NDP banner, the celebrations were short lived as the NDP created ICBC and the Agricultural Land Reserve, lowered the drinking age to 19, preserved Cypress Bowl for recreation; started the SeaBus; air ambulance service; ended logging and mining in the provincial parks, created the Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Code and the Provincial Status of Women Office. … then taxed BC Citizens to the point of bankruptcy. Such is the legacy of the NDP. It took us 20 years to get out of that financial quagmire.

The last 12 years of BC Liberal rule have not been a joy ride either. Two Premiers who think that traffic laws apply to lesser beings, labour unrest as contracts are torn up (literally) and long standing feuds with Nurses, Doctors, teachers, College staff, Government Staff just to name a few. The debacle of the HST (three months to bring in, two years to go out) and the resulting cost to everybody in BC and finally their claim to have a ‘balanced budget’ when the Auditor General has stated to opposite. I am convinced that the Liberals have a lot to hide, as the current Premier refuses to answer direct questions about Moody’s Bond rating, instead tangentalizing on how she intends to pay off the provincial debt within 15 years.

Doug, I would like to support you and the SAT (NDP), except I don’t want to see the Province go bankrupt in the next five years.
Sharon, your leader has a lot to answer for and she refuses to with her FFC, so BCL is a very scary place to be putting faith at the ballot box.

I still have a few days to decide…