Category Archives: BC Politics

A Fever Dream or Wishful Thinking: The Fate of the BC Liberals

BC Politics

OUTCOME OF THE 2009 BC PROVINCIAL ELECTION

With a provincial election just around the corner (May 12), and the pollsters reporting a current BC Liberal government lead of 16-points in public confidence, the results of the upcoming election would seem to be a forgone conclusion.
Still and all, given that it’s BC politics we’re talking about here, and with just shy of two months to go before the election, an accurate prediction as to the outcome is, really, anyone’s guess.
With the above in mind, there’s one person who seems to know what the future has in store for British Columbians, at least as far as the political scene is concerned. Going way out on a limb, savvy astrologer Lasha Seniuk writes in this week’s issue of the Georgia Straight …

Gordon Campbell’s astrological chart reveals him to be a cunning negotiator who works tirelessly to achieve his goals. While publicly congenial, privately he is capable of unusual political methods. Campbell is, however, a skilled and passionate leader. Astrologically, he will be the victor in the upcoming election. But not by much and not for long.
Carole James, a resourceful and shrewd politician, will also be a permanent fixture in British Columbia politics. After the election, she will use her hard-won street smarts, energetic appeal, and social altruism to challenge Campbell’s slender power advantage. Within three months, her influence will be undeniable.
By mid August, a financial controversy or political mutiny from Campbell’s back benches will trigger a crisis of leadership. The fight will be fierce, dramatic, and painfully public. Before the end of December, James and the New Democrats will win leadership of the house.


So, is it possible that the May 12th provincial election will be that close? Will Gordon Campbell and his merry band of corporate capitalists emerge victorious in a third consecutive provincial election, only to lose it all this summer, only six months away from his cherished 2010 Winter Olympics?

The Sleeping Giant Awakes: VanRamblings Resumes Posting

BC Politics, Politics, Vancouver, VanRamblings

A WINTRY DAY IN VANCOUVER

A wintry, December day in Vancouver (from the Safeway parking lot facing Kits library)

There has been this past two months, since VanRamblings last published, a great deal of interest to VanRamblings’ readers that has occurred near to our little secluded isle, due east of the Pacific Ocean.

For instance …

  • The election of a Vision Vancouver government to City Hall. We have not weighed in on the ascension of Gregor Robertson to the Mayor’s chair, nor evinced any particular opinion on the councillors who were elected. But in the days to come, we will opine about the star in the making that is Geoff Meggs, and just what a destructive dunce Suzanne Anton will be to the forces of the NPA as she plays Republican style politics with the notion of democratic decision-making in our City. We might have something of interest to say.

  • While we’re on the subject of municipal politics, mention should be made about the launch of citycaucus.com, a centre-right apologia for the do-nothing government of Sam Sullivan. But, heck, the site is readable, the page design terrific (Frances Bula, take note), the writing first rate (damn those right wingers for being able to write and design, so well), and much to the horror of VanRamblings, the site surprisingly manages to be even-handed on occasion, as witness this piece by citycaucus.com contributor, Eric Mang.

    We would be remiss in our duty, as well, if we didn’t point you to this story on the quick action taken by Mayor Gregor Robertson and Premier Campbell in creating 200 new homeless shelter beds, arising citycaucus.com points out from months of preparatory work by the previous, Sam Sullivan administration. Fair’s fair, after all … Vision shouldn’t get all the credit.

  • We at VanRamblings are ‘lists’ people. Top 10 lists of the best movies of the year, the best music, and books … we just eat this stuff up. VanRamblings fully intends to drive you to complete distraction in the days to come with our take on the upcoming Oscars, what we’ve admired and were moved by on film this year (Brideshead Revisited, Elegy, Frozen River … all released earlier this year), as well as our favourite music of the year (no surprise that Adele will be right up there … we simply love her début, 19).
  • The up-until-recently impeccably well-orchestrated Obama transition, somewhat undone in recent days by the apparent thuggery of Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich.
  • And, finally, as a topic we’ll raise briefly in this entry and explore at greater length another day, the whole issue of homelessness, why homeless persons choose to sleep on the street rather spend overnight in a shelter, and just how difficult it will be in the coming days, weeks and many, many months to address the issue of homelessness in a compassionate, yet effective manner. Of course, homelessness is not the only issue in respect of housing that requires addressing: VanRamblings will also explore the affordable housing crisis in our City.

As we say, there are a great many topics to tackle in the days to come, to write about and reflect on. Some topics to be explored by VanRamblings will be of a serious nature, others not quite so much.

We hope to see you returning to visit VanRamblings, often.

Vancouver Sun Civic Affairs Reporter Frances Bula Resigns Her Post

BC Politics, Media, Vancouver

FRANCES BULA

Frances Bula, the Vancouver Sun civic affairs reporter since 1994, abruptly announced her resignation from the newspaper today.
Dear all of my blog-readers,
This will be my last post on this Vancouver Sun blog, as I have resigned from the paper.
As Vancouver-based blogger Rob Cottingham states in his farewell tribute to Ms. Bula today, “Her blog post makes it clear that she thoroughly understands blogging – which makes losing her voice at the Sun doubly painful.” Another Vancouver blogger, Bill Tieleman, weighs in on Ms. Bula’s departure from the Sun, on Sean Holman’s Public Eye Online, writing …

This is indeed bad news for all of us who either report on municipal politics, follow them or are active in local government.
Frances Bula has done an outstanding job for many years and amazingly maintained her sense of humour despite sitting through endless rounds of pointless Vancouver city council meetings and much more.
Good luck to Frances wherever she goes – she will have many fans who will follow.


The Pivot Legal Society’s David Eby writes on his blog, “For her to leave the Sun is, well … shocking.”
In what is shaping up to be the most important Vancouver civic election in almost a half century, Ms. Bula’s resignation from the Sun, and rumoured movement to Vancouver Magazine — with its three month advance deadline, and consequent lack of reportorial immediacy — represents the loss of a critical voice, at a critical juncture, on Vancouver’s civic scene.
Unless Ms. Bula commences with her new blog (which she promises) by early autumn, Vancouver citizens will find them far less informed on the machinations of the fall civic election than otherwise would be the case.
We are all the lesser for Ms. Bula’s departure from the daily journalistic rigours of reporting on the often tempestuous Vancouver civic scene.

Board of Variance Fired. Story Over. Not By A Long Shot.

BC Politics, Vancouver

BOARD OF VARIANCE FIRING INVESTIGATED BY BC OMBUDSMAN

Now, you’d think what with Vancouver City Council (not to mention, the Vancouver Courier’s Allen Garr) on vacation for the remainder of the summer, and Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Bauman having trampled on the hurt feelings of the recently deposed members of the City of Vancouver Board of Variance, that this ‘story that won’t die’ would be over.
But you’d be wrong. You can take the hint from the latter sentiment expressed in the previous paragraph: the Board of Variance sacking is a story that won’t die. And, why not?
Well, just when you thought to yourself, good riddance to that Ray Tomlin fella, and fair thee well to Quincey Kirschner, Terry Martin, Tony Tang and Jan Pierce, it would be too soon if I ever heard any one of their names ever again … it seems that your cherished opinion in the matter has been overturned by citizens honourable and true, an as yet unidentified band of truth and justice seekers who, when the Board was fired four weeks ago today, filed a complaint with the Office of the BC Ombudsman.
So what, you say? Well, this is what: the office of the City Clerk, City of Vancouver, informed Secretary to the Board of Variance, Louis Ng, on Thursday afternoon that the aforementioned Ombudsman’s office has launched a “full and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the City of Vancouver Board of Variance.” Mr. Ng was instructed to co-operate fully with the investigation.
Justice Robert Bauman ruled that Board of Variance counsel, Derek Creighton, had not proved evidence of “bad faith” by Vancouver City Council in its dismissal of the Board. But now, with a truly independent arm of government conducting an investigation into the firing, perhaps evidence of “bad faith” might finally be proven. We’ll wait and see.
Seems that the Office of the Ombudsman will issue a full report on the matter sometime later this year, or as late as next spring.
Board of Variance fired. Story over. Not by a long shot. This is the story that won’t die.