Selected articles MS -- 2008-06-29

If fuel costs don't stop holiday plans, can we expect the carbon tax to be an effective tool to reduce carbon emission?

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The Honourable Minister should stop referring to the $100 million government investment in the local hospital. It is the taxpayers of the province that make the $60 million investment and the local area property taxes that make up the other $40 million. As a former Chair of the Okanagan Shuswap Hospital District he is well aware of the major contribution local taxpayers make in these expenditures. I assume he is in a bit of a bind since all decisions he makes have to be cleared with the "private segment" of the Public/Private Partnership (P3) his government is pushing down the throat of the taxpayers of the province.
The P3 is an unholy marriage between the public and the private sector. The main purpose of the private sector is to produce maximum profit. The public sector, on the other hand, is to provide the most cost effective service to the taxpayers.

This system really ties the hands of our elected representatives. A contract is signed with the private partner for 30 years and this gives the decision making to the private partner for nearly half the average human lifetime. If circumstances change re-negotiations of the contract can be very difficult and costly for the government.

Way to go, Premier Gordon and Minister Abbott!

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Should not we have a referendum (wink, wink) to gauge the support of the people before we make a final decision on this?

Just kidding!

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