From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Tue Feb 1 11:54:03 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 11:54:03 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] REALITY CHECK Message-ID: REALITY CHECK The Facts Regarding Legal Aid under the Campbell Liberals Attorney General Geoff Plant says that $4.6 million in additional money announced today for legal aid will improve legal services to the poor, women, and immigrants. With just 14 weeks until the election, the Attorney General and the Premier are hoping that $4.6 million will soften the political damage from their government's mean-spirited cuts to legal aid. Here are the facts regarding legal aid under the Campbell government: - In 2002, Plant cut the budget for legal aid by $34 million, or 40 per cent of the budget. - Citing the hardship this cut would cause to the poor, particularly poor women, the BC Legal Services Society refused to implement the cut and took a vote of non-confidence in the Attorney General. - A study by West Coast LEAF showed that the Campbell government's cuts to legal aid have disproportionately hurt women (Legal Aid Denied: Women and the Cuts to Legal Services in BC, September 2004). - Attorney-General Plant himself admitted at the time that single mothers, poor workers and renters would suffer as a result of his cuts to legal aid: "We won't maintain the level of service???????I expect there will be people who will have an even harder time finding access to justice than before." (Vancouver Sun, Jan 31 2002) - Today's announcement hardly makes a dent in that cut. According to Legal Services Society Executive Director Mark Benton, today's announcement: "won't match the range of services cut" in 2002 by the Campbell government. - The continuation of immigrant and refugee legal aid funding is only for one year, and Plant admitted his government only agreed to provide this funding at the request of the federal government. - 30 - To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup.bc.ndp.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Mon Feb 7 12:02:01 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 12:02:01 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] Liberal Throne Speeches: Promises Made, Promises Broken Message-ID: Liberal Throne Speeches: Promises Made, Promises Broken James releases Throne Speech Tall-Tales told by Gordon Campbell Victoria -- NDP Leader Carole James today released a list of Throne Speech tall-tales told by Gordon Campbell over the past three years. "When you look back at Gordon Campbell's past Throne Speeches, they read like works of fiction," said James. "Tomorrow's Throne Speech will be no different. No doubt Mr. Campbell will spin a good story, but for average BC families it will be the fifthinstallment in an ongoing fairy-tale." James released the following 10 Throne Speech promises made by Gordon Campbell since he took office in 2001, all of which turned out to be more fiction than fact: 1. "Deliver high quality public health care services that meet all patients' where they live and when they need it." 2. "Create 5000 new long-term care beds by 2006." 3. "Ensure British Columbians are being served by a non-partisan public service appointed strictly on merit." 4. "Moderate the impact of cuts on people by phasing out less vital programs." 5. "Improve services for women and children." 6. "Stop the expansion of gambling." 7. "Establish an off-shore oil and gas industry by 2010." 8. "Open up a new provincial authority called Community Living BC to oversee programs for people with developmental disabilities." 9. "An open and accountable government." 10. "My government is also committed to giving local governments more autonomy." "In each case, Gordon Campbell and the Liberals broke their promises," said James. "Today average families have worse health care, gambling has exploded, skills training has been gutted and children, seniors and the most vulnerable have been punished with extreme cuts. "Tomorrow afternoon Gordon Campbell will use the Throne Speech to tell British Columbians that he cares, but after three years of broken Throne Speech promises, British Columbians know that he can't be trusted." --------------------- Broken Throne Speech Promises: Backgrounder Broken Promise 1 "Deliver high quality public health care services that meet all patients' needs where they live and when they need it." -- 2001 Throne Speech The reality: -- Closed facilities and reduced services in Nelson, New Westminster, Summerland, Delta, Kimberly, Lillooet and many more communities. -- Allowed waitlists to increase a staggering 31% despite his promise to reduce the number of people waiting for surgery. The waitlist for orthopedic surgery alone, including joint replacement surgery, has increased by 83% since the Liberals came to power. -- Increased fees for MSP and Pharmacare for most British Columbians, while reducing the amount of services and procedures covered. Broken Promise 2 "Create 5000 new long-term care beds by 2006." -- 2001 Throne Speech The reality: -- Not only failed to keep the promise of creating 5,000 additional beds, but actually closed over 2700 beds in communities all over the province. -- Separated senior couples as the government forced the closure of hundreds of beds throughout the province. -- Forced seniors to move hundreds of kilometres away from their families and homes as the government cut services and closed beds. -- Raised fees for long term and extended care as well as MSP, making it harder for seniors to get by. -- Created massive backlogs in hospitals and emergency rooms by reducing the number of beds in our communities. Broken Promise 3 "Ensure British Columbians are being served by a non-partisan public service appointed strictly on merit." -- 2001 Throne Speech The reality: -- On Gordon Campbell's first day in office, he appointed Andrew Wilkinson, the President of the BC Liberal Party, to the "non-partisan" position of deputy minister of intergovernmental affairs. The President had no prior experience for the position and was given the perk of two offices in Vancouver and Victoria, and paid a salary of $199,540 (including bonus), which was much higher than the starting salary and more than what many career public servants in deputy minister positions were receiving. -- Fired 270 government communications staff who were professional public servants, and then hired replacements appointed by Cabinet, making government communications staff political appointees. -- In 2005 appointed high-powered Liberal operative Prem Vinning to the position of Director of Asia-Pacific Trade, to only have to rescind the offer after he admitted to being "Peter from Surrey". Broken Promise 4 "Moderate the impact of cuts on people by phasing out less vital programs." -- 2002 Throne Speech The reality: -- Here are examples of programs and services that the Campbell Liberals deemed "less vital" -- and that have been eliminated or had their funding significantly reduced: - legal aid - women's centres - child care programs and subsidies - affordable housing - crime prevention and victim assistance - transition-to-work assistance for people on social assistance - dozens of programs for high-risk youth - BC Seniors Supplement - delisted MSP services such as podiatry, massage, physiotherapy, and chiropractic therapy Broken Promise 5 "Improve services for women and children." -- 2002 Throne Speech The reality: -- Some of the deepest cuts made by the Campbell government have been to services and programs that most affect women and children. -- Eliminated the freestanding Ministry of Women's Equality, slashed the legal aid budget by 40% and shut down legal aid offices across the province; cut welfare rates for single mums -- and forced them to go back to work when their children turn 3; ended zero tolerance for spousal violence, eliminated victims' assistance programs and cut all funding to women's centres. -- Targeted the Ministry of Children and Family Development for some of the biggest budget cuts across government -- a 23% cut. As a result of these cuts, agencies serving children across the province had their budgets slashed, dozens of programs for high-risk children were eliminated, and front-line social workers serving our most vulnerable children were cut. Broken Promise 6 "Stop the expansion of gambling." -- 2002 Throne Speech The reality: -- Gambling revenues have doubled, and if revenue targets are met for 2006/07, the BC Liberal government will be making $1 billion off gambling by 06/07 -- a 78% increase. -- The limit on slot machines, one of the most addictive forms of gambling, has been eliminated. Under the Campbell Liberals, the cap on the maximum number of slot machines in B.C. was first increased to 5,400 (from 3000) -- and then eliminated altogether. -- Casinos have been expanded and deregulated. The Campbell government has allowed casinos to begin serving alcohol on the casino floor and put ATMs right on the premises -- 2 key triggers to problem gambling that the BC Liberals spoke against in Opposition. -- The Campbell government also started pushing municipal bingo halls to take on slot machines under a quiet plan to turn local bingo halls into "community gaming centres." -- New and addictive forms of gambling have been introduced. In October 2004, online internet gambling was introduced to boost revenues. Broken Promise 7 "Establish and off-shore oil and gas industry by 2010" -- 2003 Throne Speech The reality: -- The Campbell government generated false hope for coastal communities when they started touting the prospects of the off-shore oil and gas industry. Now, it's an empty promise brought on by political expediency and vote grabbing. -- Caught in the middle between Liberal hype and reality are the coastal communities that have been devastated by Campbell's false hope now that it has become clear that this commitment will not be part of the Campbell re-election platform. Broken Promise 8 "Open up a new provincial authority called Community Living BC to oversee programs for people with developmental disabilities." -- 2003 Throne Speech The reality: -- The Campbell government's failed plan for devolution and Doug Walls Liberal insider scandal have resulted in repeated delays and millions of dollars wasted, with the result that CLBC is still not up and running. -- The Campbell government has been forced to defer the provincial authority's start date until after the May election. Broken Promise 9 "An open and accountable government" -- 2001 Throne Speech The reality: -- The Campbell government made staffing cuts and changes to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act that have reduced public access to government information. -- Increased secrecy has been the result of the governments privatization agenda: the new BC Ferries Corp and privatized portions of BC Hydro were explicitly excluded from the Freedom of Information Act. -- The new Lobbyist Registry operates on the honour system, and has such enormous loopholes that BC Liberal insider Patrick Kinsella can represent companies without actually having to register. -- The Campbell government has spent millions of dollars on pro-government ads after having pledged not to spend public money on partisan government advertising. And worse, Campbell refuses to put a dollar figure on the cost of the ads. -- Caucus suspensions remain secret, except when Kevin Krueger slips up. -- Staged "Open Cabinet" meetings that have proven to be nothing more than an expensive farce where lines are rehearsed , no real decisions are made -- and the real cabinet meeting starts the moment the public and media leave the room. Broken Promise 10 "My government is also committed to giving local governments more autonomy." -- 2002 Throne Speech The reality: -- Passed Bill 75 -- the Significant Projects Streamlining Act -- that gave government absolute power to override all local bylaws and decision-making processes. -- Passed Bill 48 -- the Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Statutes Amendment Act 2003 -- that gave government the ability to overrule local government decisions on aquaculture and force fish farms on communities that do not want them. -- Failed to fully implement the Premier's pet Community Charter. The government passed enabling legislation but completely failed to resolve outstanding issues about revenue tools. --30-- To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup.bc.ndp.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Administrator at bcfed.com Wed Feb 9 22:13:52 2005 From: Administrator at bcfed.com (Administrator) Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005 22:13:52 -0800 Subject: [MailServer Resend]Resending quarantined email -- use caution when opening. [LabComm] Liberal Throne Speeches: Promises Made, Promises Broken Message-ID: <1EFB83EC494285438D10B2CCC1206376023C85@bcfednt.bcfed.local> Warning: Attachment contains virus code or meets the filtering/blocking rules. 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From: "BC NDP NEWSWIRE" Subject: [LabComm] Liberal Throne Speeches: Promises Made, Promises Broken Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 12:02:01 -0800 Size: 26304 URL: From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Mon Feb 14 15:01:05 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 15:01:05 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] Budget Surplus Achieved By Neglecting Seniors, Breaking Long-Term Care Promise, says James Message-ID: Budget Surplus Achieved By Neglecting Seniors, Breaking Long-Term Care Promise, says James (Victoria) - A significant portion of the budget surplus is the result of Gordon Campbell's broken promise to seniors on long-term care beds, NDP Leader Carole James said today. James said that the BC Liberals promised to spend $682 million to build an additional 5,000 long term care beds by 2006. But, last week, the government admitted to having allocated only $100 million over the last four years to meet its promise. "Gordon Campbell knew precisely how much it would cost to fulfill his promise to seniors - he put the number in his 2001 candidate briefing book," said James. "But he betrayed seniors and budgeted far less than was needed, adding over $582 million to the budget surplus while leaving thousands of seniors without care." The Liberal promise to spend $136,500 per new bed is contained in the party's briefing book supplied to candidates in 2001, for a total of $682 million. James said that in order to meet its revised promise of 5000 new long-term care beds by 2008, tomorrow's budget will have to allocate more than $190 million to the construction and operation of new beds next year alone. "The broken long-term care bed promise, combined with high commodity prices and increased federal transfers, is the reason Gordon Campbell has a surplus," said James. "Tomorrow's budget is the test of Gordon Campbell's truthfulness," said James. "I call on the Premier to provide provincial Health Authorities with clear direction to make long-term care for seniors a priority and to outline for Health Authorities an unequivocal financial commitment to do that. And I call on him to build the long-term care beds for seniors that he promised in 2001." - 30 - To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup2.bc.ndp.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Tue Feb 15 17:32:17 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 17:32:17 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] Fool's Gold Budget Further Heightens Campbell Liberals' Credibility Gap with Average Families Message-ID: Fool's Gold Budget Further Heightens Campbell Liberals' Credibility Gap with Average Families VICTORIA - BC NDP Leader Carole James released the following statement on today's provincial budget. This budget is an attempt to give Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals a drastic political makeover. But Mr. Campbell's real agenda has been laid out over the last four years. After four years of record deficits, broken promises, higher taxes and fees for average families, longer waitlists, failed privatization schemes, and a more polarized and divided province than ever, British Columbians will not be easily fooled. Much like the 2001 election, Mr. Campbell is saying one thing, but he'll do another. His record shows that he simply can't be trusted to deliver on the promises he is making in today's budget. Average families have struggled for four years under Mr. Campbell's policies of fiscal restraint. He's hit British Columbians with program cuts, downsizing and privatization, and cuts to vital services in order to pay for his high-income and corporate tax cuts. What Mr. Campbell has failed to understand over the last four years is that a strong dynamic economy and a caring compassionate society are not mutually exclusive goals, making this budget even more suspect to being just a pre-election ploy." Our NDP caucus will hold this budget to the highest scrutiny, and I look forward to the full debate on the budget in the Legislature. If Gordon Campbell is so proud of this budget, if the Liberals really want British Columbians to believe them, I'm sure that they will allow a thorough debate on every line of this budget. And if the government refuses to bring the budget forward for full debate before the election, British Columbians will the Liberals are trying to hide something from the voters. - 30 - To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup2.bc.ndp.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Tue Feb 22 12:15:01 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:15:01 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] James, Brar Call on Province to Take Action On Crisis at Surrey Memorial Hospital Message-ID: James, Brar Call on Province to Take Action On Crisis at Surrey Memorial Hospital SURREY - NDP Leader Carole James and Surrey Panorama Ridge MLA Jagrup Brar today called on the Campbell government to take action to improve emergency care at Surrey Memorial Hospital. "Patients in Surrey are not getting the care they expect and deserve," said James. "The Campbell government needs to first admit that there is a problem and then take immediate steps to improve emergency care at Surrey Memorial." Brar pointed to a recent report commissioned by the Fraser Health Authority following a series of post-operative infections at Surrey Memorial. The Cochrane Report - which was released almost two months ago - put forward a series of specific recommendations to improve patient care at Surrey Memorial, none of which have been acted upon by the Campbell government or the Fraser Health Authority. "The ongoing crisis at Surrey Memorial is hurting patients," said Brar. "But the Campbell government continues to drag its feet, pretending there is no crisis and leaving patients in Surrey without the care they need." Earlier this week, Health Minister Shirley Bond refused to say when the Cochrane Report recommendations would be acted upon, if at all. "The Minister of Health needs to wake up and take the crisis at Surrey Memorial much more seriously than she has," said James. "Families of patients like Baljit Bains, who passed away tragically last week in Surrey Memorial's emergency ward, have a right to know why they are not getting proper treatment. And they expect the government to do much more than ignore the problem." "Carole James and I are calling today on the Campbell Government to implement the recommendations of the Cochrane Report and ensure that the circumstances surrounding Mr. Bains' death are fully and independently investigated," said Brar. To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup2.bc.ndp.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Fri Feb 25 11:33:07 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 11:33:07 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] James Warns of Hidden Campbell Privatization Agenda Message-ID: James Warns of Hidden Campbell Privatization Agenda NDP Leader Says Premier Will Re-Play 2001 BC Rail Election Strategy KAMLOOPS - In his drive to get re-elected, Premier Gordon Campbell is going to try to paper over his record of trying to sell off BC's valuable public assets, NDP Leader Carole James said today. James made the comment outside the Westsyde Liquor Store in Kamloops. The Liquor Store has become a local symbol of the Campbell government's botched attempts to privatize crown entities. Since the Fall, the Westsyde store has been slated for closure several times, until public pressure and potential embarrassment for local Liberal MLAs finally put the closure of the store off indefinitely. But James said Gordon Campbell cannot be trusted to keep his promises regarding privatization. "In the last election, Campbell promised not to sell BC Rail. Then he turned around and broke that promise. He promised he was committed to improving public health care. Instead, the Liberal government has driven privatization in health care to new levels. And in 2001, Gordon Campbell never said anything about selling the Coquihalla highway, but after the election he went right out and tried to sell it. "This government has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on failed privatization schemes - including $3 million to privatize the Roberts Bank spur line, and $6 million in his stubborn attempt to sell the Coquihalla," said James. "What's crystal clear is Mr. Campbell has a political agenda to sell off public assets. I worry that in this run-up to the next election, Mr. Campbell isn't being honest with British Columbians about his true plans for privatization. "Will we see another attempt to sell the Coquihalla? Or further attempts to privatize BC Hydro? I worry that we could see the Campbell government try to break up and sell off BC Ferry routes to private interests." "In this election, Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals are trying to convince voters that they've changed. British Columbians should take a very close look at the Campbell government record. And New Democrats will be making sure that record is front and centre in the coming election." - 30 - To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup2.bc.ndp.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Sun Feb 27 16:21:08 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 16:21:08 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] British Columbians Won't Forget Liberal Broken Promises, Campbell's Callous Policies: James Message-ID: British Columbians Won't Forget Liberal Broken Promises, Campbell's Callous Policies: James February 27, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (VICTORIA) -- NDP Leader Carole James slammed Liberal leader Gordon Campbell today for his record and how it's hurt average British Columbians. "After running in 2001 on a platform that promised a moderate approach, Gordon Campbell has run the most callous, out-of-touch, hard-right government B.C. has ever seen. And in a province that gave us Bill Bennett and Bill Vander Zalm, that's saying something," said James. James made her remarks to supporters while launching her candidacy for the seat in her home riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill. "Campbell's latest budget reads like a complete disavowal of the last four years. It's not a budget...It's political botox meant to try and eliminate the Premier's more unsightly political features and vicious cutbacks." "Campbell says "BC's back" but for average British Columbians his government's agenda has just meant one set-back after another -- especially in health care and education." In her speech, James reminded supporters of the long list of broken promises British Columbians have had to endure under the Campbell government. "Average families in BC have spent the past four years as Gordon Campbell's target for attack after attack. And those were surprise attacks because he promised nothing like what he delivered." "Swelling surgical wait lists? Nobody voted for that. Increasing class sizes while cutting help for kids with special needs? Nobody voted for that. Selling off BC Rail? Nobody voted for that. Running the highest deficits in BC's history and jacking up user fees for ordinary people while cutting taxes for the wealthiest? Nobody voted for any of that." "But British Columbians don't have short memories. They are looking at the record, and the record is clear: Gordon Campbell's Liberals have the wrong priorities. Their compassion begins and ends with themselves and their friends." "It's time to send Gordon Campbell a message he can't ignore...and one he'll never forget. It's time to elect New Democrats to give working people, average families, everyday British Columbians the strong voice they need in Victoria." --30-- To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup2.bc.ndp.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: