From newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca Fri Jan 7 13:56:03 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 13:56:03 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] Meet Gary Doer, Manitoba's NDP Premier Message-ID: Meet Gary Doer, Manitoba's NDP Premier Doer to join with BC NDP Leader Carole James for forum on modern and progressive government Dear friend, I'm sending this message to invite you to two special events on Thursday, January 13th. Please join me at the Roundhouse Community Centre for a unique forum with BC NDP leader Carole James, and Manitoba's Premier, Gary Doer. Over the past decade, New Democrats in Manitoba have developed a strong and successful political movement. Gary Doer's NDP government was re-elected last year to a second term, with 50 per cent of the popular vote and an increased number of New Democrats elected to the legislature. Premier Doer will speak with BC New Democrats about his experience building a winning coalition and a modern progressive government -- he will be joined by Carole James to discuss parallels between the growth of the Manitoba NDP on their road to victory, and our party's growing momentum in this province today. Before the forum, Carole James and the BC NDP Opposition Caucus will host a reception for Premier Doer. This is our first fundraising event of the year -- I hope you can be there to help kick-off our campaign to defeat Gordon Campbell's Liberals in 2005. Both of these events are tax-receiptable -- buy your tickets now to qualify for a 2004 tax credit. The details of both events are listed below. RSVP today by calling 604-430-8600 extension 259 or e-mail glenne at bc.ndp.ca. See you on January 13th. Yours, Joy MacPhail, MLA BC NDP Opposition Caucus RECEPTION: The BC NDP Opposition Caucus Reception will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursday, January 13 at Lucy Mae Brown at 862 Richards Street in Vancouver. Tickets are available now for $175. FORUM: The Forum with Carole James and Gary Doer opens for registration at 7:00 pm on Thursday, January 13 at the Roundhouse Community Centre -- 181 Roundhouse Mews, at Davie & Pacific in Vancouver. Admission is just $25. To purchase tickets, call 604-430-8600 extension 259 or e-mail glenne at bc.ndp.ca. 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 Jan 10 14:17:02 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 14:17:02 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] BC Taxpayers short-changed on millions in lost coal revenue for BC Rail, says James Message-ID: BC Taxpayers short-changed on millions in lost coal revenue for BC Rail, says James NDP Leader renews call for full public accounting of the privatization deal VICTORIA - British Columbia's taxpayers were short-changed by millions of dollars in potential revenue from coal transportation when the Gordon Campbell government negotiated the sale of BC Rail to CN Rail, BC NDP Leader Carole James said today. James said that despite the Campbell government's own forecasts for significant coal mining activity in the province's Northeast, projections based on coal export growth were deliberately left out of revenue calculations for the BC Rail line; that means hundreds of millions of dollars in the net present value of the BC Rail operation were essentially given away to CN for free. "Not only did the Premier break his promise not to sell BC Rail, he got a bad deal for taxpayers, giving away millions of dollars in coal shipping revenues to CN for nothing," said James. "The number of questions surrounding this deal is mounting at an alarming rate," she said. "That's why I am renewing my call for a full public accounting of the BC Rail deal. British Columbians deserve an answer to questions raised by the government's apparent mishandling of this privatization scheme." The CN coal business unit has already shown a 25 per cent increase in revenue during the first quarter BC Rail revenues were shown. Conservative estimates peg potential annual revenues generated from coal at $45 million. When this revenue stream is included in the valuation of BC Rail, the net present value increases by hundreds of millions of dollars. "Mr. Campbell claims to take a business-like approach to government, but it's beginning to appear that he sold BC Rail to CN at a severe discount," said James. "That's not good business, and it's not good government. British Columbians deserve better." BC Liberal cabinet ministers were predicting significant growth in the coal industry as far back as April 2003 - long before negotiations with CN were completed. Yet, revenue growth projections - both from the mining sector and from independent economic forecasters - were deliberately excluded by the Campbell government when it negotiated the sale. "It's revenue that will now flow to Chicago instead of being used to invest in health care and education for BC communities," said James. "Once again, we find that under the Campbell plan for BC's economy, the very communities that produce the province's wealth are being left out of the economic picture." "Every time the public gets a glimpse of the truth behind the BC Rail sale it becomes more apparent that the Premier did not get the best deal for British Columbians," said James. "This BC Rail deal has spawned police raids on the Legislature and the office of the Finance Minister, allegations and charges of criminal activity at the highest levels of the government. And now, it appears that the deal itself, even if it were untarnished by the alleged criminal activity, is an even worse deal for BC than anyone previously suspected. Mr. Campbell needs to open the books and come clean with British Columbians on the details of this deal. British Columbians deserve nothing less." - 30 - ----------------------------------- BACKGROUNDER COAL AND THE BC RAIL DEAL WHAT THE LIBERALS SAY: "I see a bright future for the coal industry in the province, and we want to work closely with those that are in the industry so that it can continue." - Richard Neufeld, Hansard, April 2, 2003 "The partnership will be a major new source of economic development for our entire province." - Gordon Campbell announces BC Rail Deal, Nov. 25 2003 "The partnership with CN is a great deal for British Columbians." - Finance Minister Colin Hansen after charges were laid accusing highly placed Liberal officials using their influence and knowledge of the BC Rail deal for personal gain, December 22, 2004 THE FACT IS: The Liberals knew about the coming revival and growth in BC's Northeastern coal industry. They should have known that BC Rail's profits would increase substantially as a result. And yet the Liberals did nothing to account for BC Rail's coming windfall while they were negotiating the sale of the increasingly valuable asset to CN. The BC Rail deal was not just a sale, it was a giveaway. - As early as April of 2003 Minister Neufeld told the legislature that ???????I see a bright future for the coal industry in the province" citing interest from China and other Asian markets in BC energy resources. [Hansard April 2, 2003) - By June 2003 Western Canadian Coal was publicly promoting an expansion of operations to meet the increasing export demands. [Vancouver Province June 25, 2003] - Western Canadian Coal plans to ship upwards of 5 million tonnes of coal annually via the former BC Rail line by the year 2008, with as much as 1.5 million tonnes this year alone. - And yet, when it came to calculating the worth of BC Rail before it was sold revenue from coal shipments was left off the ledger, an obvious omission that never raised the eyebrows of Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon. - In fact, the government's own "fairness report" explicitly states "...we did not forecast any coal revenues for 2004 and beyond." [p. 94] - Since the purchase of BC Rail, the CN coal business unit has already shown a 25% increase in revenue during the first quarter it booked revenue from the BC rail line - an increase of $7 million. - Conservative estimates put potential annual revenues from transporting coal at $45 million. - In December 2004 alone, 120 rail cars of coal were shipped from the Burnt River coal mine at Tumbler Ridge along the BC Rail line. - That is a lot of coal and a lot of revenue for CN Rail that Gordon Campbell never got them to pay for. 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 Tue Jan 11 12:59:03 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 12:59:03 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] You're Invited to Meet Carole James and Manitoba NDP Premier Gary Doer Message-ID: You're Invited to Meet Carole James and Manitoba NDP Premier Gary Doer Dear friend, A quick reminder about two special events coming up next week with Gary Doer, Premier of Manitoba -- and Carole James, Leader of BC's New Democrats. Please join me Thursday, January 13th at the Roundhouse Community Centre, where Premier Doer will co-host a forum with BC New Democrats, and speak about his experience building a winning coalition and a modern progressive government. He will be joined by BC NDP Leader Carole James to discuss parallels between the growth of the Manitoba NDP on their road to victory, and our party's growing momentum in this province today. Before the forum, the BC NDP Opposition Caucus will host a reception with Premier Doer. There are only 126 days remaining until the election, and this is our first fundraising event of the new year. I hope you can be there to help kick-off our campaign to defeat the Campbell Liberals -- and elect an NDP government in May 2005. The details of both events are listed below. RSVP today by calling 604-430-8600 extension 259 or email glenne at bc.ndp.ca. I hope to see you there on January 13th. Yours, Joy MacPhail, MLA BC NDP Opposition Caucus ------------------------------ RECEPTION Thursday, January 13 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm Lucy Mae Brown, 862 Richards Street in Vancouver Tickets: $175 (includes admission to the Forum at the Roundhouse) FORUM Thursday, January 13 at 7:30 pm (registration begins at 7:00 pm) Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews in Vancouver Tickets: $25 Please call 604-430-8600 extension 259 or e-mail glenne at bc.ndp.ca to reserve tickets or request more information. 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 Wed Jan 12 11:06:06 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:06:06 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] Shortage in Care Beds Putting Patients at Risk, Says James Message-ID: Shortage in Care Beds Putting Patients at Risk, Says James Capital Regional District Health Study Pins Blame on BC Liberals for Cutting Too Deeply VICTORIA - Since 2002, the BC Liberal government has cut a total of 205 care beds for seniors in the Victoria area alone NDP Leader Carole James said today. The findings are included in a report released by the Capital Regional District. "This study shows in detail how Gordon Campbell is breaking his promise to seniors and families by cutting long-term care beds," said James. "Today, seniors in the Capital Region are receiving less care than they did when Gordon Campbell became Premier." Completed in mid-September 2004 and submitted to the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the report concludes that the shortfall in residential care beds is a result of government cuts that went too deep. The end result is a serious undersupply of residential care and assisted living beds, long waiting lists, and back-ups in hospital acute care beds. "Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals have failed seniors and they've failed patients," said James. "They promised 5,000 new long-term and intermediate care beds in the last election, but the result is fewer beds, not more. Waitlists are up. Drug costs are up. Medical Service Premiums are up. And urgently needed long-term care beds are actually being eliminated by this government. "That's created a real crisis for patients and their families as they cope with increased health risks, financial hardship, and uncertainty about their future." According to the CRD study, it's taking longer to place patients in residential care beds, there are more people on waitlists for beds, and the trends are getting worse. "What's clear from this report is that the Campbell Liberals have seriously mismanaged health care," said James. "They promised better care for seniors, but they've delivered a crisis with short-sighted cuts and no plan in place to deal with the fallout. "I challenge Mr. Campbell and his Health Minister to explain how things got this bad so quickly," said James. "They owe it to British Columbians to admit that patient care is getting worse and to take immediate action to fund more long-term care beds as they promised to do in the last election." James said the NDP would immediately increase operating funding for non-profit long-term care beds by $50 million. She said that would fund an additional 1000 new beds in communities throughout BC. -- 30 -- -------------------- To read the Capital Regional District reports, see the following links: http://www.crd.bc.ca/reports/healthfacilitie_/assistedlivings/AssistedLivingSTAFFREPORT.pdf http://www.crd.bc.ca/reports/healthfacilitie_/assistedlivings/AssistedLivingStaffReportAttachment1.pdf 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 Fri Jan 14 09:36:06 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 9:36:06 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] James calls on Premier to implement plan to sustain and grow BC film industry Message-ID: James calls on Premier to implement plan to sustain and grow BC film industry NDP Leader outlines steps to secure jobs, promote investment and develop inter-provincial cooperation VANCOUVER - Premier Gordon Campbell must implement an immediate plan to sustain and grow BC's film industry, BC NDP Leader Carole James said today, and she outlined a way for the Premier to do it. "By dragging their heels on moving to support the film industry we see that, once again, the Campbell Liberals have put good jobs that support families at risk," said James. The film industry is one of BC's most important. According to the BC Film Commission, in 2003 the film and television industry spent over $1.4 billion, employing about 30,000 British Columbians. "The families this economy supports can't afford to wait," James said. "Government must partner with BC's film industry in this highly competitive market. At the same time, we must move towards a more sustainable model for further industry development. My plan would ensure BC moves in that direction." James said the Finance Minister, Collin Hansen, should take immediate steps to provide stability and competitiveness for BC's film industry and she outlined the following plan: - A lift in the film tax credit from 11 to 18 per cent for foreign-made films and to 30 per cent for domestic productions at a cost of approximately $30 million per year. - A $5 million lift in equity financing managed through BC Film to enhance the availability of financing for BC productions and to leverage federal dollars through programs like Telefilm Canada. - An $800,000 lift to BC Film's annual budget to help it better serve the industry and build domestic capacity. The lift would restore the Campbell government's cut to BC Film, bringing its budget back to $3 million. James said the total cost of the proposed initiatives would be offset by increased jobs and economic activity. "By taking these steps, BC will ensure that jobs and film productions stay in BC and that we are in a strong position to attract new productions," said James. "If we fail to act, thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and the future of one of BC's most important industries is threatened. "The NDP plan would secure jobs, leverage new investment, bolster our indigenous film industry, and encourage provincial cooperation towards a comprehensive national film strategy." James said that in addition to maintaining a competitive environment, it's critical that provinces work together to develop a comprehensive inter-provincial film strategy to ensure that industry growth in one province doesn't come at the expense of another. "A competitive tax and incentive structure is only the first step towards a comprehensive film strategy for BC and the rest of the country," said James. "That's why I am also proposing that provinces with growing film industries work with the federal government on a national film strategy to ensure that competitive decisions are informed and take into account national needs." - 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 Tue Jan 25 12:01:07 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 12:01:07 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] MacPhail Slams New Health Minister For Ignoring Missing Recommendations in Morritt Death Message-ID: MacPhail Slams New Health Minister For Ignoring Missing Recommendations in Morritt Death VANCOUVER - Recently appointed Health Minister Shirley Bond's negligent response to the Coroner's Report into the death of Edward Morritt shows that she is more interested in seeking political cover than providing care to patients, Opposition House Leader Joy MacPhail said today. MacPhail was reacting to Health Minister Shirley Bond's dismissal of demands that she release the three recommendations contained in the draft Coroner's report on the tragic death of Mr. Morritt. "British Columbians want to know that when concerns are raised about the health system - concerns that may regard patient safety - someone is going to take action," said MacPhail. "They want answers and they want to know that the government is taking the death of Edward Morritt seriously." In March 2004, Edward Morrit was admitted to the Kootenay Lake General Hospital in Nelson after an accident at his residence. The lack of on-call ultrasound technicians at the KLH forced Mr. Morrit's transfer to Trail where he died from his injuries after waiting six hours to be diagnosed with internal bleeding from a ruptured spleen. This week, it came to light that for unexplained reasons, recommendations for improved patient care at the Kootenay Lake General Hospital were left out of the Coroner's final report. "It may be that the Health Minister is still getting up to speed on her new job, but it's really a very simple task: call the Coroner's office, ask for the recommendations and make them public. "The tough part comes in responding to those recommendations and taking responsibility for her BC Liberal health cuts in the Kootenays. I suspect that's why Ms. Bond won't do her job and pick up the phone." - 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 Tue Jan 25 14:13:01 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:13:01 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] BC Liberal Broken Promises, Funding Shortfall To Blame for Emergency Room Crisis at Fraser Health, says James Message-ID: BC Liberal Broken Promises, Funding Shortfall To Blame for Emergency Room Crisis at Fraser Health, says James VANCOUVER - Four years of broken promises and a serious funding shortfall are to blame for the emergency room crisis at the Fraser Health Authority, NDP Leader Carole James said today. "Patients at Fraser Health hospitals are not getting proper care and Gordon Campbell is to blame," said James. "He promised new long-term care facilities but in office he's closed thousands of beds and he's cut hundreds of millions from needed capital expenditures. This combination is creating a crisis for health care at Fraser Health and throughout BC." In a recent memo to staff detailing the emergency room crisis, Fraser Health Authority CEO Bob Smith says that Fraser Health is short 110 emergency room beds for admitted patients who face unacceptably long waits. Mr. Smith strongly urges staff to discharge patients to free up space. James said the responsibility for this serious bed shortage rests with the Campbell government. According to the Fraser Health Authority, the region faces a $50 million capital funding shortfall this year, rising to over $163 million by 2006. (For multi-year capital funding budget, see: http://www.fraserhealth.ca/About/BudgetandFinancials/Default.htm Moreover, the government has cut over 800 long-term care beds at Fraser Health, and by its own calculations is well behind on its plan to replace them with cheaper assisted living beds. "The situation at Fraser Health is the result of bad decisions, broken promises, and extreme mismanagement of health care by the Campbell government," said James. "Everyone knows that the population is aging, but still, the BC Liberals are slashing needed long-term care beds and shortchanging health authorities. "Predictably, that's resulted in overcrowded emergency rooms, hallway medicine, and growing anger and frustration for BC patients," said James. - 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 Wed Jan 26 16:28:03 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 16:28:03 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] Money for Transition Services Doesn't Make Dent in Campbell's Cuts to Women's Programs, says Kwan Message-ID: Money for Transition Services Doesn't Make Dent in Campbell's Cuts to Women's Programs, says Kwan VICTORIA - After four years of extreme cuts to programs for women, Gordon Campbell's last minute funding announcement for transition services does little to repair the damage, NDP Opposition MLA Jenny Kwan said today. "While this funding is important, it hardly makes a dent in the cuts Gordon Campbell has made to critical women's services over the last four years," said Kwan. "Cuts to programs and services such as legal aid, child care, women's centres, and housing have disproportionately hurt women across the province." Kwan said that in the run-up to the election, the Premier is trying to erase the memory of his government's record. "Women in BC won't forget that Gordon Campbell eliminated funding for every single community women's centre in the province," said Kwan. "His cuts to legal aid, welfare, housing, child care and to advocacy and referral services have left huge gaps in services to women, gaps that this announcement today does little to address." Kwan said the government is increasing the budget for transition services by $12.5 million after cutting the overall budget for women, senior and child care services by over $25 million last year alone. "To pay for his extreme high-income and corporate tax cuts, Gordon Campbell made women pay with cuts to programs and services they depend on," said Kwan. "Now, with the election clock ticking, Gordon Campbell is hoping this announcement will undo the political damage." "BC women have seen through this government's agenda from the very beginning, and they will not be fooled by this announcement today." - 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 Jan 31 14:59:02 2005 From: newswire at news.bc.ndp.ca (BC NDP NEWSWIRE) Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 14:59:02 -0800 Subject: [LabComm] REALITY CHECK Message-ID: REALITY CHECK What the Campbell Liberals aren't saying about their pre-election education promise Gordon Campbell says that he will spend an extra $150 million of education this year. Here's what he's not saying: - The Campbell government already made this announcement In March 2004, the Campbell government said it would spend $170 million extra on education through 2005/06. This announcement simply moves some of that funding forward by one year. - In 2001 Gordon Campbell froze education spending in BC. Over the three years that policy was in place, the Liberals forced school districts to pay for rising transportation costs, rising hydro costs and the teachers' salary increase. As a result, school districts were forced to make drastic cuts in order to pay costs imposed by government. In 2002/2003, the total shortfall to school districts was $210 million. - In 2002 the Campbell government imposed a wage settlement on school boards, costing $338 million, but they only funded the first year of the contract. The result was a $188 million shortfall for school boards Today's announcement of $150 million doesn't even cover the shortfall imposed in 2002. After four years, British Columbians know they can't trust Gordon Campbell to invest in education and students Classroom sizes have increased, schools have been closed, teachers have been cut, and critical programs have been axed. Gordon Campbell made the same promises before the last election, and he broke them. He is up to his old tricks again. - 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: