In the News

Saying goodbye to Jack

Adrian Dix and New Democrat MLAs throughout the province are remembering Jack Layton this week. Adrian will be attending Jack’s state funeral in Toronto on Saturday.

In his statement on Jack’s death, Adrian said, “Jack was an extraordinary leader and an even more extraordinary person. His impact was such that his loss feels to many of us like a loss in our own family.

“While the country is the poorer for Jack’s passing, Canada is richer for his immense contribution over a lifetime in politics. Wherever he went and whoever he met, Jack made his mark with his optimism, dynamism and boundless energy.”

HST results coming this week

As we prepare for the HST results on Friday, August 26, it is increasingly clear that the B.C. Liberals are unprepared for a future without the HST. Last week, Christy Clark emerged from summer vacation and made the media rounds to say that we might have a jobs strategy soon but had no details.

In response, Adrian Dix and Bruce Ralston said that it's clear the B.C. Liberals are out of gas and out of ideas. They have been fixated on salvaging the HST for the past two years, with nothing changing under Christy Clark's leadership.

There was more evidence this week that the Clark government’s fixation on selling the HST has sold British Columbians short. Statistics Canada reported that retail sales growth from May to June was only 0.4% in B.C. compared to an average growth rate of 0.7% Canada-wide. Over the last year, since the HST was introduced, B.C. has seen only 2.6 per cent in growth compared to the national average of 4.6 per cent.

While the HST certainly had an effect on the economy, it seems it wasn’t quite what the B.C. Liberals were looking for. Originally, the Liberals promised the HST would create over 100,000 new jobs, but the reality is that there is nothing to suggest that even a single new job was created. In fact, B.C. job growth in recent months has been stunted behind the national average as well.

Talking politics with young activists

More than 70 young people joined Adrian and MLAs Michelle Mungall, Mabel Elmore, Harry Bains, Sue Hammell, Lana Popham, and Raj Chouhan at a dynamic forum on youth political engagement on August 20.

Adrian talked about how young people have often been at the forefront of political change. Mable Elmore shared her experience of becoming an MLA, talking about the importance of having the courage to put yourself on the line and speak up on issues that matter. An informative and energetic session on social media left everyone with great ideas for staying in touch and organizing in new ways.

The session ended with a wide-ranging discussion on issues of the day – including poverty, electoral reform and the economy.

Health woes highlighted with newborn death

Following the death of a newborn at Victoria General Hospital early this month, New Democrat health critic Mike Farnworth has been pressing the B.C. Liberal government to meet national standards for obstetric anaesthesiologists, including the recommendation that any major birthing hospital have at least one obstetric anaesthesiologist on duty at all times. British Columbia is the only province that doesn’t meet the standard.

Farnworth also noted that the Liberals are still without a long-term recruitment and retention strategy for anaesthesiologists; more than half of the province’s 350 anaesthesiologists are over the age of 50. And Farnworth pressed the Liberal government to ensure that a full, independent coroner’s inquest is held to determine what led to the child’s death.

Clark’s promise of swift justice needs some substance

Shortly after the Vancouver Stanley Cup riots, the premier made a grandiose statement saying ”this investigation needs to happen quickly” and committed the resources necessary to make sure that happens. Recent statements by the Vancouver Police Department indicate that it isn’t happening quickly, however, and that no formal charges have been laid.

New Democrat public safety and solicitor general critic Kathy Corrigan said the premier needs to answer for the serious lack of progress, and to make sure that the VPD and the court system are able to process charges and hold rioters to account. Corrigan noted that this brings up bigger issues where a lack of resources has resulted in major backlogs across the legal system.

Upcoming Events

·On Sunday, August 28 at noon, Adrian and MLAs will be in Abbotsford celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Gur Sikh Temple.

·On Saturday, September 3 at 7 p.m, join Adrian and local MLAs at the Taiwanese Cultural Festival. Adrian will be speaking. (Vancouver Art Gallery on West Georgia St.)

Read New Democrat News Releases

In This Issue

·Saying goodbye to Jack

·HST results coming this week

·Talking politics with young activists

·Health woes highlighted with newborn death

·Clark’s promise of swift justice needs some substance

·Upcoming Events

In Quotes

“[Adrian Dix] intends to run on his economic policies, first and foremost, and say what he's going to do and how he's going to pay for it. Meaning no big surprises if he gets in and no overloading the platform with promises that can't be afforded.”

– Vaughn Palmer, Kamloops Daily News, Aug. 18, 2011

“The system's inability to respond in a timely and efficient manner to the banal crimes of the Stanley Cup riot only serves to underscore that it's broken.

It is disingenuous for Premier Christy Clark to throw up her hands as if her government could not fix some things easily with money.

The Liberals have cut into the legal bone and they are reaping the repercussions of their years of budgetary cuts.”

— Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun, Aug. 24, 2011

“The crazy thing is: I don't think even Clark herself knows if she's calling an election or not. I don't think she knows what to do, period.

On Wednesday, she called a news conference “to discuss the government's fall agenda,” as a press release put it.

She announced she wanted to protect and create jobs, but refused to say how. Not much of an agenda. Not much of a discussion.”

– Michael Smyth, The Province, Aug. 19, 2011

“B.C. government press releases have a long tradition of incorporating Maoist-like slogans to reflect trending themes, also known as the premier's pet projects.

Not so long ago, we were the “Best place on Earth.” We've been urged to embrace a “New era.” We embraced the “Heartlands” back when rural British Columbia was in the B.C. Liberal sightlines. And who can forget the “Five great goals for a golden decade”? (Bonus points if you can remember all five.) Right now, government is all about “Families first.”

But separating the slogans from the action, the Clark government has made changes only on the margins for most B.C. families.”

– Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, Aug. 19, 2011

“It's understandable that Social Development Minister Harry Bloy is ashamed of cruel cuts to services for some of B.C.'s most vulnerable citizens.

But his refusal to acknowledge the reality and his flat-out false statements are insulting to people with developmental disabilities and their often exhausted and frightened families.”

– Paul Willcocks, Times Colonist, Aug. 16, 2011

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