Over in the Twitter-universe, veteran political columnist Vaughn Palmer noted that the BC Conservative Party recently took down their Policy Manual and explained it this way:
BC Conservatives have removed 22-page May 2010 policy platform from website. Subject to review, sez president Wayne McGrath.
Question - Why put it (Policy Manual) up in advance of AGM in May then??
Mr. Palmer also notes some of their policies as follows, from the "disappeared" Policy Manual:
* carbon tax will be repealed" Revenue hit: $950 million.
* investigate harmonizing the provincial sales tax with the GST.
* A BC Conservative government will open up the offshore to drilling...off the northwest coast
* A BC Conservative government will not place a toll on the Port Mann bridge
* A B.C. Conservative government will gradualy abolish the property transfer tax." Revenue hit: $800 million per year
* A BC Conservative government will provide equal per student financing for public, traditional, charter and independent schools.
Questions:
1) Where will a BC Conservative Party come up with $1,750,000,000 or 1.750 billion in lost revenue by ditching the Property Transfer Tax and Carbon Tax? What kind of deep cuts will a BC Conservative gov't impose on British Columbians?? Inquiring minds desire to know
2) Is a BC Conservative really prepared to start a war with the BC Teachers Federation? Moreover, is a BC Conservative gov't really prepared to start a war with parents who may not want private schools funded from public dollars? Because this is exactly what will happen
3) Again, if no tolls on Port Mann Bridge (voter getter in "South of Fraser" region) but again - how will they finance this - traditional means, etc?)
4) Drilling off the North Coast - non-starter with region residents, I would suspect
But it was good to see that the BC Conservatives are pulling their policy on investigating joining the Provincial Sales Tax and the federal Goods and Services Tax as it is redundant
Given an election could happen at any time, it is my enlightened position that the BC Conservative Party is not 100% ready for an election , if the above policies make it into a BC Conservative Party Platform for the upcoming provincial election, whenever it comes
SBF
1 comment:
AGAIN ... much fuss about nothing. Vaughn Palmer does not have a big News Award story posted on Twitter, rather, readers of your blog may be interested to know this was done several months ago. Which means that Vaughn is really quite behind in his sleuthing / research
A multi-member policy commitee, with members from a number of professions and experiences, is currently going over a large number of policy ideas submitted by party members from around the province.
Policies are being revieiwed with a veiw to streamlining, organization, etc so they can be presented to the membership for approval. I'm delighted to let you know that there were several great policy suggestions that came from the Kamloops area alone.
Bottom line --- Mr. Palmer very belatedly noticed something which was done some time back.
I do hope however that he did take note of what will be directing the policies of the BC Conservative Party ... the "Guiding Principles" ... and the "Contract with British Columbians".
Anyone is welcome to download both of these documents at http://bcconservative.ca/our-policies/
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