New BC Political Discussion - POST BC Election 2017

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

So Christy managed to convince dozens of large multinationals to spend literally tens of billions to design projects all for her own mirage?

Damn, that's impressive.

Amazing she is that proficent at manipulating huge sophisticated companies but couldn't win a small provincial election.

No more amazing than the NDP gov't, in power for just a week, being blamed for the cancellation of this white elephant, or being blamed for the ICBC mess.

[LeftCoaster]

I never said it did.

But why would you say something ignorant just because someone else did?

Partisanship aside fact is LNG was a very real possibility and still is since many large sophisticated entities continue to invest large amounts of their own capital into their respective projects.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Partisanship aside fact is LNG was a very real possibility and still is since many large sophisticated entities continue to invest large amounts of their own capital into their respective projects.

It definitely is a possibility, but there's only so much influence a provincial government can have. Global markets and the individual company's finances and financial outlook have much more influence on whether or not a project goes ahead.

[LeftCoaster]

Exactly.

The NDP and Liberals both have and will have their role to play but the projects are not going ahead if the economics aren't there.

[mezzanine]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...arty-1.4226286

Former premier Christy Clark will step down as leader of the B.C. Liberal Party on Aug. 4 and leave politics.

The announcement comes just 10 days after B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan was sworn in as B.C. premier, having formed a historic alliance with the B.C. Green Party following a tumultuous provincial election.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...arty-1.4226286

Not being a BC Lib insider, this had me surprised. It wasn't as if Clark oversaw an electoral wipeout, it was a very close contest. I always thought she more of a scrapper than to just quit like that. Obviously the money men who control the BC Libs decided a head had to roll, and it would be hers. That's why I won't vote BC Lib, the same backroom businessmen who control the Socreds now control them, and basically run the show.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Not being a BC Lib insider, this had me surprised. It wasn't as if Clark oversaw an electoral wipeout, it was a very close contest. I always thought she more of a scrapper than to just quit like that. Obviously the money men who control the BC Libs decided a head had to roll, and it would be hers. That's why I won't vote BC Lib, the same backroom businessmen who control the Socreds now control them, and basically run the show.

Ya seems like weird timing to me. The current government is obviously stitched together with a thread, and we could see another election soon. The BC Libs need to get a new leader and get organized ASAP otherwise they will be a mess in election time.

Would actually be funny for Horgan to orchestrate a vote failure in the next few weeks and hold a snap election.

[Sheba]

Christy Clark to resign as leader of BC Liberal party next week

Christy Clark is resigning as the leader of the BC Liberal party, effective Friday August 4.

...

Rich Coleman will be the Liberal Party interim leader.

Clark will also be stepping down as MLA for Kelowna-West.

...

CKNW contributor Vaughn Palmer says Horgan now has six months to call a by-election.

“And the New Democrats now have an extra seat in the house and extra margin, because the Liberals are down to not 43, they’ll be down to 42,” added Palmer.

“Horgan can leave that seat vacant until January, the earliest he has to call a by-election, which means that the entire Liberal strategy that, ‘oh, we’re gonna be 44 and 43 and the government will fall, Clark’s thrown that under the bus as well’.”

[LeftCoaster]

It had to happen for the recovery of the BC Liberals. Christy Clark proved she wasn't very well liked, as not many parties lose elections on the back of leading the country in economic growth. The party needed a new face and Christy clearly had to go.

As for the timing, I don't see why now isn't as good a time as any, no sense in waiting, just rip the band aid off.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

It had to happen for the recovery of the BC Liberals. Christy Clark proved she wasn't very well liked, as not many parties lose elections on the back of leading the country in economic growth. The party needed a new face and Christy clearly had to go.

As for the timing, I don't see why now isn't as good a time as any, no sense in waiting, just rip the band aid off.

I guess, it just seems weird as she wasn't exactly slaughtered at the polls. Are the possible replacements any more likeable? Do they think Falcon can help win back Surrey?

In the meantime the government can;t fall with her seat emoty, and its up to the government to call the byelection, how long can they hold it off for? It will be interesting to see if the NDP and Greens strike an agreement ot just run one candidate, not that it would make a difference in that riding.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

It had to happen for the recovery of the BC Liberals. Christy Clark proved she wasn't very well liked, as not many parties lose elections on the back of leading the country in economic growth. The party needed a new face and Christy clearly had to go.

As for the timing, I don't see why now isn't as good a time as any, no sense in waiting, just rip the band aid off.

Huh... I thought it was just par for the course to eject a party leader if they lose (Dix, James, Dion, Ignatieff, Harper - shall I go on?).

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Huh... I thought it was just par for the course to eject a party leader if they lose (Dix, James, Dion, Ignatieff, Harper - shall I go on?).

Not necessarily though it's kind of evolved that way which is unfortunate IMHO. After all Gordon Campbell lost and ran again.

[jsbertram]

this is known as "rebranding"

watch what happens after the new guy gets selected by the bag-men and other insiders, and where christy lands after jumping ship (or was she pushed overboard?)

[Sheba]

'I am done with public life,' says Christy Clark

"I didn't want to leave in the midst of chaos so I stuck around," Clark said, adding thoughts about resigning grew last month when Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon asked NDP Leader John Horgan to govern.

Clark said she had the full support of "every single person" in her caucus the day before she made her announcement, but felt her departure would give the Liberal party a chance to renew itself and prepare for the Opposition benches after 16 years in power.

She said the timing of her exit is good for both her and the party because she doesn't believe there will be an election in the fall.

She will also be giving up her seat in the legislature, triggering a byelection in Kelowna West within six months.

"I am done with public life," Clark said. "There is nothing worse than a politician hanging on because they think they're irreplaceable."

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by Sheba

'I am done with public life,' says Christy Clark

Frankly her words hold literally zero value. She has made that very clear. I have less then zero respect for people like her. No honor. Say what you want to hear with zero desire to follow through. I don't know why they even bother quoting her at this point. Nothing she says means anything.

Having said that I assume she will get some cushy private sector job now and get her reward

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Sheba

'I am done with public life,' says Christy Clark

Cowardly. Same thing Prentice did when he lost the last Alberta election for the conservatives.

She's taking her ball and going home. To hell with the constituents that elected her

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

It definitely is a possibility, but there's only so much influence a provincial government can have. Global markets and the individual company's finances and financial outlook have much more influence on whether or not a project goes ahead.

From todays Globe & Mail.

Petronas did Canada a favour. Just ask Australia

...To better understand the bullet that Canada dodged, consider Australia, a place where resource developers face far less onerous regulatory constraints. When gas prices in Asian markets surged past $15 per MMbtu in 2009, and again in 2012, gas producers everywhere salivated; but in Australia’s case they could act on that greed quickly. Several massive LNG projects were built, virtually simultaneously, all aiming to cash in on premium Asian prices. Environmental and fiscal hurdles were modest; and Indigenous populations in Australia have little leverage to negotiate. A new right-wing government sweetened the pot by cancelling a modest carbon tax in 2014....

...The short-lived boom affected the whole course of Australia’s economy, generating inflation, putting upward pressure on interest rates, and contributing to a skyrocketing currency – that in turn sparked massive deindustrialization (including the complete shutdown of Australia’s auto industry). The plants are now on stream (though most have suffered repeated operational breakdowns), long before a single shovel hits dirt in Canada’s LNG play. A triumph of free-market efficiency, right?

Well, not exactly. Because after construction started, Asian gas prices fell by two-thirds (not surprising given all that coming new capacity), way below break-even levels. All the plants are bleeding red ink; writedowns already exceed $10-billion for the Queensland plants. With construction work done, just a few hundred workers remain to operate the plants. One-time boom towns have been left with a massive hangover, including collapsed housing prices.

But it’s not just gas producers paying for this enormous miscalculation. Every Australian energy consumer is also paying...

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opin...ticle35856731/

[a very long weekend]

wow, the kicker from that article:

But it’s not just gas producers paying for this enormous miscalculation. Every Australian energy consumer is also paying. Unlike Canada, gas exporters don’t have to prove that exports are surplus to domestic needs. Hence domestic prices more than doubled with the diversion of so much supply to exports; electricity prices also skyrocketed (because of gas-fired generation costs). Government isn’t reaping any benefit, since the sweet royalty deals inked to accelerate LNG projects require virtually no royalty payments until capital investments have been paid off. That will likely never happen – meaning Australians effectively gave away this gas (without royalties) to Asian consumers, many of whom now pay less for it than Aussies do.

[Sheba]

Throne speech for B.C.'s new NDP government set for Sept. 8

Two announcements Thursday on B.C.'s political scene put this fall's legislative session into sharper focus.

The legislature will reconvene Sept. 8, seven weeks after John Horgan and the NDP were sworn into office.

The current legislative session will officially discontinue at that time, and a new session, beginning with a speech from the throne, will take place at 2 p.m. PT.

...

A date for a new budget has not been announced, but traditionally provincial budgets are presented the Tuesday following a throne speech.

[Tetsuo]

I used to hate David Eby back during the olympics but he's now one of my favorite parts of this BC GreeNDP government.

Ron.