And you Gordon Campbell had 7 years of unprecedented worldwide economic boom.
That was the thought that crossed my mind as I watched Gordon Campbell as he sought to misdirect attention from his governments glaring economic errors and mismanagement by calling up the ghost of NDP governments past.
Of course, given the performance of the Liberal government during its two terms in office, it is hardly surprising that Mr. Campbell does not want voters to examine this record of ineffectiveness; preferring to run against an insubstantial bogeyman conjured out of shadowy memories of NDP governments past.
Seven years of worldwide economic boom during which Mr Campbell and his Liberals managed to increased the numbers of homeless; increased the numbers of those living in poverty; maintained BC’s damning distinction of having more children living in poverty six years in a row; increased the numbers of full time working poor who cannot afford to live in the city’s they work in.
When the Liberals became the government BC had the highest minimum wage; BC now has the lowest minimum wage in Canada and the highest cost of living.
The wealthy however made out like bandits thanks to Mr. Campbell whose government oversaw a transfer of wealth to the wealthy from all other British Columbians as Mr. Campbell decreased progressive taxes and replaced them with regressive taxes.
Mr. Campbell and his merry band of Liberals: Robbing from the poor to give to the rich.
Mr. Campbell has overseen the continued deterioration, begun under the NDP, of the public school system. Universities in BC are forced to test incoming high school graduates to see what level of remedial classes are required to bring students up to an acceptable level of competency.
And in an apparent attempt to ensure the continuation of the Liberal government the Liberals have acted to maximize the number of BC voters who lack the literacy skills to read and understand the government’s actions and the actual state the province is in by attacking Public Libraries by withholding funding.
In keeping with their less government ideology the Liberals have turned the BC medical system into a bureaucratic quagmire into which billions of dollars, along with a growing list of medical services, have disappear. Mr. Campbell’s “leadership” has resulted in a medical delivery system that is unsustainable and that, without raising billions in new tax dollars to feed its voracious appetite, will be forced to continue to shed programs and services to balance its budgets.
Massive cost overruns (the convention centre); going with the flashy and most expensive options rather than the most cost effective (Sky Train rather than light rail); decisions made on ideology rather than the best long term interests of the province (sale of BC Rail); salary levels in government and government corporations that are overly generous and out of line with results achieved by those receiving these extravagant wages – at the same time the government strives to hold down wage levels for working BC citizens.
Given the lack of integrity and judgement repeatedly demonstrated by Mr. Campbell’s Liberal government it is hardly surprising that the government is focused on serving the needs of those who have, will or could contribute to their winning re-election, rather than the needs of those British Columbians who truly need help just to survive.
If they cannot contribute to the Liberals continuing in power, why should the Liberal Party make any effort to understand the reality of life in BC, not only for the addicted, mentally ill, homeless and poor BC citizens, but for the increasing numbers of citizens who are scrambling to avoid joining the ranks of homeless and poor?
Be very clear – when Mr. Campbell says we do not have the funds or cannot afford to address the social issues and ills in BC what he is truly saying is that these are not a priority for him; unlike his own salary and gold-plated retirement plan.
Ironically, despite Mr. Campbell’s finger pointing, the NDP government left the province’s finances in better shape heading into the last economic downturn than the Liberal government left the province’s finances heading into the current economic downturn.
The true irony and insult to integrity is that Mr. Campbell and the Liberals began their government complaining about the NDP withholding information and misleading voters about the true state of affairs in BC. The outpouring of bad news since the recent provincial election shows that when it comes to withholding information and misleading voters the difference between Mr. Campbell’s government and the NDP is that the Liberals covered-up well enough to get re-elected.
And isn’t that the hallmark of a successful politician theses days?