Tag: bcpoli

Do Christy Clark's boasts on job creation hold up? Nope. Nada. Not even close.

On Saturday, BC Premier Christy Clark spoke to her party’s convention in Whistler, B.C. During the speech, she mentioned several times that B.C. was leading the country when it came to job creation.

For example, as the Vancouver Sun‘s Jonathan Fowlie reported, Clark said, “I’m going to run on (being) number one in job creation.” The Globe‘s Gary Mason, reporting on the speech,wrote, “As expected, there was lots of talk about recent job-creation numbers that ranked B.C. first in the country.” Dirk Meissner of the Canadian Press wrote: “She [Clark] said B.C. has created 57,000 jobs over the last year, more than any other province in Canada.”

That last claim is demonstrably false and the others are pretty wobbly too. Continue reading Do Christy Clark's boasts on job creation hold up? Nope. Nada. Not even close.

Northern Gateway Pipeline opponents outnumber supporters, Abacus says

Did you see the latest poll from our friends at Abacus Data? Abacus finds:

  • B.C. Premier Christy Clark is getting a big thumbs up from Canadians outside Alberta for her stand against the Northern Gateway pipeline
  • More Canadians — again, outside Alberta — oppose the construction of a pipeline to ship Alberta crude to a northern B.C. port than support the project.
  • Outside Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, a majority of Canadians do not believe the oil sands in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan generate wealth for the rest of the country.

If you ask me, these findings add up to political trouble for Stephen Harper and federal Conservatives as well as Alison Redford and Alberta Progressive Conservatives who have pushed a pro-oil sands policy that includes support for the construction of the Northern Gateway pipeline.

Continue reading Northern Gateway Pipeline opponents outnumber supporters, Abacus says

Has it ever been so good to be a New Democrat?

I can’t think of a time in the party’s 50-year history when it’s likely  been more fun to be a New Democrat. And by “fun”, I mean holding the levers of power or being close to holding the levers of power. I realize there are some New Democrats who believe the federal party are becoming a bunch of vendus, that under Thomas Mulcair the party is ready to sacrifice its founding socialist principles just to form a government.

But I’ll leave that debate for the next NDP convention.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair in the House of Commons
YES, PRIME MINISTER? A new poll shows NDP leader Thomas Mulcair would be PM if a vote were held today. In this picture, he receives a standing ovation from his caucus during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa June 12, 2012.(REUTERS/Chris Wattie)

Continue reading Has it ever been so good to be a New Democrat?

Lousy poll numbers prompts B.C. Premier to slag pollster

Premiers Brad Wall and Alison Redford, of Saskatchewan and Alberta respectively, are the country’s most popular premiers, pollster Angus Reid says in a new survey.

At the other end of the scale are Nova Scotia’s Darrel Dexter — just 27 per cent approve of the way he’s doing his job — and B.C.’s Christy Clark – second lowest at 30%.

Continue reading Lousy poll numbers prompts B.C. Premier to slag pollster