MARK MACDONALD
BRITISH COLUMBIA – It wasn’t too many months ago when British Columbians – and specifically the province’s business community – was resigned to the fact the NDP would waltz into another term of power in Victoria.
In politics, however, that can seem like an eternity, and as things sit now and polls indicate, there’s a very real chance that the BC Conservatives can defeat the NDP on October 19 and form a free enterprise government.
Who would have thought? And the BC Conservatives, of all parties. BC United leader Kevin Falcon’s decision to fold the remnants of the former BC Liberals left only one major alternative to the NDP. Everyone recognizes that a divided non-NDP cause is doomed at the ballot box. Now, with one choice, it’s a toss-up.
It’s most interesting to hear NDP’s non-elected Premier David Eby begin to spout campaign promises that sound suspiciously like those of the Conservatives. Why he’s even suggesting they would get rid of the hated, economy-damaging Carbon Tax – if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agrees. There’s little to no chance of that happening, as Trudeau will never betray on his pet tax which has done absolutely nothing to change the weather, except strangle the economy which in a backhanded kind of way produces less carbon, as it’s not as busy as it has been.
Eby is promising to look into it, on a “trust me” basis, as in, if the NDP is re-elected. But can he be trusted? An NDP government cutting taxes? When has that happened, ever?
While those are Conservative platforms, they are anathema to socialists. The NDP’s rank and file supporters can only see tax relief as betrayal of one of their unofficial core values. They know no other way to raise revenue than to increase taxes. We’ve seen enough editions of NDP governments to know that is the only tool in their tool box.
The question also remains, if Eby is going to do that, plus introduce other tax rebates, why hasn’t he or the NDP done it yet? Why do voters feel this looks eerily similar to Lucy holding the football with Charlie Brown running in to kick it, yet again – before she yanks it away and he falls flat on his back?
More than a political party, the NDP is an ideological entity, a secular religion, some might think. Despite countless scandals, leadership failures and incompetence, no matter the jurisdiction, the NDP can still count on their one-third base to vote for them.
Particularly public sector unions. They recognize that an NDP government is their gravy train, and their future negotiations for wages and benefits stand an excellent chance of being successful when the political party they’ve supported with manpower and finances is on the other side of the bargaining table. It’s a well-oiled machine.
Public health care is in shambles and in dire need of a massive overhaul. Not a financial injection which the unions spout as the only solution, but a change in delivery of services, for the backlog in surgery wait lists and dearth of family physicians is at almost at epidemic levels.
Yet as soon as change is suggested, the public health unions scream “we don’t want U.S. health care”, deliberately misleading the masses with the suggestion that the only alternative to the failed Canadian system is the one below the 49th parallel. Meanwhile, almost three dozen countries in the world have public-private health programs that outperform Canada.
Then there’s the mess in the forest industry, as mill closures increase. And. And. And.
In our system, there is one opportunity to make change, and that is election day, and if free enterprisers get their wish, the NDP goes back to where it serves best, in opposition.
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Everyone says they want to solve the homeless crisis, and now there’s an entire “industry” set up to find a solution, yet no solution appears to be on the horizon. And why would there be, since the very advocates that derive their paycheques from claiming to help would be out of a job if they actually did.
There is a community on Vancouver Island that does not actually have a homeless crisis. Out of respect for what they’re doing, I’m not going to mention which city. But here’s why they don’t: They don’t provide services for the homeless. Because there are no services, free meals, housing, drug programs, the homeless don’t go there. Why would they?
Then this, out of Douglas County, south of Denver, where according to reports they’ve “nearly eradicated its own unhoused population with a simple message to its citizens: ‘Handouts don’t help’,” according to Fox News. They have “posted about 70 signs with that message at intersections and roadways that were once popular hangouts for area panhandlers”, with each sign directing people to www.douglashasheart.org, where they can donate to the Douglas County Community Foundation.
Now before another “homeless advocate” accuses others of being “heartless”, let’s ask those would-be questioners another question: Why don’t you open up your own home and front yard to the homeless? The answer, of course, would be no. It’s somebody else’s problem, and by that, they mean government, which means, really, that it will never get fixed.
Stopping providing services sounds cold, but perhaps some “tough love” will cause a lot of the homeless – who can actually look after themselves with a little encouragement – to realize there is no free ride, to change their situation. For those that won’t or can’t, then they can be looked after in institutional buildings that provide proper care.
Even the NDP, which exacerbated the problem by distributing free drugs, has realized the necessity of providing forced care for those who can’t or aren’t able to look after their own welfare.
Mark MacDonald is President of Communication Ink Media & Public Relations Ltd.: mark@communicationink.ca
