Politics in BC begins a new term!

I am back, having been looking for work, excitement and change. It was a journey of personal searching and I think I got somewhere.

Now back to what you are use to seeing here...

And so is the BC Legislature. The zoo as many see it as. Gordon Campbell and his BC Liberal government are about to deliver the speech from the throne in the next hour or so. It will be a different place for the BC Liberals. They have run amuck for four years in the chamber and that is about to change. No more all nighters with just two NDP MLA's pushing back.

The Liberals of course still have a good majority government, they will still do what they like in the house. The difference this time is they will be under a great deal more scrutiny. The NDP have a solid opposition bench. They will have enough members on committees to make a difference, they will have enough people to challenge legislation and staff to do the research and support their efforts. Democracy has returned to BC, at least in part.

Gordon Campbell will be trying to chart a different course in public. The original course will continue, more privatization, more access to government by developers, investors and captains of industry and commerce.

The Liberals will have a new frosting on the cake, underneath they still have Rich Coleman BC's former Solicitor General or chief advocate for the status quo with BC's police forces. He now has Forests and Housing. I cannot imagine what he will do here. He had better watch it, Bob Simpson, MLA for Cariboo North understands forestry and the industry. Bob I am predicting to be a standout. The government signs all over BC telling us about the mountain pine beetle certainly don't cut it.

And just how are the BC Liberals going to meet the needs of ever increasing costs of construction. With mega projects cropping up everywhere one has to wonder what the Olympics, Rav Line, Vancouver Convention Centre, Port Mann, and other major highway projects will cost.

Teachers are about to get whacked on the head, Doctors want a pay increase, public sector workers have had 3 years with no increases and Health and community workers saw wages cut between 4 and 15%. All of these folks are up for new contracts most expire in March 2006.

The last bit of stuff soon to hit the Liberals is the BC Rail deal. This will be in the courts again as the Campbell's squad managed to get it all delayed beyond the last election. Funny how that happens for some governments and not others.

Do any of you recall the legislation that tore up public sector contracts, especially in health? The Liberals will soon be defending the legislation in the Supreme Court of Canada as the court agreed earlier this year to hear an appeal from some of BC's biggest unions.