Into all lives certain less-than-pleasant tasks fall. High on the list of such things for me is income taxes. I am probably in the minority saying I don’t mind paying them, but I’m pretty sure I’m in the majority saying I hate preparing them, or in my case preparing the information to give to someone who actually knows how to prepare taxes.
In all my years of higher education, a course on income tax was the closest I ever came to earning a failing grade. I’m certain throwing myself on the mercy of the prof had something to do with eking out a passing grade.
From conversations with other folks around Tiny Town, it seems wrestling with elections is a less-than-pleasant task for quite a few of you. As a political junkie, I don’t understand why that is. As a realist, I fully understand. For much of our collective lives, political leaders seem to have done everything they can possibly do to make us skeptical, yes even cynical, about too many of those who haunt the halls of power.
But time is up for the, “I don’t know who/what I support,” fence-sitters. Time for some tough decision-making.
In this riding, you have three choices. As a person who is frequently paralyzed by too many choices, I think it’s safe to say all of us can pick one out of three possibilities. Eenie, meenie, miney, no mo. Easier than the pea-under-the-shell game.
So what would the future look like if your vote was the only vote and the future came to pass based on just your one vote?
An Election in Three Acts
Act I—Conservative government
Welcome to British Columbia; we’re open for business. New life has been breathed into our forestry industry by doing away with the old-fashion stumpage charge. Instead, there’s a new value-added, end-product tax. Unfortunately, as soon as the stumpage fee was dropped, our largest export market, the U.S., imposed a crushing tariff on B.C. lumber, claiming the new value-added tax actually amounted to a large subsidy to the industry. But we’re sure that’ll work out in the end. Trump will see to that. What? He’s the king of tariffs?
No matter, we are rip-roaring in the mining business, precious metals, critical minerals, gold, copper, all of it. We’ve streamlined the approval process for new mines. Part of that was to get rid of those annoying First Nations roadblocks by repealing the province’s support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Unfortunately, that’s wound up in court, along with all of our new mining permits. But we’re sure the heartfelt efforts we’re taking towards clarity and transparency in our consultations with First Nations will pave the way for new prosperity. If only they didn’t hate us.
While we’ve had to moderate our expectations for the Rustad Rebate—$3,000 tax breaks for renters and many homeowners—and dial back some of our planned expansion of home care, long-term care and general health-care access and support, it’s not our fault. The fiscal condition of the province under the NDP was worse than we thought. Cutting the health-care budget didn’t help. Neither did eliminating the carbon tax before we ran the numbers.
But we’ve been 100-per-cent successful in eliminating the carbon tax. Axed! And we’re not wasting time developing a climate policy we don’t need.
We’ve eliminated that subversive SOGI 123 from the province’s schools. You won’t have to worry about our teachers calling your little Johnnie Joanie or they behind your back anymore. You are what you are and you don’t have to look any further than your anatomy to figure that out.
And rest assured, we’re working on the other promises. Promise.
Chances of this riding being represented in a Conservative government: Slim.
Act II—NDP government
What you’ve seen is what you’re going to get until the next election. The current government has been recognized as a leader in actually trying to do something about the housing “crisis.” We’ve certainly seen that in Whistler, most recently with the announced funding totalling $40 million for the next, large WDC/WHA building in Cheakamus—a $27.3-million low-interest-rate construction and mortgage loan and a $12.7-million forgivable grant.
Other housing initiatives include the Homes for People plan—read, Bank of Mom & Dad for people who don’t have one—where the government will pony up 40 per cent of the purchase price of a new home, secured by a second mortgage to be repaid, along with a share of the appreciation when owners sell or in 25 years. And the grudgingly received plan to allow three- and four-plexes on single-family home sites.
The gains in health-care will continue to chug along, more docs, more nurses, more and expanded hospitals. It may seem like forever, but the province has the second shortest wait times for knee—looking at you skiers—and hip replacements. Still not great, but better.
Across this riding, childcare costs have been cut to about half of what they were. Far from universal $10-per-day childcare, but helpful with the burgeoning baby boom in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton.
An imperfect but tangible climate change action plan continues to make some progress in reining in, if not reducing, the province’s GHG emissions.
We’ll likely see improving relations with First Nations. The recent negotiation recognizing the Haida Nation’s title rights to the lands of Haida Gwaii was groundbreaking. It built on the province’s Land Act, which recognizes negotiation of aboriginal claims is vastly preferable to litigation... something various governments haven’t fared very well at for decades.
Chances of this riding being represented in an NDP government: Very Good.
Act III—A Green Gover...
Oh, get real. There will never be a Green government in B.C. The best the Greens can hope for is actually being a recognized, official party after this election... and that only takes two elected MLAs.
And even then, it’ll be a solo, duet or even possibly trio of people shouting at clouds.
So there ya go. A choice of three. A civic duty to engage. A chance to shape the government that’ll run this asylum for the next few years. Make an informed decision or do a rock-paper-scissors elimination. No, don’t do that. Make an informed decision. Decide what’s in your best interests, the best interests of your town, riding and province.
Caution: Oct. 19 is closer than it appears.
