Things that make me go hmmm:
The first line of the news release sounded pretty ominous.
“While inflation and housing prices continue to skyrocket, the figures from the Second Quarterly Report (Q2) show that the NDP’s deficit numbers were wildly inaccurate, missing their deficit forecast by $8 billion year-to-date, largely due to increased tax revenue from British Columbians,” screamed the BC Liberal news release last week.
Sounds bad, doesn’t it. The only problem is the NDP deficit numbers were off in a good way, not a bad way.
“Based on data until the end of September, B.C.’s deficit is projected at $1.7 billion – a substantial reduction from the $9.7-billion deficit originally estimated at Budget 2021, and the $4.8-billion deficit predicted in the First Quarterly Report,” reads the government news release.
Soooooo … we’re not in the hole as bad as we thought we were going to be and that’s a bad thing? Apparently.
Let’s not forget, of course, that when they were in power, the BC Liberals mastered the art of under-estimating revenue at budget time in order to be able to spring good (or at least better than expected) financial news on everyone later in the year, complete with a plenty of boasting about how good they are at managing our money. It’s good to see the NDP government are doing things differently by … hold on a minute.
• • •
It took Prime Minister Justin Trudeau almost a week to come to B.C. and tour the flood-ravaged Lower Mainland. Some say he should have been there sooner.
The waters were still rising when we were treated to images of Trudeau happily waving to whoever was there as he jumped on a plane for a confab with U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
One would think the atmospheric river would have meant ‘surf’s up’ at Tofino (ouch … too soon?).
• • •
Speaking of speaking while the water was still rising. The water literally was still rising when the Liberals issued a press release blaming the NDP government for not being prepared for the floods. It’s true, we really weren’t prepared for the floods, but I don’t think anything would have been different had we elected a different government last year.
• • •
And speaking of the Liberals, who will they choose as their next leader? Probably Kevin Falcon.
Who should they choose? For my money (of which there isn’t much) Michael Lee or Ellis Ross would be better picks.
Michael Lee was the probably the best candidate in the mix last time around, when they picked Andrew Wilkinson. Lee hasn’t changed that much and is still the best candidate in the mix this time around.
Ellis Ross would also be a good pick. He’s got a heck of a lot more going for himself than enabling the woke-folks to tick a box because he’s Indigenous. He’s outspoken and speaks well. He’s got solid cred as a leader prior to entering provincial politics. And he’s from rural B.C.
But, the Liberals will likely choose Falcon, even though he’s a throwback to the Christy Clark era. He hails from the Lower Mainland where provincial elections are won and lost and where the Liberals need to make up ground.