Updated with readers photos of their BC** I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy…. I AM saying it is going to be worth it. The future is yours if you rise to the challenge.

Posted on May 18, 2013 11:50 am by

DSC_06120033I grew up on moose meat, and the yearly fall hunt was as important as most city folk consider their tax refunds if they are so lucky. I’ve known the scent and feeling of hunting, of knowing what walked before you by the steam off  bear scat, or the water running down in  moose tracks. I know what it means and feels to have a direct connection to the cycle of the land around you.

Seeing the blossoms of huckleberries and knowing that if it is a rainy year, you might not get many because it is too cold for bee’s to pollinate. Knowing that bear use the same paths, sometimes for generations.That the bigger and higher the muskrats build their winter dens is a direct reflection of how hard that winter will be. That often nature is as scared of you, as you are of it. We are intruders to their world… they are not intruders in ours.

I love this province, as much as I love my four children.

It might sound corny to those who’ve grown up in the city, but I am as connected to this land by birthright as some are by status.

I have felt it, tasted it, lived in harmony with it and shared the bounty in a  reciprocal manner. Had I known as a child, what a gift my parents were giving me, I would have been much more appreciative. What I took for granted growing up, people are paying money for to experience now. Hunting, fishing, berry picking… you can pay for it… it’s so crazy to me … you can pay to connect with something real… or you can, as I have and many others still do… live it.

And that alarms me.

Far too many people have grown up in urban areas that have no connection to this land. It is certainly not their fault, but it certainly doesn’t help when it comes to ensuring good environmental policy, or sustainable resource policy. How many people are making policy in Victoria who’ve never stepped foot in the backwoods of Northern BC? How many people determining the best course of action for things like fracking, have had to rely on a clean, strong water supply that comes from a river to feed livestock, water crops..and sustain a family? You need to feel and experience what you come to treasure and protect.

However, I have incredible faith in Canadians, and British Columbians.

I now see urban men and women discovering the responsibility behind sustenance hunting. I see young men and women grasping and trying hard to reconnect with this land we live in. And in all of it, as a northern girl,  I see and feel hope for our future. I feel, without knowing or seeing, that the people will rise above whatever politics brings us and will fight for what we must protect for future generations.

Quite frankly, there is no other alternative left.

On the date Jack Layton passed, I saw, unknowing of his death, a shooting star brighter than I have seen in my entire life up north, or the coast, on my way home from a free concert in Whistler on my birthday.

And I cried when I read the news and time of his death the next morning.

I never met Jack, and it doesn’t matter if you agree with his policy or not, or even if you liked the man, because he had that special something that lifted people to the next level.He had that… ‘thing’.. that people felt and responded to, were drawn to.

He spoke from his heart, knowing what was to come for his own life, and I believe people inherently knew that his last words and thoughts, despite what controversy arose, were those of a man who saw the bigger picture. He tried to unite Canadians in a battle most had no clue we were even fighting.

I’ve received so many emails from all over the province from people shocked, angered and disillusioned from the recent election results. And I get that people need to absorb, grieve and then move forward.

I’m not even an NDP member, but hell, everyone has a limit. For a bit, even I wondered how the heck I would endure another 4  years of this shit.

I had to go back to my roots.

To Prince George, to my Nechako River, and my Fraser, and my night skies and coyote kills. It is who I am and no matter where I go, or what I do, that is me – in my heart, and in my soul.

I know, for so many of my readers, that is your heart as well, wherever you lay your head at night.

Now that I have lived on the coast for so many years, the sea and the soil here is my heart as well. We can’t turn our back on our agricultural needs any more than we can our roots. The soil here in the Fraser River delta is so rich in silt, in sediment carried down from our mountains, from decaying wild salmon that just laid eggs in a stream not adulterated by Independent power Projects blocking their way…

This circle of life both urban and rural British Columbians rely on, is who we are as a people. It connects north and south like blood when we enjoy our baby greens in  fancy restaurants in the West End…  and when we harvest our moose in the north to fill our freezer.

Herein lies the challenge.

Do the people down here in the lower mainland consider what the impact is of salmon never reaching their spawning grounds? Do they know what it means to find moose and deer riddled with tumours, inedible, because the ticks now over winter due to higher winter temperatures?That the sickness of those moose and deer has an impact on the food chain that trickles down to levels we might not even understand yet?

Do they know that smell in spring that tells you to start harvesting fiddleheads? Do they know the feeling of being such a small part of the universe that seeing the northern lights every night, and hearing coyote packs killing their dinner at dusk gives you?

That was, and is, my British Columbia.

Even now, in my urban, suburban home, I can smell the rain coming and where it comes from. I eat lettuce, now,grown and harvested mere miles from my home that tastes worlds  apart from the imports. My children embrace the rain, pick berries on the dykes, and know how precious it all is to us.We love the Canucks, even when they lose. I spent 6 hours on BC ferries to see The Tragically Hip sing Bobcaygeon ahead of schedule courtesy of a crew member on Vancouver Island.

I’ve  been broke. I’ve been flush. I’ve seen BC from top to bottom and there isn’t much I  wouldn’t endorse to anyone else looking to visit.

I think fighting for B.C is worth it. The greater good is bigger than any political agenda.

I’m not saying it is going to be easy… but I am saying it is going to be worth it.

The future is yours if you rise to the challenge. The only question is… will you?

This is my B.C.  You can Click on each photo for a larger view.

I welcome the photo’s of “your B.C”. as well.

Thank you to two of my favorite readers in Hixon BC, for sending these lovely photos of ” their BC”  ( yay! The best burgers in the world are in Hixon!)

And some more photos of our B.C from readers in the interior

And this fierce photo from David in Victoria… looks like two giant fiery eyes among the clouds…

Some stunning photos taken by Gordon Judd, who is married to my wonderful friend Priscilla Judd, who created a new Canadian anthem last year that was whisked around the country and garnered media attention. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmiHR_Ll88U  They live in Lumby BC, one of the most beautiful areas of the province.

And this exceptionally beautiful shot of a sea anemone in a tidal pool along the coast comes to us from Ken

Tide Pool Anenome_443

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And NVG sent this link to one of his incredible shots of a double rainbow over soaring peaks… WOW!

http://blogborgcollective.blogspot.ca/2011/12/convenant-similakmeen-valley.html

Posted in BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, BC Rail, Corruption, crime, Enbridge, forestry, Independent power projects, Laila Yuile, Laila Yuile Photography Portfolio, P3 projects in BC, The China Connection, The Environment | Tagged , , , , , | 48 Comments

“The man of thought who will not act is ineffective; the man of action who will not think is dangerous.” ~ Richard Nixon.

Posted on May 15, 2013 11:01 am by

When asked by Philip Till what the leaders needed to do in the last bit of the campaign on his show recently, I said Dix needed to get on his game and get aggressive if he wanted to win.In fact,I even remarked that I would have run the NDP campaign aggressively from day 1 and that aggressive doesn’t have to mean being nasty. Look at the definition.

1.characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing

2.making an all-out effort to win or succeed; competitive.

3.vigorously energetic, especially in the use of initiative and forcefulness

4.boldly assertive and forward; pushy:

Oddly enough,I had heard several pundits saying what a great campaign the NDP have been running prior to last night, when suddenly the truthful commentary started coming out that the campaign was poorly constructed, with which I have agreed and commented on several times, including in a column for 24Hrs Vancouver

The BC liberals have always had well-oiled, strategic campaigns,regardless of leadership.While no one could check Clark’s mouth or actions as well as they might have liked to, in the end it didn’t matter that she campaigned on outright fallacies, because the Dix camp was slowly killing themselves over in the corner being cautious and trying out a new way to do politics that clearly doesn’t work. They were not able to deliver a consistant,simple message to the voters over and over again on why they should vote for them, and not the Liberals.

Am I angry? Yes.

I’m the first to say I’m a complete newbie when it comes to running a campaign.I worked with independent Ross Buchanan in the Surrey election,and he was trounced, but I managed to get an unknown candidate with absolutely no name recognition some very good coverage in the major papers and radio time with very little money.And guess what? When you say the name Ross Buchanan in Surrey now, people know who he is. They know he took on the mayor on a fact based campaign that was as aggressive as we could make it. Yes we lost,but one man who was completely unknown now has name recognition.People know what he stands for, no question about it.  I would rather lose having fought a damn good fight and be proud of it, than lose by sitting back and opening the door for the enemy to come in and kill off your soldiers one by one. Which is kind of what happened in this election.

Here’s what I saw going wrong, for what it is worth.

There were two media interviews where Dix completely lost his composure when dealing with reporters. It was bad. If you can’t deal with aggressive reporters asking questions it conveys a bad message to those watching. Doesn’t matter if he doesn’t have much experience with that, he should have been coached and he should have practiced  because he did not know how to deal with it well.

The Kinder Morgan announcement was a killer for many – I would equate it to handing over a loaded weapon to your enemy. Didn’t matter when or if he actually made the decision earlier,fact is he didn’t share that with many people or the public so it came across as completely an election ploy to everyone who is not a die-hard NDP voter.

It is also an unfortunate reality that Dix did come with a lot of baggage via the memo, Moe Sihota and “the horrible 90′s”. I cringed when he said “I was 35..”  Seriously. 35 is not 19. Many people are married at 35, have kids, a mortgage etc, 35 is responsibility time, not excuse time. He should have simply stated he made a mistake and took responsibility.. and I would have added… “which is a lot more than the Liberals have done for all their mistakes.” Christy Clark refused to acknowledge her inaccurate statements during her campaign,even when the media proved they were wrong! Why give them ammunition? I just don’t get it.

Another thing that struck me was that in the effort to run a positive campaign,many NDP supporters were actually told to quiet down on social media. Big mistake. Huge mistake. They left themselves floundering and flailing as Bill Tieleman pointed out in his column today.

Dix backed himself into a corner with this entire positive,nice-nice, err on cautious theme. The Liberals provided so many moments for the NDP to gain real ground factually but again, the complacency for most of the campaign was stunning. And when Dix did begin fighting back it was just too late and it was then looking extremely hypocritical. Much like doing the ad buy of the 24hrs cover looked after mocking the Liberals for doing the same thing.

In hindsight, I suspect the NDP are kicking themselves for trying a” new way of doing politics” in such an important election. It didn’t work, and in fact as one of the fathers at my son’s school commented this morning “Dix didnt seem to want to fight for us, why would I vote for that? They couldn’t get it together! I want someone whose going to get tough when things get rough. Horgan would have done it.I’ll take my chances.”

Risky Dix? More like No-risk Dix to me. There is a good reason they call the heart of a campaign office ‘the war room’… a campaign at this level is indeed a battle to be won or lost… or in this case… given away.

The people in B.C. who actually turned up to vote took their chances, made their choice and it’s going to be an interesting 4 years. Christy Clark talked her way into the premiers office with an aggressive campaign that worked. Doesn’t matter if our new premier didn’t even win her own riding, nor that she didn’t know how to fill out a ballot.It didn’t even matter that very little that came out of her mouth was even true, the Liberals were able to get people to drink the Kool-aid and got their vote out. The NDP have a serious image issue to deal with, and a serious strategy issue.

For me, the desire to fight for what I believe in, is instinctual- but then again The Art of War is one of my favourite books. It’s been on my bedside table for over 15 years and I’ve read it many more times than that.

Perhaps I should lend it to the NDP.

Posted in BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, Laila Yuile | Tagged , , , | 143 Comments

This weeks column for 24Hrs Vancouver: Find the party that is accountable for its actions.

Posted on May 12, 2013 8:01 pm by

This week’s topic:

What is the most important factor voters should consider at the polls?

When Kathryn’s submission arrived in my email, it was clear that while we come from different positions on the political spectrum, she felt the same responsibility as I did. I was impressed with her thoughtful commentary. It’s both a privilege and a tremendous responsibility to share our opinions in a publication read by so many people the day before a provincial election.

With no lack of rhetoric and fear-mongering tossed back and forth between political opponents and supporters alike during this campaign, it can be confusing to determine what is fact or fiction. For me, it comes down to two factors when I vote: trust and accountability.

Read Kathryn Marshall’s column

A wise man once said that you should never believe someone who is in love, drunk or running for politics – pretty good advice when you look at past platform promises of the BC Liberals. The difference between what they promised, and what was actually delivered, is stark. They said the HST wasn’t on the radar before the last election, but that wasn’t actually true. Current leader Christy Clark has been called out in the media many times on misleading and inaccurate statements she’s made over and over in her campaign.

And when you look at the NDP, they campaigned against the carbon tax in the last election, while this time they support it. Dix said he was not going to take a stand on Kinder Morgan, using the principle of waiting for the process to play out. Then he took a stand during his campaign, pleasing many, but confusing others. Things like this do raise questions for many voters…

Read the rest of this weeks column at http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2013/05/12/find-the-party-that-is-accountable-for-its-actions

Posted in 24 hours Vancouver The Duel, BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, Laila Yuile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

One of the best graphic images: The Election Web ( would the person who created this contact me for due credit?)

Posted on May 12, 2013 1:34 pm by

I started getting hits from this link today, and would love to both share it with all of you:

http://www.thewebworks.bc.ca/bcpoli/htmlwebs/the_election_web_v1.0.htm

I would  really love to hear from whoever created this amazing web that tells a story so much better than even my 100+ Reasons the BC Liberals need to Go. It’s quite stunning! email me or let me know in the comments section below!

Posted in BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, BC Rail, Corruption, crime, Enbridge, Federal politics, forestry, Independent power projects, Laila Yuile, P3 projects in BC, The China Connection, The Environment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

“There has always been, and there is now, a profound conflict of interest between the people and the government…” ~ Howard Zinn

Posted on May 11, 2013 7:02 pm by

theyworkforusOn the eve of what is most likely going to be a change in government in this province, one would think that I would be exceptionally excited about all of it. After all, I’ve spent many years researching and writing stories on the current Liberal government, holding them to account.

Sadly, over the last two years I’ve come to the realization that electoral change is desperately needed for any form of real democracy to exist in this province, and a big part of that change must come from with the parties themselves.

As we near the date of the upcoming election when voters will go to the polls to choose the candidate they believe will represent them in the legislature, I wonder: do they consider how well that person will be able to do that? Do they consider whether or not the party that candidate is a part of, truly allows each MLA a free vote?

Do they think about how they would feel if they discovered their MLA voted in favour of something that was not in the interests of their riding…because if he didn’t he might be disciplined for it? Or perhaps even worse, politically shunned and ignored, in essence persona non grata?

As I sat and watched the new documentary Whipped, by Sean Holman, where he speaks with several former MLA’s about their experiences with party discipline, at one point I actually found myself in tears. I can’t explain it. They just started rolling down my cheeks. I was just so mad, so disappointed, so disillusioned.. and I felt very bad for the many voters who were cheated of representation because of it. I wondered how those same voters would feel, watching their former MLA speak so honestly, and with remorse, about not being able to represent them the way they deserved.

It’s a fact that many political parties will discipline those MLA’s who do not vote with the party line. Sean Holman addressed this in an open letter he wrote to first time political candidates, published on the Huffington Post:

As you may have heard, MLAs belonging to both the BC NDP and the BC Liberal Party are usually required to vote the party line.

In fact, I’ve discovered, out of the 32,328 votes cast between June 2001 and April 2012, just 80 or 0.25 percent were cast by MLAs voting against their own party.

That means a party with a majority can essentially do whatever it wants in the legislature — so much so that last time a government bill was defeated was 1953, the same year Joseph Stalin died. But those numbers also suggest, as one former MLA told me, “There’s got to be times — random chance if nothing else — that some of us actually disagree with what we’re voting on.”

It’s a position, if you’re elected, you could find yourself in.

The reason that’s tolerated is MLAs are supposed to have a chance to discuss the public’s business in private before coming out with a position each has agreed to uphold. But, because of cabinet and caucus confidentiality, British Columbians really don’t know if those secret debates are actually taking place.

Your party leaders and campaign handlers, of course, would know. They might not feel comfortable talking to you about this subject. But if you come to the première of my documentary, you’ll discover such discussions sometimes don’t take place.

For example, another former MLA told me he found out about a major government decision just 45 minutes before it was announced. That decision went against the interests of his constituents. Nevertheless, he said, “I have to be there in the legislature, pounding on my desk, smiling.”

” … the decision went against the interests of his constituents.”  It makes you wonder what you were elected for when you can’t speak up without consequence for the interests of your  constituents. It is, without a doubt, a profound conflict of interest between the people and the government.

When I first wrote about the première of Whipped,it was clear by the discussion that followed in the comment section, that it’s a very contentious issue that many people in the Liberal and NDP party don’t want to talk about… or want to change. But it’s a discussion that needs to be had and this moment is the perfect time to start the dialogue, as you consider your choices at the polls. There will be many things you might consider when making your choice at the polls- this is definitely one of items I will be considering.  Solid,independent candidates are becoming an increasingly attractive choice for many voters who are tired of party politics.

Remember the HST? Those Liberal MLA’s who supported the HST – and their party – over their own constituents demands, may pay the price for towing the party line in a few short days. Would your MLA stand up for you? Would you even know it, if he or she did not?

Whipped is replete with self-reflection and regrets, and a testament to the illusion of democracy as we perceive it. When you consider that 99.75% of votes cast in the BC legislature followed the party line.. it might be time to do some self-reflection of your own right now… to avoid having your own regrets later on.

Posted in BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, BC Rail, Corruption, crime, Enbridge, Federal politics, forestry, Independent power projects, Laila Yuile, The China Connection, The Environment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 46 Comments

BC Liberal members decline and ignore requests for interview with leading LGBT blogger and advocate as ‘too risky’.

Posted on May 7, 2013 1:02 pm by

News today that Liberal MLA Mary Polak’s campaign manager has  resigned over anti- gay comments might surprise some, but not many in the LGBT community in BC.

The entire story brings to light the issue of lesbian,gay, bi and transgender rights in the province, and why for many youth and adults, this is still a big issue to be addressed by the families first, anti-bullying Liberal party.

CBC is reporting that Todd Hauptman  resigned because:

“ …the very base of voters who will likely help Mary get re-elected in just one-week’s time are made up of individuals who hold hateful attitudes towards the community I am a part of.

“It is knowing this that I simply cannot in good conscience support a campaign made-up of people who think of me as less of a person because I am gay. It is for these reasons that — after considerable thought and deliberation — I have decided to step down from Mary’s campaign effective immediately.”

Mary Polak was well known for her role in trying to ban books depicting same sex parents  from the Surrey school system.

Following this story today, I spoke with Brian Webb, Mr. Gay Canada 2012 People’s Choice, and owner/ editor of www.mywebbsite.ca, and he had this to say about Hauptman’s resignation:

“The BC Liberal Party has had 12 years to secure equal rights for all British Columbians and to protect youth.

Today’s announcement of Todd’s resignation is unfortunate and a clear sign of the BC Liberals lack of commitment to LGBT issues.

I’ve offered the BC Liberal party multiple interview opportunities to clarify their position and they have declined, citing it is ‘too risky’. LGBT and bullying  should not be a risky discussion for any political party.”

Brian has been a strong advocate for LGBT rights and anti-bullying initiatives in the province, and is one of the biggest independent LGBT bloggers in Canada.

spencer

While Spencer Chandra Hebert of the BCNDP took time recently to speak with Webb, along with Alberta premier Alison Redford, the BC Liberals have declined or ignored all requests, Brian told allisonme:

“I have been in contact with members of the BC Liberal party for months now with multiple interview requests, and they have all been ignored or been declined, citing it’s ‘too risky’ to do an interview with an LGBT blogger.”

Kind of gives an entirely new twist to Christy Clarks Pink Shirt day, doesn’t it?

Posted in 24 hours Vancouver The Duel, BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, Federal politics, Laila Yuile | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Just an opinion from a “retired Businessman who lives in the Greater Victoria Region.”

Posted on May 7, 2013 12:02 pm by

Gwyn Morgan, a “retired Businessman who lives in the Greater Victoria Region.”, penned an article in the Alberni Valley News yesterday. http://www.albernivalleynews.com/opinion/206277021.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_156711017836202_280258_157028854471085#f6ac7ecd047de

Here is an excerpt:

We also need to focus on balancing the provincial budget, rather than taking money away from social programs to fund rising interest costs. Forty years of experience in business has taught me that too much debt is crippling. It scares me that the NDP has rolled out billions of dollars in new spending during this campaign, and their “every dollar is accounted for” rhetoric just isn’t credible because their anti-development attitude will reduce revenue at the same time as spending rises.

There is truth to the adage, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The NDP came to power in 1991 and governed the rest of that decade. Investment dried up and economic growth trailed the rest of Canada. A low point came when the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce thanked the B.C. government for driving growth investment in Alberta.  Glenn Clark’s 1996-1999 tenure was arguably the most disastrous for B.C. and with Adrian Dix, Premier Clark’s former Chief of staff leading the province, I’d be very worried about history repeating itself.

It took many years for the Liberals to repair the damage.  During their time in government, North America suffered through a major recession and yet we now have a triple-A credit rating, higher than the U.S. government, allowing B.C. taxpayers the lowest possible interest rates.

Have the Liberals done everything right? Certainly not. The introduction of the HST by the Campbell government was badly handled. There have been other gaffes and ill thought out policies. And while there is a natural inclination for people to vote to change long governing parties, it’s important not to let the NDP sleepwalk to victory without thinking about which party is likely to create jobs and not burden today’s young people with a mountain of debt.

Well how wonderful of Mr. Gwyn Morgan, “retired businessman”, to share his concern for BC with the lovely people of the Alberni Valley and elsewhere, thank you to the internet. So altruistic.

It’s too bad that the editor didn’t identify Mr. Morgan as the soon to be former chair of the Board of SNC Lavalin - who has many existing and new contracts with the BC government.

Or point out that Gwyn Morgan was the founder and former president of EnCana, who has given extensively to the BC Liberals and makes a lot of money in BC.

Or that he himself supported Christy Clark financially in her leadership campaign…or that Gwyn Morgan even acted as a transition advisor to Christy Clark when she became premier of BC.

That might have put a bit of a different spin on his concern, don’t you think? In fact, it is a bit of a fracking joke if you ask me…

http://lailayuile.com/2013/02/11/friends-helping-friends-the-story-of-how-the-bc-liberal-snclavalin-connection-persists-with-christy-clark/

Posted in BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, Corruption, crime, Federal politics, Laila Yuile, P3 projects in BC, The China Connection, The Environment | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

This weeks column for 24Hrs Vancouver: Tackling child poverty essential to fixing broken school system

Posted on May 6, 2013 7:15 am by

This week, Kathryn and I debated the education platforms of the BC Liberals and the BC NDP. ( would have been nice to debate all the platforms,but column space simply wouldn’t allow such a large overview- we have to choose a focus for each column)

Whose platform for education is more effective: the BC Liberals or BC NDP?

Nelson Mandela once said education is the most powerful weapon to change the world. It’s too bad that for the past 10 years in this province, education has taken a back seat thanks to the BC Liberals. Under this leadership, we’ve seen overcrowded schools, unmanageable classroom compositions, and even cuts to adult and skills training programs.

Quite frankly, when I read the BC Liberal platform on education, I found myself wondering how they expect voters can believe any of it, considering how little attention the “Families First” leadership of Christy Clark has given them. Through the years, they’ve cut funding to parent advisory councils and special needs programs. They repeatedly broke their own legislation on class sizes. In many urban locations, valuable outdoor space and school fields that are essential to physical education are disappearing under a sea of portable classrooms.

Read Kathryn Marshall’s column

Education and related initiatives, particular in the early years, pay solid dividends later on in our communities and our economy, so making education work for every student in the province must be a priority. On that front, the BC NDP have made firm commitments that tell me they have closely examined the issues that matter most.

What stands out for me in the NDP platform is the recognition that 30% of children entering kindergarten do not meet core, developmental benchmarks. In many cases, this is directly related to the appalling level of childhood poverty in what appears to the world to be a highly modernized and developed province. In my opinion, the current level of childhood poverty directly reflects the priorities of the current government…

 

Read the rest of this column,here http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2013/05/05/tackling-child-poverty-essential-to-fixing-broken-school-system

And while you are here, why not scroll down and check out the updated 100+ reasons the BC Liberals need to go, or scroll down further and learn about Christy Clarks auto accident settlement.. just weeks before the election.

Posted in 24 hours Vancouver The Duel, BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, Laila Yuile | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

My response to Gordon Wilson’s endorsement of Christy Clark? The updated list of 100+ reasons the BC Liberals need to go

Posted on May 5, 2013 10:28 pm by

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in BC politics…. well… you have a surprise on the evening news like we all had tonight.

I’ve rushed to get this done and there is more to come – right now my fingers are numb and my eyes are crossing and twitching from being parked at this computer so long.

Enjoy, share, reflect.

http://lailayuile.com/100-reasons-the-bc-liberals-must-go/

Photo credit: The Canadian Press

Photo credit: The Canadian Press

Posted in BC Liberals, BC NDP, BC Politics, BC Rail, Corruption, crime, Laila Yuile | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

From 24Hrs Vancouver : Clark ( Clarke) settles accident claim out of court.

Posted on May 2, 2013 10:23 pm by

clarksunA long-standing Supreme Court lawsuit naming B.C. Premier Christy Clark as a defendant was settled out of court just weeks prior to the upcoming provincial election, 24 hours has learned.

A statement of claim for an accident that took place in 2008 alleged the plaintiff in the case was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Clark, then a CKNW radio talk-show host. Mark Marissen, Clark’s ex-husband, was also named in the action as the leaseholder of the vehicle, along with Volvo Canada.

Court documents show Christine Joan Clarke and Mark Allan Marissen admitted in the course of legal discussions that Clark did hit the car, but disputed the injuries of the plaintiff among other items. It was countered that the plaintiff was also negligent and contributed to any resulting injuries suffered from the accident. Court staff confirmed the defendant was Christy Clark in 2011, when the story was first reported because of a difference in the spelling of her name on the documents.

In the statement of claim, Clarks name is spelled Clarke, not Clark.

The documents also show the defence had requested a trial by jury, scheduled for May 27 prior to the adjournment dated April 8.

When contacted by phone, counsel for Clark had no comment, while counsel for the plaintiff did confirm a settlement had been reached with no further details.

Earlier this week, Clark came under strong criticism when the Vancouver Sun revealed she drove through a red light with her son and a reporter in the car. Clark initially made light of the infraction when questioned by a Global reporter and apologized the next day, saying her actions were wrong.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2013/05/02/bc-premier-settles-vehicle-accident-claim-out-of-court

And on the national site at http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/archives/sunnews/battlegroundbc/2013/05/20130502-215158.html

(The background to this story was first published here on my site at this link: http://lailayuile.com/2011/09/08/as-if-christy-didnt-have-enough-troubles-already/  )

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