The hypocrisy of the BC Liberals always astounds me – they truly have zero moral high ground over anyone in the legislature on pretty much every single issue.
But the faux moral outrage and drama they have concocted over ” foreign funded intervention in BC energy projects” takes the cake.
Seeing Ellis Ross and Shirley Bond and others go on and on about foreign donations and funding derailing policy right now, IS so hypocritical and cunning. Why? Because the BC Liberals came under fire prior to the last election, for refusing to stop taking foreign donations. Slow clap, hand them all an Oscar for that performance.
This was the BC Liberals in 2017
“British Columbia’s governing Liberal Party routinely accepts significant donations from foreign interests – a practice that is banned in many other Canadian jurisdictions. The party’s overflowing campaign war chest includes cash from offshore oil and gas companies, European pharmaceutical companies and Beijing investment firms.
British Columbia has no residency requirement for political contributions from individuals or companies, but provincial Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said Thursday in an interview with The Globe and Mail that it’s an issue “worth keeping an eye on.”…
…”It’s not something we are proposing to do at the moment. I don’t think it’s a big influence in B.C. politics”
Among the donations the BC Liberals accepted were ones from state ownedChinese companies, and Petronas who is a partner in LNG Canada.
Huh. Imagine that.
This is the BC Liberals NOW… in 2020
As a gas pipeline protest camp continued to grow in front of the B.C. legislature Wednesday, Skeena MLA Ellis Ross called on the NDP government to end a “coordinated assault on the Canadian economy” financed by U.S. charitable foundations.
I’m told but haven’t the time to look, that Sandy Garossino has debunked this on Twitter. A couple of ENGO’S have formally reacted to it, detailing how inaccurate their specific claims to their organizations were.
Seriously, how do the BC Liberals expect anyone to take them seriously? It’s bad enough they turned a blind eye to money laundering ( a post on the Cullen Commission and Rich Colemans mouthiness there, soon), but now they are outraged over foreign money in BC politics? They used to LOVE foreign money as evidenced by the donations they accepted. Even then Justice minister Suzanne Anton didn’t object. And that went on for years.
If one wants to really look how foreign money influences Canadian politics in ways average people dont see, just look at the amount of foreign companies using foreign funds to pay for lobbyists to meet directly with elected officials and government staff all the time.
Specifically to influence policy and legislation that’s favourable to them That’s why the Lobbyist Registry exists, to give an illusions of transparency.
And yet I dont hear the BC Liberals complaining about that either.
The truth is foreign funds and foreign companies have influenced our politicians, economy and policy for years. Especially when it comes to oil and gas policy. But not one of these hypocrites will mention that because ita “different” when they don’t.
And I have yet to see any reporter ask them why their stance on this has suddenly changed.
Westcoast Views with Laila Yuile 
Charlie Smith is at it again.
Imagine anyone criticizing the libs on a few maths discrepancies? For sure if a smaller number offends a lib then it is a far larger number than a far smaller number they want to rave about..
https://www.straight.com/news/1365846/andy-capp-wilkinson-selectively-beats-drum-about-foreign-funding
“The Fossil Fuel Party—oops, I mean the B.C. Liberals—are accusing the B.C. NDP government of turning a blind eye to foreign funding of environmental groups.”
“Opposition Leader Andy “CAPP” Wilkinson* says this “serious issue of foreign interference in politics and elections has been making headlines for years now”.”
“It’s a hoary old chestnut invariably brought up by climate-change minimizers whenever the oil and gas industry is put on the defensive.”
“The Fossil Fuel Party, ahem, B.C. Liberals, are making hay out of five U.S.-based organizations having advanced $4.2 million to six Canadian groups that purportedly “support blockades”.”
“The Fossil Fuel Party B.C. Liberals make no mention, naturally, of the magnitude of foreign investment in the Coastal GasLink pipeline.”
“This means that reporters who read the statement won’t be reminded that New York-based investment giant KKR recently joined forces with Alberta Investment Management Corporation to buy 65 percent of the $6.6-billion Coastal GasLink project.”
“That pipeline, which crosses traditional and unceded Wet’suwet’en territory, is part of a $40-billion private sector liquefied natural gas infrastructure project led by Royal Dutch Shell. It’s a fossil-fuel behemoth based in the Netherlands.”
* Credit must go to Martyn Brown, former chief of staff to ex-B.C. Liberal premier Gordon Campbell, for bestowing the “Andy CAPP” nickname on the Opposition leader.
Impressive logic, these liberals..
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Yep
Here is Sandy’s fine thread just passed on. https://mobile.twitter.com/Garossino/status/1233480521113456640
Someone do ask those Liberals when exactly they became so worried about foreign money in BC!!!
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Awesome to see you Laila, still holding the sleazy bclibs to account. In fact I tweeted today how much bclibs loved their foreign donations for their election.
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Aww hi Sue 🙂 I will always hold the Libs to account when the public needs reminders why they are in opposition. Rod MacIsaac,Paige,Nick Lang,Alex https://lailayuile.com/2017/02/06/not-forgotten-how-many-children-must-die-before-someone-takes-responsibility/. and so many more.
I don’t blog with any consistency anymore, but the NDP are in government and so I have been holding them to account on the files they have continued along the BC Lib path on, primarily energy and mines, and education. Horgan and his inner circle of ministers have continued some terrible decisions and directions that really impact all British Columbians.
But that doesn’t mean forgetting what and why so many worked to put the Liberals in opposition. Especially Rich Coleman, Mary Polak and others who truly need to be put out to pasture.
I missed you and hope you are well. It makes me smile just seeing your name 🙂
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the dinosaur party?
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At least the dinosaurs are extinct!!
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You did mention Ellis Ross above? Well he’s sure some busy BC lib trooper.
On Evan Solomon’s program he faced off against female academic, Pam Palmater, in debate.
Well, actually perhaps it wasn’t actually what you’d call a debate.
See for yourself.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/power-play-faceoff-debating-the-lng-pipeline-through-wet-suwet-en-land-1.4827495
Also seen under-performing?
Our PM and BC’s Premier are not doing well in public approval polls. Not after their attempts to explain the urgency of achieving True Reconciliation.
The public perception problem? At the same time as our leaders congratulate themselves for being Very Progressive – BC has degraded what UNDRIP means in BC Law. In Ottawa the libs have decided to delay voting to allow UNDRIP. Neither qualifies as a good faith gesture. Thus making everything worse. Is it a surprise that recent polls reflect mistrust not approval.
For Mr Trudeau…
https://vancouversun.com/news/one-thing-canadians-arent-divided-on-blaming-the-government-for-the-blockades/wcm/6317eadb-4848-42cb-a9e9-815b190b2bde
For Mr Horgan..
https://vancouversun.com/opinion/vaughn-palmer-polls-slam-horgan-for-dubious-handling-of-pipeline-protests-blockades
Finally there’s a BC whistleblower, a former negotiator, who wrote a letter which appeared in The Times Colonist. An expanded version appeared as a CBC column
Pick one.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/treaty-negotiator-letter-wetsuweten-1.5469932
https://canada-news.org/vancouver/former-treaty-negotiator-accuses-b-c-government-of-picking-their-indians-in-wetsuweten-conflict/
“Domney said the current situation has largely unfolded because government has “picked their Indians” to move the project ahead (it’s a phrase he credits to the late Nuu-chah-nulth leader George Watts). “
“That being said, Domney said he’s not surprised that band governments would go ahead and sign agreements. “
“”When you are a First Nation politician responsible for taking care of your people, trapped on a reserve in abject poverty under the Indian Act after generations of oppression, and underfunded for statutory obligations by the federal government, when a corporation waves money under your nose, it’s a big temptation,” he wrote in his open letter.”
But not to worry, Mr Ross has been very active in important media…
https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/canadians-are-realizing-foreign-groups-sabotaged-our-energy-economy-for-no-good-reason
https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/canadians-are-realizing-foreign-groups-sabotaged-our-energy-economy-for-no-good-reason
https://globalnews.ca/news/6579183/ellis-ross-wetsuweten-blockade/
https://globalnews.ca/video/6607071/bc-mla-elis-ross-on-indigenous-economic-development
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Ellis Ross was a boorish ass in that interview and it was very revealing I think, how he talked down and over his opponent.
Ironically, Crystal Smith, Haisla chief summed up exactly how the provincial and federal governments failed Indigenous peoples in a quote from an article recently, about the agreement her community signed with TC energy, who is building the pipeline:
” They offer the solution to social issues that no other entity, no other political body, no other government has been able to do for our people…”
It isn’t any wonder the provincial and federal governments are so eager for this. TC energy aka Transcanada Energy aka Coastal Gaslink, took the pressure off of both levels of government to do the hard work for reconciliation. Truth bomb there.
Except they have erred tremendously in siding only with nations who signed agreements,some who are not in full support but signed non disclosure agreements,and essentially ignoring everyone else.
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Without story confirmation or their own follow up article, The Tyee’s “Reported Elsewhere”
links to Vice story about the RCMP.
A story about which contemporary issues? Several.
Here are two summaries with different outcomes.
1/
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/g5xwn4/rcmp-pensions-are-invested-in-controversial-gas-pipeline-owner
“The board that oversees RCMP pension funds has invested in the owner of the Coastal GasLink pipeline—and experts say it is a conflict of interest in light of the Canada-wide standoffs between police and pipeline opponents.”
“Montreal-based Public Sector Pension Investment Board is a crown corporation that manages billions of dollars in retirement pension fund investments for the RCMP, the Canadian Forces, the Reserve Force, and the federal public service.”
“The $12.1 billion RCMP pension account is invested in a range of industries, including 4.5 percent in the global natural resource industry. Each year, PSP Investments receives millions more in transfers from the Canadian government toward pension accounts, with the goal of increasing that amount through investments.”
“Earlier this month, PSP Investments reported ownership of CAD $106,899,441 worth of shares in TC Energy, also known as TransCanada Corporation—owner of the controversial CGL natural gas pipeline.”
“While TC Energy announced last December that it was selling off a 65 percent stake in the Coastal GasLink pipeline to the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) and private equity firm KKR, the company will be contracted to build and operate the pipeline.”
“Experts in the fossil fuel economy say that the connection between the RCMP and the CGL pipeline is too close for comfort.”
““There is a definite conflict of interest,” said James Rowe, associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Victoria. “This pipeline is literally in the material interest of the retirement security of the RCMP.””
“Rowe explained that the conflict is not a direct one, because individual RCMP members likely aren’t aware of where their pension is invested.”
“December 2019 financial reports indicate that PSP is also invested in a wide variety of natural resource corporations, including Suncor and Kinder Morgan.”
“Rowe said that pension plan capital is a powerful player on the world market, and many of these funds are invested heavily in oil and gas. It’s not unusual for pension funds, or any investment, to rely on fossil fuel companies—though some organizations, such as the union BCGEU, are looking to divesting.”
The Vice link to the 2016 BCGEU divestment?
2/
https://thetyee.ca/News/2016/03/02/Union-Dumped-Fossil-Fuels/
“We needed to divest from these if we wanted to preserve the value of those equities,” he said. “We did that very rapidly because we didn’t want to risk losing further in the market.” “(Finch emphasized that he was speaking as BCGEU treasurer and not in his role as a trustee of two pension funds, which haven’t divested.)””
“The union then worked with its investment manager to create a Canadian equity investment fund without any oil, gas or pipeline holdings.”
““Our concern was economic,” Finch said. “We considered it as being in the best financial interests of our membership.”
““And it worked out brilliantly for us. When a lot of people’s equities took major hits… what we found was that our equities performed well above the alpha.””
“Divestment activists have been pushing universities, government pension plans, churches and corporations to shed their investments in the oil and gas sector on ethical grounds.”
“But Peter Chapman, executive director of the Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE), said some major investors who have committed to limiting global temperature increases to two degrees Celsius are looking at the issue pragmatically.”
““The goal for pension funds and other institutional investors isn’t divestment — it’s managing the risk of climate change,” he said. “If any institutional investor, pension fund, or endowment fund recognizes that climate is a risk, then they need to address it.””
If the Vice story is correct, who got their pension fund investment strategy right?
The BCGEU?
Or the RCMP, the Canadian Forces, the Reserve Force, and the federal public service who stand to lose millions when, or if, the government’s taxpayer subsidized fossil fuel mania ends?
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