Clark/BC Libs cost taxpayers 40 million

[maryjane48]

British Columbian taxpayers will be on the hook for $40 million to clean up the worst mining spill in Canadian history and the company responsible has once again escaped criminal charges after a private prosecution was dismissed this week.

In August 2014 the 40-metre-high tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine near Williams Lake collapsed, sending 25-million cubic metres of contaminated sludge and mine waste sweeping into lakes and rivers — but no charges have been laid and no fines have been levied against Imperial Metals, the parent company of Mount Polley Mining Corp.

Since 2005, Mount Polley Mining Corp and Imperial Metals Corp have donated $195,010 to British Columbia’s ruling B.C. Liberal party.

“The key message to Canadians is Tweet: “This was the biggest mining spill in Canadian history and there have been zero sanctions and zero fines.” http://bit.ly/2nvYua8 #MtPolleythis was the biggest mining spill in Canadian history and there have been zero sanctions and zero fines, and certainly that’s not because of lack of evidence of damage to the environment,” said Ugo Lapointe, Mining Watch Canada’s program coordinator.

Mining Watch had launched a private prosecution of Imperial Metals and the B.C. government, alleging violations of the Fisheries Act — but federal government lawyers blocked that prosecution on Monday, arguing for a stay of proceedings as there are ongoing investigations by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The stay of proceedings and lack of government action is frustrating as there is a three-year statute of limitations on some offences, Lapointe said.

“This sets the wrong standards and sends the wrong signal to industry and other mines across Canada. It further undermines public confidence in the mining sector and erodes peoples’ trust in the ability of our regulatory system to effectively protect our environment,” he said.

Mining Watch is seeking costs and considering whether to take the case to a higher court, but public pressure is the best weapon and British Columbians should be asking politicians whether charges will be laid and demanding an explanation for the delay, Lapointe said.


well the taxpay outs just keep adding up . 100 million plus for losing courtcase .20 some billion for unneeded dam rcmp investigations . being sued for breaking a pension aggrement ect ect .


time to vote out the corrupt bclibs

[Jonrox]

They also cost us having to give back $1 billion to the Feds by letting voters decide the fate of he HST. This $40 million is nothing compared to their bad judgement on letting us make such an important decision.

[gordon_as]

Title of thread is misleading. Clark / Libs have cost us a lot more than that.
Just for starters , here is another 43 Million:
Recently released documents show that Clark's government sold off 150 hectares of land in Port Coquitlam for $43 million BELOW the appraised value, all in the effort to make a quick buck to produce her "balanced budget" for the 2013/2014 fiscal year.
One lot that was appraised at $5.6 million sold for just $100,000. Worse still is the fact they sold this discounted land to a Liberal party donor. Favoritism anyone?

[Jonrox]

They're still getting my vote. The other options are infinitely worse. I just hope they learned their lesson not to leave important economic decisions up to the public to decide.

[gordon_as]

Oh , here's some more :
our government is going to "sell" Nestle B.C. water for a whopping $2.25 for a MILLION litres.
They don't face restrictions on how much water they can take, even during water shortages.


Could literally spend the entire day digging up instances where the Libs made a deal that was bad for the taxpayer , but good for someone , or some corporation that they wanted to benefit.

Bottom line , they are supposed to represent the province and the taxpayers , but they only look after their political interests.

Time for them to go away. For good this time , don't just come back with a different name on the same group of crooks.

[maryjane48]

They're still getting my vote. The other options are infinitely worse. I just hope they learned their lesson not to leave important economic decisions up to the public to decide.

how can anything be worse than ćorruption and incompetance ? go drink some the water from the spill and if you live consider it luck

[gordon_as]

I wonder how much these have cost taxpayers :

30,000 forestry jobs lost
MSP rates up 24% in 5 years
Hydro rates up 30% in 6 years
ICBC rates up 36% ( meanwhile , libs skimming money off Hydro and ICBC and putting it in general revenue )
Ferry rates nearly doubled under Libs
Camping : doubled
Tuitions : some doubled , some tripled

Times of India award show : 9.5 million
5 Million handling the health ministry firings scandal
1/2 million for Christy's private jet
1 million for photographers and videographer

Libs spend $15 million upgrading the Queen of Chilliwack , then sell it to a Liberal insider for $2 Million

BC Debt grew from 30 Billion to 67 Billion under the Libs , and they don't want to talk about the other 102 Billion in contractual obligations.

Sold the fast ferries to an insider for 19 million when there were offers of 70 million made.

I could go on , and on , and on. I haven't even touched on BC Rail , Or the Olympics , or Sea to Sky Highway , or a lousy deal with petronas for LNG , or BC Place redevelopment , or the Mount Poley mine disaster.

[maryjane48]

please go on .

[The Green Barbarian]

please go on .

and also tell us who else we should vote for, without a vote split that allows the NDP, a party that is even worse than the BC Liberals, to gain power. If that happens, we all suffer.

[gordon_as]

^^ well , there's a unbiased , nonpartisan opinion , that's sure to convince people who are already on Christy's cheerleading team

[gordon_as]

please go on .

2009 - libs claimed $495 million deficit before the election. Turned out to actually be $ 4 BILLION after the election.
2013 - Quick wins scheme , Libs conspired to use taxpayer $$ to drum up Liberal votes in key ethnic communities
2009 - BC place project suposed to cost $ 365 Million , ends up costing $ 565 Million ( not including law suits )

IPP contracts - where Hydro is forced to buy power at above market price , even when they don't need it

BC Rail - you might want to google this one , to find out how many ways this stinking pile of feces deal cost the taxpayer
untold hundreds of millions of dollars , including $6 million to keep two corrupt Liberals out of jail.

[Merry]

There is no doubt in my mind that the Liberal Government is corrupt. As with all Governments, being in power for too long tends to lead to a sense of entitlement, particularly when they think there is no serious competition for the job.

On the other hand, the NDP is too easily swayed by the more radical elements of their Party, leading to fears that their policies will decimate the economy and cost many folks to lose their jobs.

A third Party that has a decent chance of winning would be nice, but at the moment no such Party exists.

So what's a voter to do? It's a real dilemma.

If the NDP would oust it's more radical environmental element, they'd definitely get my vote. But until that happens, I'll probably vote Liberal.

[The Green Barbarian]

^^ well , there's a unbiased , nonpartisan opinion , that's sure to convince people who are already on Christy's cheerleading team

It's a "biased" opinion, in that I've seen what the NDP has to offer, and it's endless suffering and corrupt government/union collusion at the expense of BC taxpayers. People shouldn't need to be convinced to not vote NDP, they should just know that its a vote for corrupt bumbling incompetents, and not even consider them a viable option. So that's why, when someone starts complaining about the BC Liberals, I ask the question - who else is there to vote for, and why would they be better? Just answer the question. Please.

[gordon_as]

I choose to NOT vote for 4 more years of Liberal corruption. The notion that there is no one else to vote for is just a laughable
paragraph out of the Christy cheerleaders playbook. Who's better than a corrupt government you ask ? ANYONE

Your personal opinion that the NDP was worse doesn't really constitute a valid substantial argument.
Tell us how and why they were. Go ahead , try to convince me.

[The Green Barbarian]

Your personal opinion that the NDP was worse doesn't really constitute a valid substantial argument.
Tell us how and why they were. Go ahead , try to convince me.

1998 - Glenn Clark and Adrian Dix plunge BC into a billion dollar nightmare with a secret back-room deal with the BCTF. I don't need to know anymore than that. The NDP is a disease.

Now try and convince me that the NDP is worth my vote and will be better than what we have now. Because that's what parties that are trying to take over have to do. And just spouting about Liberal corruption isn't going to do it. The NDP is worse, and that's why they keep losing election after election.