Matthew Reed - BC NDP

[ixler8]

That won't happen in our life time , the USA would not like that and would stop trading with us . Although we don't like their gun laws. Its not legal to smoke in Jamaica , only in the rasta churchs.

[damngrumpy]

I don't think the NDP is anti business at all, as a farmer I am a small business person and I support
most of what the party stands for. As someone who is socially progressive and fiscally conservative
I believe the intent of the NDP is to make sure that business is responsible to communities from
which the make their profit. That is not anti business, it is in fact good business from a legislative
standpoiPnt. As for union involvement, the unions do not in fact control the NDP, yes teh labour
movement has a voice on issues within the party but not control.
Most people do not realize there is more positions and more debate within the New Democrats than with any other party. New Democrats have a definite right left and centre and sometimes all those
opinions get in the way of policy decisions. But that is how democracy functions

[CarMa]

The NDP in my eyes are pro unions (BCTF , nurses )

Well, I can't see anything in their platform that is pro-union; certainly not pro-teacher union. So I wouldn't worry about that.

[ixler8]

Then why is the BCTF hacking so hard on old Gordo ? Also I've noticed that all of the NDP ads are negitive ads offering no solution , just negitive. Just vote for me cause Gordo's bad.

[Freefalling]

I've noticed that all of the NDP ads are negitive ads offering no solution , just negitive. Just vote for me cause Gordo's bad.

I agree! And if you listen to the BC Conservatives...they are using the same rhetoric! The question is not "What have the BC Liberals done wrong to you", its "what can we do for you to make it right"...

[issueman]

The real surprise at the Joe Rich All Candidates meeting was the performance of Kelly Hayes.
Only 4 questions were asked in the whole 2 hour evening.
he refused B.C. ambulance service questions.
Then he got into arguments as to how to answer the 4 questions during and after the meeting.
And was quite rude to some of those attending.
Most undignified for a regional director!

[Matthew Reed]

Ah Joe Rich, that was fun.

How about that candidate that slammed his hand down on the table when pointing out that the Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals added about $15 Billion to BC's debt in just 8 years.

That is about a 40% a year more than the New Democrats. The BC Liberals can not manage BC's
economy and the workers lives that are at stake.

Matthew Reed

[Matthew Reed]

1 year tax holiday for small businesses

The tax holiday is to save businesses today so that they can operate tomorrow.

The most damaging time of this recession is the following 8-12 months.

No matter what Gordon Campbell offers as a long term plan it will not help
businesses today. As a successful business owner this policy is 1 of 2 reasons
I choose to run for the New Democrats.

Matthew Reed - New Democrat - Kelowna-Lake Country
http://matthewreed.bcndp.ca/

[Al Czervic]

Ah Joe Rich, that was fun.

How about that candidate that slammed his hand down on the table when pointing out that the Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals added about $15 Billion to BC's debt in just 8 years.

That is about a 40% a year more than the New Democrats. The BC Liberals can not manage BC's
economy and the workers lives that are at stake.

Matthew Reed

Actually this absolutely untrue. BC’s total debt in 1991 when the NDP was first elected stood at $ 17.3 BILLION. When the NDP were thrown out of office in 2001 BC’s total Debt had doubled to $ 33.8 BILLION. Your friends in the NDP added close to $ 17 BILLION in new DEBT !

Further the total BC debt as noted by the BC Auditor General in the Public Accounts record for 2008 is just $ 34.6 BILLION. Your claims are completely false and untrue and I strongly suggest you take the time to read the Report of the Auditor General of British Columbia on the Summary of Provincial Debt, Key indicators of Provincial Debt, and summary of Performance Measures as prepared by BC Auditor General John Doyle.

It is truly embarrassing that as a candidate you would not spend even 15 minutes to read up on current BC DEBT reports before making such irresponsible and inaccurate comments. Small wonder why the NDP always add so much debt; you have no grasp on the subject at all.

[Al Czervic]

1 year tax holiday for small businesses

The tax holiday is to save businesses today so that they can operate tomorrow.

The most damaging time of this recession is the following 8-12 months.

No matter what Gordon Campbell offers as a long term plan it will not help
businesses today. As a successful business owner this policy is 1 of 2 reasons
I choose to run for the New Democrats.

Matthew Reed - New Democrat - Kelowna-Lake Country
http://matthewreed.bcndp.ca/

But your own NDP Platform says the NDP will run BILLIONS in deficit for the first three years and only claim to “balance” the budget in year 4; the election year. Yet you offer “small business” a tax holiday for only one year? If small business only needs a one year tax break (according to the NDP) why does an NDP government need three years ?

[Freefalling]

WOW Matthew, one of the only candidates that takes the time to read these postings...and reply to them! Good on ya!

My question is simple really, because I don't know the details and I will admit this. Why does the NDP claim to environmentally conscious when they have voted down every green initiative set out by the BC Liberals? Is it just to disagree or is there some other reason? I mean not only the Carbon tax, but other plans as well?

Thanks!

[Matthew Reed]

I am very short on time so I can not give long answers, but in short.

1)

The unfairly rude person that needs not to slick personal mud

I believe it was closer to $20 Billion in 1991, but that is a moot point. And yes it is now just under $48 Billion, Al Clarke brought the new numbers from the BC Chamber of Commerce.

"embarrassing that as a candidate you would not spend even 15 minutes to read up on".....it is too bad that voters have can be so rude to people that are going out of their way to help the public. And again it is about $48 Billion as the Chamber would not send Al false doc's. Perhaps you need to apologize for your personal attack that is based on a false statement?


2)

The Business sector vs The forestry sector vs The Manufacturing sector all have different needs.

Tax Holiday:

The 1 year tax holiday is so that businesses can make it through the next 8-12 months as this is the real rough time. The remaining stimulus package will go towards making BC leader in innovative forestry products so that we can get our industry back on track.

The fact is we are losing jobs at the fastest rate in the country. Jobs or profit? What is more important to you, having a job so that your family can eat and have a roof over their head, or having lets say $5000 on your credit card?

With the job you can still pay off debt, with no job you go broke and everything is lost. BC is made up of British Columbian's, and that is who I serve.

3)

If the current carbon tax was a carbon tax and not just a gasoline tax I might feel different.

Gas Tax:

BC Liberals will raise it to nearly 8 cent in the next 2 1/2 years. However their
think tank recommends 24 cents.

Mr. Obama is planning a North American Cap and Trade system. If we create
our cap and trade system first BC will set the standard and not be forced to
comply when it becomes law.

Under the current gas tax a working tug boat in Vancouver pays tax on its fuel,
but an international based cruise ship is exempt. The same goes for a local
float plane versus a massive jumbo jet from Asia.

This tax is taxing school fleets, fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances but
not cruise ships, air liners and oil and gas flares. Even Texas and Alberta have
flaring rules, come on, seriously?

A cap and trade system will force big polluters to change their ways and the
profits made will go towards exceptional programs like Green Bonds.


4)

In response:

Darn rights I will be reading these. It is my job to listen to people, not be a jerk and only worry about my self and pat fellow New Democrats on the head for a job well done.




I respect EVERYONE here. Voltaire has a great quote you all might know, and I live by it.

However, I am being respectful and polite and I expect the same on this thread.

I will not tolerate aggression as the voters want answers. I will respond with factual answers but please no false statements as I am not dissing you. I represent a different view of political thought and I want everyone to feel comfortable on this thread.

As I said I have a lot on my plate so I will respond to real questions, but they will be brief.

Thank you for being involved and I thank you all for voting. "Just vote" is my shtick, I can not believe how many people do not vote.

Matt_





Matt_

[logicalview]

WOW Matthew, one of the only candidates that takes the time to read these postings...and reply to them! Good on ya!

Ditto.

Hey Mathew - the first sentence from your parties website before the Gordon Campbell bashing begins .....

These are difficult times for BC families. People are worried about their jobs and their savings. They're worried about the future for our children.

How does this statement reflect the NDP's concern about "families" and their "childern" when in black and white your party wants to increase taxes ie debt (or the NDP spin term "taxpayer supported debt" by $3,022,000,000.00 ($3.2 Billion) in just 2 years, above and beyond the liberals? Isn't that just plain screwing the "families" and "childern" that you are supposed to protect by indulging in some good ole socialist Robin Hoodism?

Why in earth would I vote for a party that wants to bleed an additional $3.2 Billion dollars out of our pockets - and on top of that prints that promise in black and white for all to see?

Why would I vote for a party that's focus is bashing rather than telling me what they are going to do to make life better for "families" and "childern"?

Compared to the 2009/10 Budget of the Campbell Liberals, the NDP plan will increase taxpayer supported debt by $1,465 million for the rest of this fiscal year and by $1,557 million in 2010/11. Based on government projections for gross domestic product, this will result in a debt to GDP ratio of 16% in this fiscal year and 16.5% next fiscal.

http://www.bcndp.ca/files/u108/BCNDP09_Platform_2009-_Final-April9_last3.pdf

BTW your tact in the newspapers and your response to this forum is quite refreshing. You certainly have some of the qualities that today's voter is interested in.

[Freefalling]

Thank you for your prompt response, and I agree, this forum should be used positively and proactively!

I have a little bit of a problem with attack ads stating that BC Liberals sold/will be selling off rivers. However, the BC Liberals are NOT giving away water rights "forever" as the NDP government did prior to 2001.

For instance, in 1997 the NDP gave Alcan a Final Water License that can, “at no time be cancelled.” In fact, it was the current BC Liberal government that ended that give-away-forever approach by amending section 12.2.2 of the Water Act in February 2004.

I am sure that you can remember the environmental destruction on fish, wildlife and First Nations in the area, where were the environmental and human rights standards? That scares me! Thousands of salmon dead, massively affecting wildlife and many First Nations were forced to leave their land and livelihoods.

So it seems to me that the NDP are condemning the BC Liberals for doing something that they themselves did on a grand scale?

Thank you again!

[Matthew Reed]

Our stimulus package is larger because anything less will not work, as demonstrated by BC having the highest job loss rate in Canada.

Gordo and the crew have added to the debt by an average of $1.9 Billion per year since 2001. Our package, which is over 3 years, over and above the Liberals is equal to about the same rate of debt creation seen by the Liberals. So it is close to the same level of debt creation, but we are just being open and honest about it.

Why vote New Democrat? The Liberal plan to stop job loss is not working ie highest rate of job loss in Canada, not too mention the highest rate of child poverty in Canada for 6 years in a row. Come on, 6 years in a row! No matter who you may vote for neglecting our children that much, for that long, is shameful and I believe child poverty should be a bigger issue. If our children are our future why are we leaving 1 in 4 behind. Yes that is right 1 in 4, shameful. I digress.

Our stimulus package will create over 150 000 jobs. We are going to put people back to work in green industries. What would you rather have debt and no job, or 5% more debt and a job that can pay it off? I think the answer is a no brainer. As a successful business owner I am running for the New Democrats because of this package, it will save and create jobs.

We are almost at depression level rates of job loss and GDP contraction. What is more important to you? People or Profits?


I will respond to the other question after a couple hours of door knocking.

Thanks for the questions and keep them coming in the straight forward no aggressive manner.


Blessings,

Matthew Reed
New Democrat
Kelowna - Lake Country



Oooooo, I forgot something very important. Even with our stimulus spending we will still have one of the lowest GDP to Debt ratios in Canada. It is really a very responsible package and everyone should read into it more. The Green Bonds are amazing, they are the most innovative financial investment tool BC has seen in over 30 years. The Liberals and the Greens have nothing that can protect the environment and create jobs as well as the New Democrats Green Bond program.