Matthew Reed - BC NDP

[steven lloyd]

Wow.

[Homeownertoo]

I think it is the "carry-overs and similarities" that have a lot of people worried.

Bingo!

It may not be so much the carry-overs as the carry-over philosophy, which is what determines how another NDP gov't would govern.

[steven lloyd]

I think it is the "carry-overs and similarities" that have a lot of people worried.

Bingo!

It may not be so much the carry-overs as the carry-over philosophy, which is what determines how another NDP gov't would govern.

Slightly off-topic here (and I hope everyone will forgive me), but in my search for an alternative manner to vote (other than criminal Liberals under Campbell or incompetent NDP under James) I briefly considered the BC Conservatives. Certainly I am uncomfortable with the right-wing extremism they are trying to disguise as "grassroots', and I had pretty much already dismissed them as a viable alternative (in spite of the fact I agreed with some of their platform), but when our local candidate started taliking about our accountability to God that was a done deal.

[damngrumpy]

In this election I have to believe there is a chance to get rid of the Campbell Liberals who are not
liberals at all. The greens demonstrated by their leader are not in any position to govern anything,
the conservatives are really a very strange group, something far right of anything we have seen before, in fact I think they are further right than the old Christian Heritage Party. or are they still
around as well. The NDP while not perfect, are the only viable alternative to the Liberals in this
province. Under Carol Jame they at least have some integrity. They are not about to sell off the
holdings owned by the people, as would the liberals and they are not about to engage in witch hunts, lol, as the Theological new conservatives, and we won't have to eat berries in the woods if
the greens got elected. Of course I am joking, the only real alternative to the current bunch
in Victoria is Carol James and the NDP. There have been elections when I had to hold my nose and
vote, this time I can do it comfortably. Al, this time could be your time to hold your nose and vote
for change, You know it would not be good for this province if Campbell gets another four years to
destroy our grandchildren's future.

[Russell - Winfield]

The NDP Economic Record in the 1990s:

* The NDP came into office in 1991 on a promise of fiscal discipline, low taxes and economic stability. The actual results looked far different:

* After saying they wouldn’t raise taxes during the 1991 election campaign, the NDP raised taxes by nearly $2 billion in their first two years. As a result, by 1994 B.C. had the highest marginal income tax rates in North America.

* From 1994 onward, B.C.’s economic growth performed below the national average nearly every single year. By 1998, B.C. had the worst economy in the country.

* The NDP brought in EIGHT consecutive deficit budgets and doubled the province’s debt. They introduced five debt-management plans over eight years, and missed every single target. As a result, they received two credit rating downgrades during their time in office.

* The total operating debt – the debt accrued through spending on government operations – doubled to over $12 billion in 2000/01. This resulted in a $3.8 billion "structural deficit" left by the NDP in 2001.

* Between 1992 and 2000 B.C. ranked last in private-sector job creation per capita in the country, and suffered the highest unemployment rate of all the Western provinces nearly every year. The unemployment rate reached 10.2 per cent under the NDP with record high unemployment for women and youth.

* Under the NDP, Real Disposable Income dropped every year between 1991 and 1997, and didn’t even return to 1991 levels until 2001.

* Under the 1990s NDP, thousands of British Columbians fled the province. In their last three years of government (1998 to 2000), B.C. lost nearly 45,000 people to other provinces.

Wow.

Typical NDP, same thing under Dave Barrett in 1972-1975.

[Captain Awesome]

A coalition of B.C. business groups denounced NDP Leader Carole James on Tuesday and called the party's economic platform a disaster for small business in the province.

The long-term impact of the NDP's economic plan will mean higher costs for entrepreneurs, higher prices for consumers and fewer jobs, said the coalition's John Winter, whose group comprises organizations representing hotels, restaurants, homebuilders and retailers.

"I think people do have to ask themselves why is it that no major employer in British Columbia have supported the NDP," said Campbell, who made a campaign stop at Electronic Arts, a video game developer and publisher, in Burnaby.

[Russell - Winfield]

Matthew, I have a couple of questions. In the 90's the NDP governed the province till the year 2000, and accumulated a total provincial debt of approximately $ 21 Billion dollars, and at that time in history, the province received Federal transfer payments, due to our provicial " have not status" here in Canada.

Now under the BC Liberals the exploding Provincial Debt is $ 47 Billion dollars, plus Campbell has contracted out to private companies $ 55 Billion dollars in government contracts, over the next four years. And then theirs the unknown cost of the Olympics, pegged by leading economists from anywhere between $ 2 Billion and $ 5 Billion dollars.


What's your party's plan to deal with the BC Liberals fiscal mismanagement of our Province, how are you going to deal with the Olympics, the Provincial Debt of $ 47 Billion dollars, and the $ 55 Billion dollars over four years that the Campbell government has already committed to, and has already signed legally binding contracts on contraversial BC Liberal private mega projects.

Thanks, Russ

[eyepop]

.. but when our local candidate started taliking about our accountability to God that was a done deal.

to what?

[Freefalling]

Matthew, I have a couple of questions. In the 90's the NDP governed the province till the year 2000, and accumulated a total provincial debt of approximately $ 21 Billion dollars, and at that time in history, the province received Federal transfer payments, due to our provicial " have not status" here in Canada.

Now under the BC Liberals the exploding Provincial Debt is $ 47 Billion dollars, plus Campbell has contracted out to private companies $ 55 Billion dollars in government contracts, over the next four years. And then theirs the unknown cost of the Olympics, pegged by leading economists from anywhere between $ 2 Billion and $ 5 Billion dollars.


What's your party's plan to deal with the BC Liberals fiscal mismanagement of our Province, how are you going to deal with the Olympics, the Provincial Debt of $ 47 Billion dollars, and the $ 55 Billion dollars over four years that the Campbell government has already committed to, and has already signed legally binding contracts on contraversial BC Liberal private mega projects.

Thanks, Russ

Your numbers are off, your totally bonkers, why are you lying? Why are you on here? This forum is only for what Alan Clarke's campaign calls "disenchanted Liberal and Socialist political junkies, that do nothing but complain, and add negativity to politics in general"....

[steven lloyd]

.. but when our local candidate started taliking about our accountability to God that was a done deal.

to what?

That's what he said. We had to be accountable to God. I think many people here are or would be pretty uncomfortable with that idea. What if your idea of God is completely different than mine? What if your idea of God is that there is no God? The BC Conservatives might be wanting to pass themselves off as a grassroots movement but that doesn't sound too grasssroots to me (unless there's been some significant hidden growth in the Christian Fundalmentalist movement that no one's aware of). The last thing we need in government is even more ideological extremism than we already currently have.

[90Son]

Hi Matthew, I just say you at the Lake Country Forum and I have to say I found you the most impressive of all the Candidates, you spoke eluqountly and breathed life in to another wise dull ( well other than Alan Clarke's...) campaign and forum.

Unfortunately I was unable to get there in time to enter a question and to my disappointment there wasn't really anything much about Education that got brought up. So I was hoping You could answer my Question

As a First time 18 year old voter why should I vote for you and your party? What will the NDP do to ensure and improve the quality of post-secondary? Foir that matter of all levels of education.

[Rwede]

I think it is the "carry-overs and similarities" that have a lot of people worried.

Bingo!

Yikes! Using the word "Bingo!" around NDPers conjures up images of corruption and kickback schemes!

[grumpydigger]

All the political party's have had their BINGO moments...... the lieberals have had more then their share

[steven lloyd]

Yikes! Using the word "Bingo!" around NDPers conjures up images of corruption and kickback schemes!

Yup, big deals made over small potatoes when compared to the corruption, massive cost over-runs, insider trading and kickback schemes that the Liberals are currently being investigated for - running well into the hundreds of thousands (and even multiple millions when referring to their boondoggles).

[Matthew Reed]

Post Secondary Education:

Tuition Freeze: Local tuition has gone up by 250% in 8 years. I paid $856 for 5 classes and 4 labs in 97'
Grants: Restore the large amount of funding that was just recently cut.
Trades: Focus on training, retention and new jobs in the shifting green economy.
Tech: Invest in technology as innovation is our future.


Debt:

The only way to deal with such a debt load is to manage it over time. It would help to not sell off any more resources in ways that do not benefit the taxpayer.