[Scape]

Who's behind the nasty “VoteSmartBC” campaign, and why you can't take them seriously

Quote:

VoteSmartBC is the latest tool of Phil Hochstein, a well-known anti-union contractor on the far right of the BC political spectrum.

Hochstein's organization — the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association — is a lobby group that supports the BC Liberals so that:

* wages can be kept as low as possible,
* laws protecting workers can be kept as weak as possible, and
* contractors can make as much money as possible by taking advantage of the previous two points.

Why you can't take them seriously

Far from being an “independent” group, the ICBA are big financial backers of Gordon Campbell's Liberals. Since 1996, Hochstein and the ICBA have donated over $325,000 to the BC Liberal Party. Individuals and member companies of the ICBA have donated even more.

Hochstein was one of the select few Campbell insiders invited to the Liberal Leader's Invitational Golf Tournament. The tournament is one of the party's most profitable fundraisers.

Hochstein recently admitted to spending at least $500,000 in this latest anti-NDP campaign leading up to the May 12th provincial election.

“Hochstein is aiming for similar saturation coverage between now and then. He said the ICBA has budgeted $500,000 to $600,000 for the campaign. He promised to spend right up to the limit during the period spending limits are in place — "$149,500," he says. So the bulk of the campaign will take place in the next two weeks.”
(Leyne, “Why it's time to retire the election gag law”,
Times Colonist, Page A14, 31-Jan-2009)

The ICBA will benefit financially from the re-election of the Campbell government through continued low-wage policies and weak employment laws. This is about looking out for Phil Hochstein's bank account, not yours.

What's more, Hochstein is a vocal advocate for many far right ideas:

* private delivery of water, bus, health care, education and other public services
(CBC, January 14, 2002)
* bringing in temporary foreign workers at low wages to build projects like the RAV line
(Times Colonist, May 4, 2007)
* government tearing up contracts with BC's health unions (The Province, June 12, 2007)
* building housing on farm land in the Agricultural Land Reserve (Vancouver Sun, December 11, 2006)
* supporting privatization and P3 construction projects where public dollars guarantee private profit
(Public Eye Online, March 25, 2008)

With the ICBA and the Campbell Liberals, ordinary people in BC will continue to pay more and get less.

I'm still not going to vote NDP.

[ridenrain]

It's sad that the BC-NDP are so toxic that no one can take them serious.

[GoBC]

It's even sadder that so many people BELIEVE all the Liberal BS being propagated by the likes of Hochstein, the Fraser Institute, most BC media...

I'll take a group of so-called "toxins" over the current group of liars and thieves any day!

[Scape]

meh, I don't believe in the tripe being peddled I just have zero faith in the NDP leadership. That is if you could call it that.

[xerxes]

Same here.

[Sapio]

What people in BC are crying out for is another party, with a change of winning any thing. We need a third party almost as bad as the US does.

[GoBC]

Unfortunately the only "other" choices are fringe parties like Marijuana, CHP, Green and the like, whose only purpose is to steal votes away from the Opposition.
I agree the NDP needs stronger leadership, if they don't win the next election it WILL happen.

[Hyack]

Another party needed in BC......Hmmmm

Quote:

Since the Rhinoceros party's dissolution, a number of independent election candidates have informally claimed the Rhinoceros Party label even though the party itself no longer existed. There have also been a number of unsuccessful attempts to revive the Rhinos as a legally incorporated political party. In 2001, Brian "Godzilla" Salmi, tried to revive the Rhinoceros Party to contest the British Columbia provincial election. Only two of their candidates (Liar Liar in Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Helvis in Vancouver-Burrard) appeared on the ballots, as the party claimed the $1000 candidate registration fee was a financial hardship.

Rhin on .....

[GoBC]

Phil Hochstein is just another Liberal hack. A campaign contributor with plenty to gain from another term of Campbell and Co.

[Sapio]

Sapio wrote:

What people in BC are crying out for is another party, with a change of winning any thing. We need a third party almost as bad as the US does.

A third party that is not just a fridge party, but one that could be sits.

[sandorski]

BC is almost as singular politically as Alberta. Every 20ish years we give the NDP a kick at the can as we look for a new Pro-Business party to replace the previous one that grew corrupt. In 10 more years the NDP mmight have a chance, but they'll never get my Vote.