I would not be a lawyer today but for the fact that Harry Rankin wrote a letter recommending me to the UBC School of Law and hired me as his articling law student way back in 1983. One of Harry’s insightful reflections was that we have a legal system not a justice system. The story…
Category: Vancouver
Chrystia Freeland’s Bugdet – Will it Save Her Boss?
On April 16, 2024, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland delivered the 2024 federal budget. What most political observers have failed to realize is that this budget will determine much, much more than simply the federal government’s spending priorities for the next year. This is really an election budget. It is filled full of progressive initiatives. Touted…
ALERT – Danger Ahead
If the polling numbers released on April 11, 2024 by Abacus Data hold until next year’s federal election, Canada is in trouble. According to Abacus, if an election were held today, 44% of committed voters would vote for Pierre Poilievre and his Conservative party. In a distant second place at only 24% is Justin Trudeau…
Big Hope in Little Mountain
On Thursday April 4th, 2024, members of the NDP Vancouver-Little Mountain riding association held a nomination meeting to select a candidate to replace retiring NDP MLA George Heyman. There were two candidates on the ballot: OneCity Vancouver Councillor Christine Boyle and former Vision Vancouver City Councillor Andrea Reimer. Reimer began her political career in 2002…
Vancouver’s Truant Mayor Not Worth the Money
As of February 28, 2024, Vancouver’s absentee mayor, Ken Sim, has missed 222 votes out of 777 City Council votes since being sworn in on November 7, 2022. This appears to be an unfortunate pattern with ABC City Councillors. The most absent was ABC’s Rebecca Bligh, who missed 290 votes. Third in line was ABC’s…
BC Budget 2024
Premier David Eby brought down his government’s budget on February 22, 2024. This will be his last budget before the provincial election this October and it is by far one of the best budgets the NDP has ever produced. Here are just a few of the highlights: Financial benefits included: a one-time 25% increase to…
Life and Death of Navalny
On Friday February 16, 2024, Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service announced the death of Alexei Navalny. For Russians yearning for a more democratic system of government and to end state corruption, this was devastating news. Navalny died in a prison colony in the town of Kharp, which is north of the Arctic Circle — an area…