News for Youse: Liberals criticized for secrecy, a boost for Broadway, and the Canucks lose another one

Liberals survive budget vote  The B.C. Liberals passed a vote on the budget by a healthy margin yesterday (March 5), despite the embattled party’s majority thinner than it’s been in more than a decade. Forty-five MLAs voted in favour and 38 against. Notably absent from the legislature was Liberal MLA Kash Heed, who has voiced disapproval of the Liberal’s “Multicultural Strategic Outreach Plan.”

Government criticized for secrecy  An "oral government" is the latest catchphrase to trouble the B.C. Liberals. A report by the province's Information and Privacy Commissioner has criticized the government of Christy Clark for a significant increase in “no responsive records” replies to information requests. The privacy commissioner has recommended that changes be made to B.C.’s freedom of information laws.

Broadway line gets a boost  The latest report on the expansion of public transit in Vancouver has recommended a subway line for the Broadway corridor as the best, but also the most expensive, option. The study released by the University of British Columbia found a $3 billion underground line would have the “highest acceptability rating” among options on the table.

Praise for UBC  The University of British Columbia has been ranked the thirtieth best post-secondary institution in the world in a reputable annual study for Thomson Reuters. That position is the second-highest for a Canadian university, behind the University of Toronto, which placed 21.

Canucks lose in the shootout  After coming back from a 2-0 first period, the Vancouver Canucks were defeated by the San Jose Sharks in a shootout. This extends the Canucks' slump to losing four of five of their last games. The team is now off on a three-game roadtrip before returning to Rogers Arena to play the Nashville Predators on March 14.

Venezuela president passes  After leading his country for 14 years, former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez succumbed to a battle with cancer yesterday (March 5). The fiery leftist was loved and hated around the world. He has been succeeded by his vice president, Nicolas Maduro, who is constitutionally obliged to hold an election within 30 days.

One million refugees  Today (March 6) the number of Syrian refugees who have been fled the country’s civil war surpassed one million people. The UN Refugee Agency has used the milestone to urge the international community to do more to help victims displaced by the conflict.