B.C. Liberals aren't above lying to score political points

by Charlie Smith on May 22, 2012 at 4:23 pm
B.C. Liberal Energy Minister Rich Coleman stands downstream of the Keenleyside Dam, which is generating electricity thanks to an NDP investment in the 1990s.

The B.C. Liberals have shown that they're willing to play fast and loose with the truth in a caucus news release.

Today in a statement about electricity rates, B.C. Liberal MLA Pat Pimm (Peace River North) is quoted as saying "the only power project the NDP ever invested in was in Pakistan."

It was a reference to the ill-fated Raiwind power project, which B.C. Hydro planned to build with a private investors when the NDP was in power in the 1990s.

It's a clever B.C. Liberal soundbite, but the reality is that through B.C. Hydro, the NDP government made numerous other investments in power projects during the 1990s.

They included a billion-dollar upgrade to the Keenleyside, Brilliant, and Waneta dams in the Kootenays, which was announced by then-premier Mike Harcourt.

The dam upgrades increased capacity of Waneta by 380 megawatts, Keenleyside by 185 megawatts, and Brilliant by 145 megawatts.

The NDP government also approved a $184-million Stave Falls Powerplant Replacement Project.

I don't expect that the B.C. Liberals will issue a correction. If they're going by the federal Conservative playbook, their motto is: "Always go for the jugular and never apologize and never back down."

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.

Comments (17) Add New Comment
Denise
May 22, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Do not trust this man.
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Barry
May 22, 2012 at 6:50 pm
This man is a pig feasting at the public trough
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David Mock
May 22, 2012 at 7:41 pm
Are these numbers correct? I have worked in all these Dams on know that MW upgrade numbers are very inaccurate. Keenlyside has no generators, it was built for water control only?
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Confused Bycomments
May 22, 2012 at 8:52 pm
I dont trust ad hominen attacks. it is the lowest of the low in public discourse. Make an argument or even a real observation or say nothing - at least then we wont know for sure you are idiot.
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Charlie Smith
May 22, 2012 at 9:17 pm
David Mock,

Keenleyside was a storage dam until Glen Clark created the Columbia Basin Trust and the Columbia Power Corporation. CPC owns Keenleyside, which has turbines and generates electricity.

Charlie Smith
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Gentleman Jack
May 23, 2012 at 6:50 am
"If they're going by the federal Conservative playbook, their motto is: "Always go for the jugular and never apologize and never back down.""

Hey, Just like the Alinskyites! Good thing progressive radicals front the _right_ values with their lies!
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Steve Sherwood
May 23, 2012 at 7:42 am
I live in the Kootenays 10 miles from the dam's , and there all lying even the companys that were awarded the contracts . These jobs were anywhere from a year or more behind on completion , with cost over runs . Seems that there is so much waste of tax dollars , kinda like Trans Link wanting the taxpayer to fund there projects and the pay to use them . Wake Up People were getting screwed every time we turn around if not by Goverment , by big business and all there CEO's with there outragous saleries . I grew up In Ontario and there transit system never had issues like ours , Install turn styles and token dispensers and do away with the huge pay cheques to the Tranist Police ...
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doubletalk
May 23, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Liberals do lie. Conservatives lie. And the NDP lies. All politicians lie. When will the straight print an article about the NDP liars. Probably never since Charlie is a mouthpiece for the NDP.
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Dewey Riesterer
May 23, 2012 at 12:51 pm
I was born in the West Kootenays, into one of the oldest, pioneer families there and this entire "treaty" was the worst environmental,economic and social disaster in the region's history.

Coleman, is a typical "corporatist" and I would no more believe him than I would try to swim across the "High Arrow" tailrace in January.

I lived just downstream of that disaster while attending Selkirk College and I hate every aspect of the accursed "Columbia River Treaty" and the politicians who imposed it upon us.
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Stan Mortensen
May 23, 2012 at 5:02 pm
To Gentleman Jack;
and your point is?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Alinsky
a) He's an American
b) Your apparent hero Wm.F.Buckley hails him as an organizational genius from the wikipedia reference.
c) seems like maybe we need a Saul Alinsky here in Canada.
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Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
May 23, 2012 at 6:11 pm
"The B.C. Liberals have shown that they're willing to play fast and loose with the truth in a caucus news release."

Such a huge understatement.
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Pat English
May 24, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Every election all the sheep walk up to the polls and vote for the liberalconservativendp party. If you want change, change your vote. I'm voting GREEN.
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Don Bruce
May 24, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Can you believe? These people have hurt we the people badly and the longer they are in office expect more of the same!
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David Mock
May 24, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Charlie Smith
Keenlyside does not have turbines, does not generate electricity, and is owned by BC Hydro. The adjacent Dam, Arrow Lakes Generating Station has two Kaplan turbines, rated at 185MW combined, is owned by CPC. The fact that the picture of Rich Coleman in front of a Dam that produces no electricity is misleading.
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Steve Smith
May 26, 2012 at 4:30 am
Why wait until next year recall the liar Liberals now!
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Thomas Ian McLeod
May 27, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Mr. Mock is really splitting hairs here. From the Columbia Power Corporation website: "The Arrow Lakes Generating Station began as a proposal to construct a two-turbine facility 400 metres downstream from the Hugh Keenleyside Dam. A 1500 metre approach channel would divert water through the new powerhouse from upstream of the existing dam, and a short tailrace channel would return the water to the Columbia River." No dam, no generating station.
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Kozmo
May 28, 2012 at 7:35 am
I work at the Arrow Lakes Generating Station and Mr. Mock is in fact correct. The Arrow Lakes Generating Station (owned by CPC) does have two generating units in it and is 400m downstream from the Hugh Keenlyside (owned by BCHydro) which does not generate any power, it is strickly a water storage dam. It was not feasible to install turbines in the existing dam due to costs and environmental impacts so the Arrow Lakes Generating Station was constructed.
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