Commentary

10 conclusions that could be drawn about B.C. voters if Christy Clark wins a majority

by Charlie Smith on May 8th, 2017 at 1:20 PM
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      It's mystifying to many Lower Mainland voters that the B.C. Liberals could be on the verge of winning their fifth consecutive majority government in the Tuesday (May 9) provincial election.

      If Christy Clark receives another mandate, here are some things we can conclude about the B.C. electorate:

      1. A significant number of voters support holding plebiscites on rapid-transit projects but don't think it's such a good idea when it comes to a $3.5-billion, 10-lane bridge across the Fraser River.

      2. They don't care that B.C.'s electoral-finance system is the least rulebound in North America, enabling billionaires to donate as much as they want to the ruling party.

      3. They approve of the dubious $8.8-billion Site C dam, even though it was not reviewed by the province's energy regulator to see if the electricity is needed (it's not)—or if this energy could be provided in a more cost-efficient manner (it likely can be).

      4. They support the Kinder Morgan pipeline, even though the national energy regulator refused to pay attention to an independent study on the economic risks and benefits.

      5. Again on the pipeline issue, they're not concerned that the Trudeau government never conducted a serious analysis of what happens when bitumen and diluent are separated in a fresh-water environment.

      6. They think that reducing road tolls without studying the consequences won't have any impact on the movement of goods and services through the region.

      7. They're not too concerned about the number of kids who've died in government care since Christy Clark became premier, nor do they feel that it's worth examining the legalization of hard drugs to reduce the record number of overdose deaths.

      8. They believe that the housing crisis can be addressed, in part, by giving people interest-free loans to fuel more demand for housing.

      9.  They endorse the trophy hunting of grizzly bears as a good economic policy.

      10. They actually believe that the premier of Canada's third-largest province, with a population of 4.8 million, is in a position to dictate trade policy to U.S. president Donald Trump.

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