Release Order

theQuestion: Is B.C. putting too great a focus on skills training for jobs in the LNG industry?* I’m stunned by Laila’s argument this week. For someone who usually supports left-wing policy and practice, her argument against retooling B.C.’s education system in favour of a strong focus on skilled trades is astonishing. A person must have a real hate on for Premier

theQuestion: Is B.C.’s new water sustainability act a giveaway to companies like Nestle??* It’s corporate bashing time — the BC NDP’s raising a great hue and cry over what they claim is a massive giveaway of the province’s water resource to a foreign-owned multinational corporation, Nestlé Waters Canada, a subsidiary of the global food products giant Nestlé. Last week, the provincial government

theQuestion: Is society being pushed too far to accommodate transgendered people??* I believe fundamental rights are inherently concrete and inevitable — the right to live your life without fear of physical harm or death by another, and the right to think, speak and act freely. As long as the application of these basic rights causes no harm to others or infringe

theQuestion: Can the 'Yes' vote be saved in the transit plebiscite?* Jordan Bateman is right about one thing - TransLink governance is a mess and I have to admit I am finding it increasingly difficult to continue my unmitigated support for the yes side in this campaign. Many of the pillars underpinning my endorsement have been contorted and my opinion is not

theQuestion: Should Canadians be guaranteed a minimum annual income provided by the government?* Canada is special. No other country has been so thoroughly sliced and diced into a multitude of competing special interests - all jockeying for special recognition from the legislature, protection from the courts and payment from the government. The contest is fierce between organizations and activists, which seek to

theQuestion: Is the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's argument to vote no in the transit referendum persuasive?* There’s an old saying - don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good. And that’s exactly what will happen if you believe Jordan Bateman and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Bateman’s campaign to persuade you to vote no in the transit referendum is anything but wise

theQuestion: Should local governments enact bylaws that would allow and regulate legal tent cities for the homeless?* In the Duel, it’s customary to address the question, then articulate a stand and deliver a full-throated argument in favour of your position — not necessarily in that order. This week my Duel colleague has done neither. Laila has delivered a half-hearted argument in favour

theQuestion: Does the massacre in Paris justify further expansion of spy powers in Canada?* Can anyone still deny that the Western World is at war with radical Islam? After the massacre in Paris this week, I should hope not. Two Islamic jihadist gunmen burst into the offices of the satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo and slaughtered nine magazine employees, one guest

theQuestion: Does law enforcement rely too heavily on the use of deadly force?* I am unequivocal in my support for law enforcement in regards to the use of deadly force. When a police officer finds they must discharge their firearm to protect their life, the lives of other officers, or those of the general public, it’s critical the first reaction by

theQuestion: Did the provincial government make the right decision approving the Site C dam?* B.C. has a real energy opportunity in front of it and I am not referring to LNG. I am talking about hydroelectric power — the cleanest form of cheap, plentiful, reliable and sustainable energy the world can muster. You just can’t beat hydroelectric power. The provincial government just

theQuestion: Is a 0.5% increase in the provincial sales tax a good way to fund transit improvements in Metro Vancouver?* Yes, a 0.5% increase in the provincial sales tax — within the Metro Vancouver region — is the best way to fund TransLink’s 10-year, $7.5-billion transit improvement plan. Some may argue it’s the least-worst option picked from a handful of undesirables,

theQuestion: Should universities be forced to divest from fossil fuel investments?* I don’t own a car. My primary mode of transportation is my two feet. Together with my legs and powered by a well-balanced diet I get everywhere I need to go, at least in downtown Vancouver that is. During the warmer and drier months of the year you will find

theQuestion: Is the NDP's support of the BC Liberal's LNG Tax Legislation good for B.C.?* Last week, I argued that while the Burnaby Mountain protesters are ostensibly fighting to stop global climate change, the real goal is to dismantle capitalism. In response, I was called a coward, shallow, petty and, on more than one occasion, a capitalist pig. If you didn’t believe

theQuestion: Are people protesting Kinder Morgan likely to make a difference?* These Kinder Morgan protesters have a lot of nerve. Who elected them to speak for the “people?” No one. They only speak for a small hyper-ideological fringe that is radically hell bent on upending our entire economic system. A system that is historically responsible for lifting untold millions out of

theQuestion: Should the Lower Mainland become a mega-city like Toronto with one election for the entire region?* What an election. Across Metro Vancouver, higher voter turnout proved once again that issues really do matter. With 21 separate municipalities in the Lower Mainland all holding elections, you would think it would be impossible to summarize all the different issues that drove voter

theQuestion: Should we move to public financing for municipal election campaigns?* It’s naive to think money and the influence that goes with it can be removed from politics. It’s also misguided to assume all political contributions to candidates and political parties garner a quid pro quo. With the 2014 municipal elections just days away, the election season chest-thumping from those who

theQuestion: Is suspicion alone enough reason to allow Canadian law enforcement and security services the right to spy on Canadians?*  Gene Hackman delivered one of my favourite lines in the 1995 movie Crimson Tide. Playing Captain Ramsey of the U.S. nuclear submarine Alabama he said, “We’re here to preserve democracy, not practice it.” While just a film, there is truth behind those

theQuestion: Was the shooting in Ottawa an act of terrorism?* Evil does exist in this world and there are those who would and will commit harm against innocents. I applaud my Duel colleague this week for making that statement as there are those who reject the realities of good versus evil, and prefer to wallow in collective self-blame and finger-pointing. Over the

theQuestion: Should proposed new rules be enacted allowing B.C. non-profit societies to be taken to court?* Groups that scream the loudest for greater government and corporate accountability are the ones protesting proposed changes to the legislation governing non-profit societies in B.C. — changes designed to bring greater accountability. The provincial government is in the process of developing a new Societies Act and

theQuestion: Should the B.C. government raise welfare rates?* Living on $610 a month must be nearly impossible, certainly if you make the choice to live in the Lower Mainland. Choice? Yes, choice. My Duel colleague argues this week that for those British Columbians receiving welfare, choice isn’t an option. I disagree. With the exception of the small percentage of people with severe

theQuestion: Should Vancouver City Council approve a ban on using e-cigarettes in public?* No level of government impacts a person’s daily life more than municipal government. Local councils have enormous power to regulate how we do business, how we get around, and how we spend our leisure time. Municipal governments have a lot on their plate, which makes it all the more

theQuestion: Should law enforcement conduct surveillance on environmental activists to prevent extremism?* If you think eco-terrorism can’t happen here, think again. B.C. has a long history of environmental extremism and RCMP say extremists pose a “clear and present criminal threat” to Canada’s energy sector. According to a 2011 report released this week under access to information, RCMP say there is a

theQuestion: Is the China-Canada investment agreement a sell-out for Canada?* Think back to a time when you planned a trip abroad. Maybe it was a vacation or you were setting off with your backpack to explore countries near and far. When you researched the places you planned to visit, did you review any aspect of those countries’ laws? Did you consider

theQuestion: Are the demands by the BCTF to settle the teachers’ strike reasonable?* I don’t blame the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation for being unreasonable in its contract demands. After all, teachers don’t work in the real world. They are oblivious to the challenges of driving revenue, servicing customers, operating against a budget tied to profit and loss. They have no idea

theQuestion: Is the approval of the Fraser-Surrey Coal Docks good for BC?* What great news — for the first time in long time I am writing about a project being approved, instead of delayed or denied as a result of complaints from the anti-everything and NIMBY crowds. Last week, Port Metro Vancouver approved a new $15-million coal-loading facility at Fraser Surrey Docks

theQuestion: Is running a clean campaign a good strategy to win an election?* Election campaigns are an exercise in contrast. Incumbents run on their record and challengers must run as a distinct alternative. This is the mission for mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe and the NPA in Vancouver’s upcoming civic election. LaPointe must clearly articulate a stark difference between his policy proposals and

theQuestion: Can B.C.'s mining industry rebuild public trust?* No reasonable person can defend what happened last Monday in the mountains above Likely, B.C. Early in the morning, the tailings pond dam at the Mount Polley mine breached and released an estimated 10 million cubic metres of mine wastewater and 4.5 million cubic metres of metals-laden fine sand — contaminating several lakes,

theQuestion: Do recent SkyTrain failures show TransLink is failing riders?* I am certain that for the majority of readers my argument will fall on deaf ears. I don’t believe the recent SkyTrain stoppages represent a failure by TransLink. On the contrary, disruptions such as we have experienced over the past two weeks have been few and usually far between. As inconvenient as

theQuestion: Can we safely balance industrial growth and air quality in northern B.C.?* All too often, opponents of industrial growth frame options in stark choices. If you are pro-industry you are anti-environment. I reject this dichotomy. We should not have to choose between one and the other. The environment and the economy need not be in competition. When properly managed, British

theQuestion: Do we need tighter controls on guns?* I am anything but conservative when it comes to the issue of gun control. We need to do a better job of controlling access to firearms. There are too many guns in Canada and if you believe we are immune from the virus of gun violence that infects the United States, you are