Editor:
The provincial NDP party has, over the years, branded itself as both the people’s party and the workingman’s party. Currently it seems the party is now playing cosy to another select group of people that is anti everything.
Even prior to an election the NDP has decided to cast aside the actual financial needs of the province in favour of a percentage of the populace that see the world through rose-coloured glasses.
If I were a member of the NDP I would want the party to explain, being against industrial and economic development such as pipelines and mining, how it proposes to provide jobs and also pay for a growing provincial budget without increasing taxes? Many have lived through a couple of periods when the NDP were in power, government grew, development stalled and left the province, industry floundered, and taxes exploded, not unlike a socialist state.
One of the greatest problems that I have with Canada’s political system is when a party eventually obtains power, licence is taken, making the people who voted for it look like uninformed, silly, little children. Our provincial Liberal party has done this with the selling of BC Rail and the introduction of the HST. Federally I recall one Conservative politician declaring, following Brian Mulroney’s win, it is our turn, like as if it was the Conservatives’ turn to horde the candy in the candy jar.
Certainly the NDP could win the next provincial election, declaring in advance that it is against industrial and economic development prior to that election; this, in my opinion is absolute nonsense, like informing your future employer that, yes, you want the job, but you, the employee, will be setting the rules of your employment.
However, declaring these things in advance of an election is better than the Liberals sneaking the sale of BC Rail and the HST, but where in the world do the NDP think the money comes from to operate and manage the provincial economy? Appeasing a segment of the population just to win an election is ridiculous, and in my opinion reflects a total lack of understanding of actual provincial government management.
I can see a majority of provincial voters becoming so frustrated with both the Liberals and the NDP that their vote, if they vote, becomes any party but one of these two.
Doug Wilson
Williams Lake
