The fall session of B.C.’s provincial Legislature closed in late November, with NDP Leader John Horgan condemning Premier Christy Clark’s abysmal attendance record of being present for only eight of 24 sittings.
There’s always been something misty and twisty about Christy’s take on politics and her response was in keeping with this; immediately firing back that she was attacked because of her gender and that she was busy elsewhere.
We all remember in 2012 she said she tried to avoid being in Victoria as much as possible, because of “the sick culture and lack of real people there.” However, she made sure to attend the final day of the legislative session, coinciding with lighting up the Legislature’s Christmas decorations; there is no way that she would miss such a photo-op, of course.
Last year, the B.C. Liberals returned to power mainly on the strength of Premier Clark’s endless campaign promises about a rosy future that lay ahead, with the exportation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
All those promises of the Prosperity Fund that would result, and B.C. becoming debt-free meant everyone would benefit. Now foreign investors’ plans to build pipelines, plants and shipping terminals are rapidly evaporating and smelling like so much bad gas.
Just maybe the premier has been spending her absentee days in Northern B.C. at a franchise of Santa’s Workshop putting B.C. Liberal Party elves to work on loading up a huge LNG-powered sleigh.
Imagine the political brownie points for a Christmas Eve trip by Christy Claus to dole out gifts to B.C.’s many underprivileged children. Despite an election theme of “Families First,” B.C. has the highest child poverty rate in Canada, yet her government persists in the claw back of child support from a single parent on temporary or disability assistance, equal to payments received from their child’s absent parent.
This mean-spirited policy ensures that the child remains in poverty; come to think of it, when that LNG-powered sleigh makes its way through the starry Christmas Eve night, maybe that red-suited lady at the controls should really be addressed as Christy Claws.
Bernie SmithParksville
