Vaughn Palmer: Horgan calls for patience on some promises as BCTF gathers for protest
Credit to Author: Gord Kurenoff| Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2019 00:35:32 +0000
VICTORIA — On the eve of New Democrats gathering in the provincial capital for their party’s annual convention, Premier John Horgan offered some thoughts about his record, priorities and approach to governing.
“We’ve been here two years,” he told reporters during a media availability session Thursday. “We’ve addressed almost 80 per cent of the commitments we made. We’ve got another two years left on the mandate so be patient and we’ll clean up that last 20 per cent.”
Horgan was answering a question about NDP foot-dragging on promises to broaden and toughen access-to-information legislation.
“I think that the vast majority of the public are more interested in transparency when it comes to gas prices and cellphone billing,” said the premier, referring to priorities that his government had acted on recently.
He was also asked why the NDP government had not enacted a measure, tabled by Green party leader Andrew Weaver, to outlaw conversion therapy for sexual orientation in B.C.
Horgan said the federal government should do that by amending the criminal code, a point he reiterated by press release Friday. (“Conversion therapy is nothing more than ignorance and prejudice disguised as a medical treatment. … It is time that the federal government take this appropriate action.”)
Besides, the premier reminded reporters Thursday, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix had already ruled out paying for the controversial practice under publicly funded health care.
Passage of the Weaver-authored measure “would be largely symbolic because it’s not something that we fund in B.C.,” said the premier. “I spoke with Andrew Weaver about this very thing yesterday in our weekly meeting. He’s not clamouring for immediate action.”
MLAs in all three parties in the house have already expressed opposition to the practice during debate on a motion to that effect earlier in the year. But some B.C. Liberals were quietly opposed.
Thus, moving to enact the Green measure into legislation would only polarize the debate without actually changing anything in terms of medical coverage.
“So rather than be symbolic and create division within my opponents’ ranks, why not have a categorical statement from the minister of health saying that’s not going to happen here. I think that’s sufficient as a symbol, rather than create discontent within the Opposition,” said Horgan.
“From the beginning, largely because of the circumstances I found myself in — a minority situation — my approach is to try and find a way forward that meets everyone’s needs.”
The premier also fielded a question about the growing financial pressures from ICBC and other sources, and whether he was entertaining thoughts of letting the budget slip into deficit.
“Oh, dear, good question,” replied Horgan. “I pride myself on having the good judgment to appoint Carole James as the finance minister. She has been working very, very hard to maintain the highest credit rating in the country, to continue to see significant job growth in every corner of the province.”
Far from drifting into deficit thinking, Horgan remains determined to hold the line in the face of ICBC troubles, slumping commodity prices and other challenges.
“We’re optimistic that we can continue to balance our budgets. The three-year plan is in place. … I’m confident the prudent woman that I put in charge of the books for the people of B.C. is going to manage those (challenges) as effectively as anybody I know.”
Cautious, pragmatic, and fiscally prudent government has been the rule more often than not under the firsts 28 months of Horgan’s premiership.
But a few of his decisions must have come as a cultural shock to some of the delegates attending the party convention this weekend.
Did you hear the one about the New Democrat who lapsed into a coma before results were announced in Election 2017?
He wakes up in time for this week’s convention and asks for a news update. He’s told that Site C is still under construction, LNG is proceeding, B.C. Ferries has contracted to build four more ships in Europe and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation is engaged in a bitter dispute with the government over education funding.
“Damn it,” says the New Democrat, flashing back to 2017. “I guess that means the Liberals won the election.”
Joking aside, Horgan’s comment on the need to hold the line financially was at least partly tailored to address one group that has already announced intentions to protest his policies at this week’s convention.
BCTF representatives will twice be leafleting NDP delegates as they enter the Victoria convention centre Saturday.
Reporters have also been invited to hear an address by union president Teri Mooring. She’ll be speaking to BCTF representatives in the hotel adjacent to the convention centre, just after Horgan delivers the keynote address to his convention.
All keyed to the just-launched BCTF advertising campaign, which calls on the province to put more money on the table in current contract talks to address problems of recruiting and retaining teachers.
Education Minister Rob Fleming has already disputed some of the claims in the BCTF campaign.
Not likely will the union sway Horgan from holding the line on a bargaining mandate that has already been accepted by about three-quarters of the public service.
But if nothing else, the BCTF protest will remind New Democrats that not everyone they counted as a supporter in the past is happy with the course they’ve charted in the present.
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