B.C. Liberals’ electoral finance reform package doesn’t amount to much
Call it the Premier's foxtrot week: one step forward, two steps back, then sidestep the real issue.
Dermod's Latest Articles
Commentary: Party hack screams hacked
If the mudslinging has commenced, what else can we look forward to in the coming weeks? Newspeak, spinning and severe fact rationing. It can seem like a cross between living in a parallel universe and the film Groundhog Day.
‘Grassroots’ spin counters NYT focus on B.C. political fundraising
'The grassroots spin to the B.C. Liberal party's statement may have seemed the way to go in light of the New York Times article, but when donations under $100 account for less than 3.7 per cent of the party's haul and 14 donors nearly 20 per cent, you're not really left with a warm and fuzzy grassroots feeling.'
Money makes the world federal, B.C. politics go round
Columnist Dermod Travis of IntegrityBC explores some recent cash-for-access incidents on both the federal and B.C. political scenes.
B.C.’s propaganda department cranks up production
The B.C. government's press release juggernaut outdid itself this year, issuing 2,680 news releases so far, including noting bathroom renovations at highway rest stops and new windows in individual elementary schools. But what else would you expect when the communications office's budget has jumped by 43.3 per cent to $37.9 million since 2010/11?
B.C.’s affordable housing plan doesn’t even qualify as a band-aid solution
'When B.C. Hydro spends $470 million on a temporary Site C work camp for 1,600 workers (an average of $293,750 per unit) – albeit with amenities and housekeeping – chances are the government can find the means to turn what it calls “an historic investment” into an affordable housing plan up to the task at hand.'
Victoria’s pricey secrets
Four million documents linked to the firings have mysteriously materialized out of thin air for the latest investigation into the scandal, this one by B.C. ombudsperson Jay Chalke.
Do away with messy public tenders, pre-approve instead
Two wrinkles: what companies are on those lists and what criteria is used to pre-qualify them?
We’re the B.C. government and we approve this message
In the 2015/16 fiscal year, spending on advertising more than doubled from nearly $5.7 million the year before to $12.45 million.
Car crashes lead to ICBC rate increase? Not so fast
ICBC's mishmash of eight different date-to-date comparisons in its news release last week in support of the corporation's rate application cherry picked numbers to suit; actual dollars were cited when useful, percentages when not.