Op/Ed: Evicting dirty money from B.C. homes
Many British Columbians were shocked when they heard the findings of the Expert Panel on Money Laundering in Real Estate. More than $7 billion in dirty money was laundered in B.C. last year alone. About $5 billion of that went through B.C.’s real estate market, driving housing prices up and hurting families, seniors and...
Op/Ed: It's a matter of disclosure
Pity assignment editors in newsrooms across B.C. this month. No shortage of material. Monty’s Showroom – now ashes, after the Plaza Hotel in Victoria burned to the ground – found itself back in the news, gang activity on the West Shore on Vancouver Island regrettably contributed to news cycles, the scandal at the B.C. legislature...
KCTU: An Open Letter to Minister Conroy: Taking Away Services From Kids Is Not Equity
For audio, click here Dear Minister Conroy, After 16 years of a government that constantly picked fights with teachers and underfunded public schools, many in BC’s education sector felt relief when your government was elected. Teachers heard MLAs like you congratulate us on our Supreme Court win and back us up on our fight ...
LETTER: We need to take action on Castlegar homelessness
Dear Editor, I would like to open the conversation up on homelessness in our area. We have people who are needing help and understanding. In fact, many of them are people who have grown up here who have just hit a rough patch. Some have never had a run-in with the law and others who are simply poor, which is not a crime. Yes,...
BC Increases Firefighting Budget by 58%
The B.C. government has released its updated action plan in response to the government-commissioned, independent Abbott/Chapman report on the unprecedented 2017 wildfire and flood seasons in British Columbia. The initial action plan was released October 2018, with a commitment to provide updates over six-month intervals until...
Wayne Stetski — I get to serve great people of Kootenay-Columbia
Over the last three and a half years I have been your MP, and I hope you have seen some of the information I’ve sent to you that says, “Serving you is the most important work that I do.” Nice words, but what do they really mean? As Member of Parliament for Kootenay-Columbia, I represent you and 112,353 other constituents,...
Column: From the Hill -- Invasive Species Action Inadequate
Lost in the recent media frenzy over the SNC Lavalin scandal were the 2019 Spring Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. These last reports from Julie Gelfand before her retirement focused on protection of fish and their habitat from mining effluent, subsidies to the fossil fuels industry...
OP/Ed: Stetski says Budget 2019 Fails to Put People, Planet First
The 2019 federal budget has been framed as focusing on the anxieties of Canadians. Unfortunately, the government has failed to take the bold actions Canadians want to build a more secure, sustainable, and equitable future. I have detailed some highlights below and welcome my constituents to let me know what you think about ...
Investigation: Petrowest numbered company awarded $10 million Site C dam contract on eve of bankruptcy
Petrowest’s financial woes were widely known when BC Hydro quietly awarded a major contract to a B.C. numbered company — 1054143 — that an investigation by The Narwhal reveals was incorporated by key Petrowest executives. The numbered company received millions in public funds while Petrowest fell into...
Cash or plastic? A peek at the B.C. government's credit card charges
Governments must dread the day they have to post their credit card charges online. Thousands of charges totalling in the millions of dollars, it's a sure bet someone will find something to highlight. The 2017/18 charges didn't disappoint: 94,726 records totalling $59.7 million. It's tough to always get a handle on the smallest...
