View From Victoria: BC's changing political landscape

0:00It's not just something you made, it's the privilege that you get to work with your hands. It's building something that serves a purpose, proof that you have the grit to keep going. At Timberland, we understand you take your craft seriously and we do too, which is why our products are built to the highest quality. We put in the work so you can perfect yours with purpose in every detail and crafted with intention. Timberland, built on craft, visit Timberland.com to shop. It is time for us to check in with Vom Palmer from the Vancouver Sun. Vom is it snowing over there yet? No, never snow is a Victoria. Never snow here ever. Well, okay, that was that time we had four and a half feet in our front yard. Yeah, it snowed and you might get some today. Well, in the year before that. No, we're in the flower count over here, so I don't think they're allowed to have snow here or anything. Oh, all right. I can't wait to talk to you tomorrow after the snow has fallen and find out how it goes. In the meantime, let's talk some BC politics. I really want to get to this poll because this should be a wake up call for the government.

1:04Yeah, I mean, every poll is a snapshot as they say and some of them tell different stories. This is the first one though to come along to suggest that the budget has had an impact on the NDP standing and it has been negative. They are behind significantly behind the conservative. So 47, 39. They've generally been ahead in spite of all their troubles, right? But we also know the last election was close. So the bolster hair innovative research group says the number one culprit is the provincial budget. We had a sense that the follow from that was all negative. Very few people have had anything good to say about it. The bolster says this is the least popular budget in British Columbia since the one where Gordon Campbell brought in the HST. What? That is some negative rating because as you know, that destroyed Gordon Campbell's political career. He had to leave office over it eventually.

2:04So I think we're a long way from that, but it's interesting that the conservatives with only an interim leader, John Rastad gone, Trevor Hallford, the leader, a bunch of relative unknowns seeking the party leadership. Hallford isn't one of them. Rastad isn't one of them are what eight points ahead of the new Democrats. We don't have regional breakdown. So we don't know how that shakes out seat by seat. It's early. We'll wait for other pollsters. This is the first indication we've had of a poster finding out what our impression was, I say in the coverage, which is that this is a very unpopular provincial budget. It is not something you would go to an election on and call a snap election on. Do you think though this is heard in NDP circles? Do they understand how poorly that budget was received?

3:07You know, I think they've kind of some of some of the veterans know, right? I think some of the people that are being around have been through the mill on this before I think get it. The problem this government has or the one of the realities of this government is most of the veterans in the NDP have have retired. The people who actually remember the 1990s and what happened and why it consigned the NDP to 16 years in opposition. Most of the members in the caucus now, they've never been in opposition. They got elected with John Horton in his landslide victory in 2020 or they got elected with David EB in the narrow win in 2024. And I don't see the signs being there. Sorry, they don't see the signs, I said. Yeah, I think you know, unless you've been there in opposition and experienced why you end up in opposition.

4:08You tend to look at, you know, 2020 victory, which was very impressive. And 2024, well, I ended up with a majority and they're getting all their legislation through the house. And you know, the next elections a long way away. So I think it's going to take a while for it to percolate through to an awareness. And of course, we know from following David EB that he is not someone given over to a lot of self doubt. Horton was a realist and I think quite willing to recognize, oh, I got that one wrong. I better get out of there and fix it fast. I don't quite see that same level of self awareness and doubt and realism, say realism. Premiers have to be confident, but realism and David EB. Right. So you're thinking maybe with this one, they're saying, oh, it's just one poll. But maybe they need a couple more before it sets in. Yeah, sure. And I mean, that's not a bad way to look at it because other pollsters can find other answers, depending on the questions.

5:13Where they poll, whether or not we get really detailed breakdown of where the government's on popular. If this, if this gap mostly manifests itself in seats in the North and interior where the conservatives are already the members, doesn't mean an awful lot to the NDP. If they start trailing on Vancouver Island in some of the places where virtually every member is a new Democrat, then I think they start worrying. So I would say let's wait and see what's happening in Metro Vancouver, particularly in the writings in the city of Vancouver. Let's see if they're in even more trouble in Surrey than they were the last time. And let's see if it's starting to percolate through Vancouver Island, which still tends to be strong NDP territory. We're just at the front end of this, but I'd say as a snapshot, I look at this and I go, I don't think David EB is going to seize the opening for a snap election.

6:13He may not be able to avoid one if he loses a vote in the house on a budget issue. Although he's already carried a number of those. So I don't think, as I said, I don't think he's looking at a snap election. I think he's going, one of the things that jumps out of this poll. And again, it's just a poll and a snapshot is EB enjoyed a bit of a favorable rating for the way he handled Tumblr Ridge. Remember that was just before the budget came in and then he took this hit on the budget. So the bounces around, you know, it can, that which goes up can come down and that which goes down can come up in polling. That's the way it works. America leads the world in medicine development. It matters. We get new medicines first nearly three years faster. Five million Americans go to work because we make medicines here at home and not relying on other countries keeps us safe. But China is racing to overtake us. Will we let them or will we choose to stay ahead? When America leads, America cures. Let's tell Washington to keep us in the lead.

7:17Learn how at AmericaCures.com. Paid for by Farma. Spring is here and the shopping list is long. Time to make a lows run. Buy three bags, get three free. Stay green, one cubic foot garden soil. Plus, right now, members can earn four times the points on an eligible purchase. Start spring off strong with these deals and more. Our best lineup is here at Loads. Valet the three twenty five while supplies last soil offer excludes the last and why loyalty program subject to terms and conditions. See those comms last terms for details subject to change point booster subject to exclusions and more terms apply one time only offer. We are back talking with Von Palmer from the Vancouver set now on what are these changes with property assessments. Yes, so when we get a budget. We also get a whole big bunch of budget legislation. They table it right at the end of the day. It runs dozens of pages and we're dependent initially on what the government says is in there and what it says isn't in there so tax changes.

8:19This year's budget bill there was already we know a stealth initiative in it. You found out about it on your show. Brenda Bailey, the finance minister is getting rid of the independent merit commissioner watch dog on public sector appointments. She didn't mention it's there in the bill and she only confirmed it when you confronted her with it on the your show the morning after the budget. Well, there's another clause in there that's a head scratcher what the hell is this all about the conservatives have offered a theory about what they think it means. Change in the assessment act and what it says is that henceforth assessors in deciding the assessment value of a property they look at covenants and market and all that but they can also consider and should consider the impact of government decisions so provincial government decisions local government decisions for example a local government change in zoning and all that.

9:20But the conservatives Gavin you gets up in the legislature last Thursday afternoon and says you know what is interesting about this see me. There's something missing there's something they're not telling the assessors to consider by exclusion he goes that may mean a lot for private property values what points to is. There look there look at government decisions local and provincial but they're not to look at court decisions doesn't say you should consider for example a court decision that awards Aboriginal title over the value of private property so the conservatives are saying and they're going to ask a lot more about this in the house when we get to close by close debate on that legislation but the government doesn't explain it so it's fair to speculate opposition. This could mean that you end up with an assessed value on your property on paper that doesn't take into account the spreading uncertainty over claims of Aboriginal title and court decisions that recognize Aboriginal title.

10:34And some of you and I talked about an example that yesterday where this isn't hypothetical you had you've had a bunch of ranches in the interior that were offered for sale and there were no takers there were no bids that went through the one bid that came in that was valid. The bidder checked with a local first nation and said are you going to agree to transfer the tenure on this ranch and that local first nation said no we won't and so the deal collapse so we already know enrichment the the cowachan Aboriginal title over that land enrichment provincial government's already stepped in with a hundred and fifty million dollar guarantee to ensure that the property owners are protected. So this isn't the impact of Aboriginal title rulings is not hypothetical we've already seen it in the province so the conservatives are saying why isn't that in the assessment why aren't you saying assessors have to take that into account as well.

11:47The reason you left it out because you don't want property assessments to drop in the province because of the spreading claims all over BC of Aboriginal title and court decisions that say Aboriginal title is a superior form of title to private fee simple land. Well that's not fair then to the people with the property because you're asking them to pay for a value that doesn't correspond into the real world. I mean that's what the conservatives are saying if you read this literally what the government is done you're going to end up with a gap you're going to end up with paper value determined by assessors who don't take into consideration the it's just starting right semi for a long time. We're told private property is not on the table the NDP said that when they brought in the whole treaty commission private properties not on the table for a long time the line has been oh it'll only be their willing seller willing buyer that's the only way private property is going to come in.

12:55Now we're going well wait a minute what's the impact of a court coming along like the court did over the Richmond land and saying well wait a minute you know Aboriginal title it exists over this private land and it's a superior form of title to sorry seniors the word senior form of title to private fee simple land. Right okay so there it is I mean I just just throwing it out our colleague less Lane has a piece on this and the Victoria times calling us today and people can give it a read they can go back to the legislature answered Thursday afternoon and here Gavin Jew of the conservatives raising this issue it's we've not seen any reaction from the government yet but when you look at the notes on that piece of legislation. It doesn't really address this issue at all it doesn't even really explain why they're doing it and I can see why people might be a little suspicious but yeah what this government is up to with its budget bills given you know what as I say you discovered the morning after which is hey you're getting rid of the independent watchdog the mayor commissioner claiming it's going to save two million.

14:14Okay what about this F.O.I. situation what's going on with this freedom of information I was interested in one of the fathers of British Columbia's. Freedom of information law the one that was brought in under the NDP in the 1990s Rob Butterwell he's now the green MLA for sandwich he was the leader of the group of public servants that brought in. The F.O.I. legislation way back in the 1990s and as he says it when it came in it was regarded as the best access to information. I remember that yeah Canada so he gets up and says he put out a release the NDP used to believe in F.O.I they don't anymore and he's condemned. This law that they brought in they're changing the act and he points out they're changing the act in the name of administrative convenience and saving money and they're changing it in a way that will allow the heads

15:14of public servants so the people that actually get the applications for access to information they can at their own judgment delay responding at their own discretion they are able to narrow the requests at their own discretion and they're able to reject requests for information on the grounds that it would place too much of an administrative burden on government so they can go this is a nuisance like you know you we can't afford the staff time to do this. That's ridiculous though that's a totally gutsy. Well that's what they've done you know and I have to say to me that there's a good piece by our colleague and the plow on the taillee on this today quoting butter roll as well and quite good and giving the government's defense but one of the things I find disturbing about this is that the information and privacy commissioner the watchdog on this legislation he came out and endorsed these changes and didn't

16:18even mention the clawback in this and to my knowledge still hasn't condemned what they've done here but fortunately the independent freedom of information protection of privacy association and Stanley Trump they've all weighed in and now butter roll who is I say he can speak with authority on this because he had a lot to do with getting this law in place in the first place and he's saying he doesn't think the NDP believes in access to information anymore life lock how can I help the IRS that I filed my return but I haven't one in four tax paying Americans has paid the price of identity fraud what do I do my refund though I'm freaking out don't worry I can fix this life lock fixes identity theft guaranteed and gets your money back with up to three million dollars in coverage I'm so relieved no problem I'll be with you every step of the way one in four was a fraud paying not anymore save up to 40 percent your first year visit life lock dot com slash podcast