Former premier Mike Harcourt quits B.C. NDP in nasty public split

[Locutus]

That's a shame. :lol:

BC's NDP at a Crossroads


Former BC Premier Mike Harcourt has caused enormous shock waves throughout BC's NDP by very publicly quitting the party:

In a rare rebuke from an ex-premier to his party, Mr. Harcourt cited several grievances, but pointed to the "astonishingly stupid decision" of leader Adrian Dix in mid campaign last spring to change position on a proposed expansion of a Kinder-Morgan pipeline between Alberta and the Lower Mainland.

Mr. Dix said he would oppose the expansion after saying he would wait until an application for approval was filed to take a position.

"Coming out against Kinder Morgan just finally did it for me. I thought that was so stupid and unnecessary," Mr. Harcourt said, estimating Mr. Dix's reversal cost the New Democrats 20 seats and alienated blue-collar workers in resource communities across the province.​

Left Coast Dippers now have a decision to make: Will they remain subservient to the whims of the environmental elitists or will they move forward with a more pragmatic approach?


BC's NDP at a Crossroads - Small Dead Animals

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...dp-in-public-and-nasty-split/article17751648/

 

[mentalfloss]

Um... The guy actually wanted a carbon tax when the party didn't so it's not like he was any less supportive of action on the environment.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Did Mike Harcourt recover that horrible fall he had years back or is he still in a wheelchair?

 

[Zipperfish]

No, he's walking around now, though not what you'd call agile. Still active in environmental issues, and making bucks on the speaker's tour, I gather.

 

[Goober]

Um... The guy actually wanted a carbon tax when the party didn't so it's not like he was any less supportive of action on the environment.

Did he not also state that the cities with all the Greenies did not give a hoot about those that make their living from natural resources.

Former premier Mike Harcourt quits B.C. NDP in nasty public split - The Globe and Mail
Mr. Dix said he would oppose the expansion after saying he would wait until an application for approval was filed to take a position.

“Coming out against Kinder Morgan just finally did it for me. I thought that was so stupid and unnecessary,” Mr. Harcourt said, estimating Mr. Dix’s reversal cost the New Democrats 20 seats and alienated blue-collar workers in resource communities across the province.

He said the party needs leadership that balances an understanding of the Lower Mainland with the resource realities of the province. “Vancouver is an important part of the province, but most communities, about 150 of them, survive on natural resources, and if you say, ‘You can’t log, you can’t mine, you can’t drill wells for gas or ranch,’ you’re ignoring 95 per cent of British Columbia and most of the communities that depend on natural resources.”

 

[mentalfloss]

Did he also not say he wanted a carbon tax?

He's just choosing to tackle the problem from a different angle.

Alberta already carbon taxes the fukk out its people.

 

[Goober]

Did he also not say he wanted a carbon tax?

He's just choosing to tackle the problem from a different angle.

Alberta already carbon taxes the fukk out its people.

No sense in getting upset. The cities, suburbs have no clue as to the jobs created by nat resources.
They all want to go green.

Germany was long held up as an example of a first world economy diversifying into green energy. They now realize they cannot afford it.

As to a carbon tax, I have no issue with that.
I also support an increased GST as it is the fairest tax we have. All based upon consumption.
The issue I would have is how the revenue generated is used.
We have industries that are high users of energy. They would need time, grants etc to retool.