Transparency & accountability

Public private partnerships under increasing attack in the UK

Aug 19, 2011
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While British Columbia continues to invest billions in public private partnerships(P3s), a UK Parliamentary Committee today told its government to “wean itself off the practice.”  The Treasury Select Committee found: We have not seen clear evidence of savings and benefits in other areas of PFI projects which are sufficient to offset this significantly higher cost of… View Article

What’s behind the push for a municipal auditor general?

Aug 12, 2011
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The call for the creation of an Auditor General for BC’s municipalities almost seems like a “no-brainer,” doesn’t it? Charlie Smith had a good article in the Georgia Straight outlining reasons why a municipal AG would be a good idea. Some people, in some municipalities have had problems with transparency.  And while the Province does… View Article

What would Stanley say about Brigette Marcelle?

Jun 4, 2011
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For the last 30 years or so when confronted with a thorny issue I have often asked myself this question: what would Stanley say?  This is the lens I would like to apply to Brigette Marcelle’s actions in the Senate last week. Marcelle is the young Senate page who during the Speech from the Throne… View Article

Suspicion about private finance schemes growing in the UK

Jun 2, 2011
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On May 16th British Columbia’s Auditor General published a report on Vancouver General Hospital P3 that raised serious doubts about public private partnerships in British Columbia.  In the UK, where P3s have been around a lot longer, the doubts are getting even graver. Under P3s, or private finance initiative (PFI) as they are known in… View Article

Open government a Cabinet secret declares BC Minister

May 7, 2011
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I love reading Estimates debates in the legislature.  It is a rare opportunity for Opposition critics to grill their assigned Cabinet Ministers at length.  Sometimes the oddest things come out.  On Wednesday the NDP Critic Doug Routley was questioning the Minister for Citizen Services and Open Government Stephanie Cadieux.  It turns out that following up on… View Article

Harper’s Reckless Economics

May 1, 2011
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Throughout the election campaign Stephen Harper claimed the political high ground on the management of the economy. The surprise is that the opposition has pretty much let him get away with this. During the English Language debate the first question focused on $6 billion tax cuts to corporations. Harper said there were no tax cuts… View Article

Much ado about the provincial debt

Feb 16, 2011
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If you read Vaughn Palmer’s online budget analysis in the Vancouver Sun, you’d be forgiven thinking that deficit hysteria is making a comeback in BC. The title of his online piece, Debt Hits Historic High, disappoints with its blatant sensationalism. Yes, it is technically true that in straight up current dollars debt hit a historic… View Article