As Premier Rachel Notley returns from leading a ten-day economic trade mission to China and Japan, political watchers have been wondering where the recently elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party has been? Jason Kenney appeared to go into hiding around a month ago after he sparked controversy with his comments about Gay-Straight Alliances and outing
Continue readingTag: Bob Mackin
In-Sights: Jumbo stumble
Eight months ago, Judith Lavoie wrote at DesmogCanada about Jumbo Glacier: Stuck in the ground, halfway down the valley trail leading into the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort, is a stick, leaning crookedly against a small tree, inscribed with the word “Lift.” About one kilometre away, at the bottom of a
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Hudson Mews v. Portland Hotel Society
The Code of Ethics published by the Society for Professional Journalists includes, among others: Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage. Is the pro-media of British Columbia guided by those or
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Good questions
Not a nincompoop blogger, RossK at The Gazetteer mentioned difficulties faced by Bob Mackin, the province’s preeminent investigative journalist, when Bob digs, and pays, for information the government does not want us to know. This Day In Snookland…Maybe Mr. Mackin Should Take Out A Membership In comments, reader Lew wonders
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Shill, sham and flimflam
Perhaps Vaughn Palmer has a Red Telephone, a hotline for when BC Liberals want news initiated, altered or decried. The record is public and to evaluate, readers need simply ask, “Who and what is served by Palmer’s work?” The pundit often has no intention of giving a whole story, with
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Flimflam sham
When conducting hearings on Northern Gateway, the National Energy Board Joint Review Panel denied participation to many and held sessions behind closed doors to limit opposition voices. Its decision favoured multinational industry over affected Canadian citizens and ran contrary to the bulk of testimony heard, including expert claims that “world-leading”
Continue readingMelissa Fong: PHS Social enterprises are ESSENTIAL to poverty elimination in DTES
… social enterprises by PHS provide job/skills/alternative livelihoods to those in a tangle with poverty/addiction/unrealized-skills. These social economy opportunities can’t be taken away from people who face job discrimination in almost any other employment situation. ….
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: The Government of Canada Must Respect the First Nations Rights and Treaties
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Hardly a day goes by without hearing of another environmental disaster. In most cases they are easily traceable back to the doorsteps of greedy ‘Oil and Gas Corporations’ combined with reduced or eliminated federal and provincial regulations. Do we hear outrage and a call to action from
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Encouraging crime best way to fight crime?
“An investigative reporter who analyzed hundreds of FBI counterterrorism stings says the case of a Surrey couple accused of plotting to bomb the B.C. Legislature rings eerily similar. ” ‘…you find these people who want to commit some sort of act of violence, they just have a general, vague idea
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Gordon ‘Flip’ Wilson Hooks Up With Christy Clark and the BC Liberals
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Gordon ‘Flip’ Wilson, the man who never met a political party that he didn’t love and then hate and then love again has rowed across from his Powell River digs to stand with Christy Clark and the soon to be defeated BC Liberals. Actually Gordy and Christy
Continue readingNorthern Insight: As much as anyone, Liberals hurt themselves
“A lie is an affront to the soul, as well as an insult to the intelligence of the person to whom one lies.” ― Judith McNaught Underwear mfg is prime sponsor Tickets for Vancouver’s Times of India Film Awards ‘virtually’ sell out within hours, Larissa Cahute, Vancouver Desi, Feb 15,
Continue readingNorthern Insight: "Marginalization continued"
Writing in The Tyee, Bob Mackin makes an incisive point about recent work of Liberal remittance man Wally Oppal, the loyal BC Liberal go-between when $6-million cash from taxpayers topped up Basi/Virk prosecutor Berardino’s offer of slap-on-the-wrist sentences in return for an end to the BC Rail trial. After Year
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Liberal bagman gains healthy ROI
Last week, investigative journalist Bob Mackin wrote Premier Photo Op and the $185,000 charter bills “On CKNW AM 980, during The Investigators segment on the Oct. 22 edition of the Bill Good Show, I revealed that Premier Christy Clark has spent $185,027.86 on 25 trips from March 18, 2011 through
Continue readingNorthern Insight: No doubt about the winner in a contest of one
Ian Reid and Bob Mackin have been the leading journalists examining Paragon Gaming’s past relationship with Pavco. We knew Paragon had an inside track for the proposed casino at BC Place but it now seems theirs was the only horse in the race. Reid’s BC Place meet Paragon Gaming, along
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Match point for the good folks
So BC Liberals put an end to Liquor Distribution Branch privatization. Rich Coleman’s efforts withered under the scrutiny of one independent journalist and soon to be retired Liberal MLAs decided not to advance their party’s legacy of fraud. Bob Mackin is promising more news on the subject in weeks to
Continue readingNorthern Insight: In sheep’s clothing
Bob Mackin has an interesting piece in The Tyee about a newspaper tycoon and BC Liberal abettor. David Black’s bluster was about about oil refining but the part of Mackin’s story that caught my eye involved one-time Province newspaper publisher Paddy Sherman. In 1958, Sherman was both a news reporter
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Add to your bookmarks
Keep your eyes on 2010 Gold Rush – News and Views on Vancouver 2010 (And Beyond) From Bob Mackin. On Twitter, follow hashtag #LiquorLeaks as Bob reports on Liberal friends maneuvering to take over the province’s lucrative liquor distribution system. Don’t expect corporate media to follow this story. They will
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Spread this story and these links
Ian Reid adroitly captures the question to be answered about BC Rail: “Why did the BC Liberals want to shut the trial down? What were they so afraid of that they would compromise the civil service, the administration of justice and maybe even the law to keep it out of
Continue readingNorthern Insight: BC Liberal closing out sale
Monday, I linked to Guardian columnist George Monbiot, a writer whose work I often find compelling. He said: “Since the 1980s, in Britain, the US and other nations, the primary mission of governments has been to grant their sponsors in the private sector ever greater access to public money and
Continue readingNorthern Insight: What’s up at PavCo besides operating losses?
Whispered leaks say that PavCo’s professional managers are arm wrestling with political hacks who want only happy talk reaching ears of the public. Trouble is, good news at PavCo is mostly spin that won’t hold up to scrutiny. The result, at least until Liberals create a workable survival strategy, is
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