Frankly Speaking

A smiling Dave Barrett is an apt image of the former premier and longtime NDP MLA, and NDP MP for one term. He had a passion for politics, but he also had a wonderful sense of humour and was the most entertaining politician on the stump that I've ever seen in B.C. Dave Barrett was remembered at two public memorial events last weekend, in Victoria and Vancouver. Barrett, who died at the age of 87 in early February, was B.C.’s first NDP premier. He headed a government that was in office for just under three and one-half years, from 1972 to 1975. It was a “government in a hurry,” passing 357 bills in its few years in office and ushering in an era of remarkable change in B.C. Some of its most significant achievements have been commented on extensively, most frequently the establishment of the Agricultural Land Reserve, the creation of ICBC, bringing Hansard and question period to the provincial legislature and one of the first pharmacare programs in Canada. Not much at...

The spring and summer repair work on the Pattullo Bridge has quickly exposed the complete inadequacies of transportation networks between the fast-growing south of the Fraser area and the remainder of Metro Vancouver. Pattullo Bridge traffic is clogged for most of the day every day, as it is now down to one lane in each direction so that patchwork repairs can be made. It is important to note that these repairs are only expected to extend the life of the bridge by a few years, as the longterm plan is to replace it with a new toll bridge. The Alex Fraser Bridge, Highway 91 and all the feeder routes are even more clogged than ever since the Pattullo repairs began on April 29. Other than the Pattullo, it is the only free bridge across the Fraser River. The Alex Fraser traffic has been building significantly since the tolled Port Mann Bridge opened. Interestingly the Port Mann Bridge has been noticeably busier since the Pattullo work began. This makes sense – it does have the abi...

There will be many more scenes like this in Willoughby in the coming years, with the provincial government's removal of the property purchase tax on new homes values at $750,000 or less. The provincial budget will have a significant effect on Langley, particularly Willoughby. That’s because of how the province has chosen to react to the growing furore over housing unaffordability. It is not boosting the level at which the property purchase tax stays at one per cent ($200,000) and it is not boosting the exemption for first-time buyers (it only applies to property valued at a maximum $475,000). Instead, it is eliminating property purchase tax entirely on new homes valued at $750,000 or less. To make up for the income loss (and that’s what the government really cares about), it will  boost the property purchase tax to three per cent on properties valued at $2 million or more. While this boost in taxes on the wealthy is welcome and long overdue, the government’...