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Ministers smothered by summer |
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Written by BRUCE STRACHAN
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Wednesday, 01 July 2009 |
Got the summertime blues?
School’s only been out for a week and already the youngsters are underfoot and bored, saying there’s nothing to do. To top it off, the weather’s marginal and so is your golf game.
Feeling down, or overwhelmed? How would you like to be B.C. cabinet minister facing a stagnant economy, revenue shortfalls and mounting public pressure for a fast fix.
Today, a look at three portfolios, all with new ministers at the wheel and all with their unique set of problems.
First to Moira Stilwell, B.C.’s newly minted minister of advanced education. Stilwell was in Prince George last week and visited CNC and UNBC. She came away impressed, as so she should. Both institutions are first-class schools, and both are uniquely responsive to community and regional needs. They are also significant contributors to our local economy.
When in Prince George, Stilwell admitted she is “geographically challenged,” a common failing of Lower Mainland politicians who at times don’t understand there is hope beyond Hope.
However, Stilwell has a greater challenge facing her this summer. If she doesn’t already know, she’ll soon learn she has to have a 2010/11 budget ready to go in few months, a budget that must accommodate higher-than-normal enrolments with lower-than-normal provincial revenues. It’s the tough reality of providing post-secondary education. When the economy tanks, college and university admissions soar.
Stilwell has two tough tasks to tackle. One, take on a tight treasury board and extract more money; and two, ensure a fair distribution of post-secondary cash throughout the province, in particular to Prince George. An educated population is our only sustainable resource.
Our number two guy in the B.C. political spotlight is health minister Kevin Falcon. Falcon is not exactly the picture of subtlety or finesse. As highways minister, Falcon literally bulldozed his way through the hearts and minds and neighbourhoods of British Columbians.
Never content to rest on his laurels, Falcon’s first steps in the health portfolio were to take on the Canada Health Act and his own government. An ultra-conservative, Falcon said people should be able to use their own money to buy private health services. I agree, but others don’t. And, as it happens, the Campbell government is currently in court fighting a private-surgery provider over the constitutionality of extra billing and charges for medically necessary services.
Falcon has stepped into the political doo-doo on this one. But, he’s a survivor and I’ll bet he has health ministry staff working on private-sector health opportunities, such as co-pay programs and more support for private surgeries. Falcon will no doubt be aided and abetted by a Vancouver Board of Trade health conference being held the third week in July.
Stay tuned for a tough fight over medical care coming soon to a health authority near you. Governments always take on the contentious issues early in their mandate and the time is right for this one to begin.
Finally, we turn to George Abbott, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. Abbott is a seasoned political veteran, a former Regional District chair, an old-boy member of the Liberal opposition and a cabinet minister since Gordon Campbell formed government in 2001.
Abbott also has responsibility for the on-again-off-again Aboriginal Recognition and Reconciliation Act. This legislation has never seen the light of day, and was kept well below the radar during the provincial election campaign. Now, with the election over, the R and R Act seems to be on the move. At the June 10th cabinet swearing in, Premier Campbell said, “We will continue to work with B.C’s First Nations to strengthen
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and build our new relationship.” To which many are asking, What new relationship? The one in the Act no one has seen?
Indeed, about the only thing happening to Campbell’s new take on aboriginal recognition and reconciliation is that no one likes it. The feds say it interferes with their mandate, while native groups reject it as not going far enough. Plus, the Business Council of B.C. has a legal opinion floating around saying the discussion paper explaining the Act identifies core legal defects and if implemented would result in dramatically reduced resource development.
George Abbott will spend his summer sorting out where to go, if anywhere, with his new mandate from the boss. Abbott is really stuck between a rock and a hard place.
There you have it, a snapshot of a three cabinet ministers and how they will spend their summer.
A summer spent balancing rising expectations with collapsing revenues, political hot-buttons and a nervous business community. It makes the bored kids and the crummy golf game look almost inviting.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 01 July 2009 )
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