As a small business owner in Prince George who has a home in Vancouver, I fear Premier Campbell's very successful leadership strategy will be emulated by other party leaders.
The big provincial spending was always slated for Vancouver. Ideas, such as doubling the size of BC Hydro and giving large grants and tax incentives to companies that build factories in Northern British Columbia, unfortunately never materialized under Mr. Campbell's leadership.
For the pass ten years, Premier Campbell's long-range political policies for British Columbia has mainly been driven by two ideas; give companies far less government and invest heavily into the lower mainland.
When Mr. Campbell was first elected, he immediately privatized BC Rail and lowered stumpage rates for forest companies.
He then created laws to stop the growth of BC Hydro and sold power rights for many rivers to private investors for pittance. Electricity rates will be drastically increased for years to come to pay for these new private dams.
Moreover; he sold billions of dollars worth of northern natural gas land rights with very low royalty tax rates. Sadly, only a fraction of this money has been reinvested back into Northern British Columbia.
Taseko's mine application was supported by Mr. Campbell, even after it was rejected by First Nations and by Provincial and Federal Environmental Review Panels.
He supported Enbridge's proposed pipeline from Alberta's tar sands to the West Coast even if the pay off would be small after it was built and environmental risks high.
and much to his final downfall, he introduced the HST to lower corporate costs at the expense of increasing taxes to citizens.
In short, Mr. Campbell made it easier for B.C. resource-basedd companies to do business. But, because of the pine beetle epidemic and other world issues there will be huge economical challenges for Northern British Columbia in the near future.
It will take bold new strategies for the next provincial leader to avoid Northern British Columbia from a slow unending decline.
Mark Clements
Prince George
