Yearly Archives: 2005
No such thing as ‘free trade’
Letter to the Editor of the Victoria News, 24 August 2005 Scott Brison, federal Public Works Minister, told Victoria’s Chamber of Commerce that trade agreements prevent Canada from favouring domestic producers (“Canada can’t discriminate,” Victoria News, August 24). This demonstrates once again why our country should withdraw from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), NAFTA and … Continue reading
Social ownership of BC’s resource wealth: A vision for the BC NDP
Published in the Lower Island News (Victoria), June 2005 With 33 MLAs in the BC legislature, five MPs in the House of Commons, and hundreds of activists in local governments, the BC NDP is a powerful force. We must remember, however, that power is never enough on it own. Inspired by recent electoral success, New … Continue reading
Public healthcare still the best system
Letter to the Editor published in the Victoria Times Colonist, 10 June 2005 Lobby groups for private health corporations, such as the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation and the Canadian Healthcare Association, are celebrating the Supreme Court ruling supporting private insurance. They have called this decision “historic.” Taking a long-range approach to Canadian history, this decision represents … Continue reading
Reality of drug use
Letter to the Editor of the Victoria News, 8 June 2005 In a recent article (‘Nothing safe about this junk’), newsgroup columnist Tom Fletcher describes safe-injection sites as a ‘questionable bit of social engineering.’ Fletcher has every right to hold this opinion, but it seems to ignore the real-life situation in Victoria today. We do … Continue reading
NDP balanced the budget
Letter to the Editor of the Victoria News, 11 February 2005 Several letter-writers, and columnist Paul Willcocks, have contributed to the misconception that the 1990s were a ‘dark decade’ for BC’s economy. NDP leaders are portrayed as terrible fiscal managers, while Campbell and his cohorts are praised for bringing about an economic miracle. This story … Continue reading
