Well, what’s new? B.C. Hydro, in the hole, after years of hundreds of millions in profits. Now the new NDP government is facing the path towards insolvency with ICBC. This is just the beginning.
ICBC was brought in by the Barrett/NDP Government in the ’70s to put an end to the rip off by the private insurance companies and it was an overwhelming success in providing affordable and universal car insurance at reasonable rates, better than anywhere else in Canada.
Some years later, the Liberal government’s minister responsible, Pat McGeer, tried to turn it back to the private insurance business, but with no logical reason other than to satisfy privatizing for the profit of their neo-liberal supporters, there was such an incredible public backlash, they had to back off.
Recently, in spite of ICBC’s financial state and in spite of a public backlash, top ICBC executives were rewarded with huge bonuses.
In order to move on recognizing the financial problems, I hope the Liberal government is made to account for it all. In balancing budgets and giving billions in tax cuts to the rich, the Liberals have been downloading on the municipalities, cutting social programs, raising user fees (i.e. MSP) premiums and bridge tolls, selling off the commons and sneakily bilking public utilities such as B.C. Hydro and ICBC as cash cows.
If you want to destroy social programs and public utilities, underfund them and/or bleed them so that they become dysfunctional and discredited, creating a negative public reaction, then privatize them and sell them off to their corporate friends at fire sale prices.
It’s not new. They have been selling off the commons for years: B.C. Hydro power, remember the BC Rail scandal, the sell-off of public lands, and their recently exposed unconscionable firing of researchers into pharmaceuticals at UBC, which they had to reverse and pay out of court settlements because of public outrage and fear of further consequences.
When the truth comes out, as I am sure it will, and government mishandling and corruption are exposed, those responsible should get what they so richly deserve: the full measure of public wrath and accountability.
It is an opportunity for the NDP and Greens to tell it as it is by giving this province back to the people with acceptable social programs and fundamental human rights. We have been the victims of the class tyranny of the rich, their corporations bought and paid for politicians, producing ever increasing inequality and poverty. Yes, it’s not new and enough is enough!
Bill Zander is a New Westminster resident
