The Legislature Raids

Question #1 Do you support Reform BC’s demand for the delivery and publication of any and all contracts of sale of BC RAIL between the BC Government and CN Rail?

	Liberals	Reform	Business
Yes	46 %	98 %	72 %
No	54 %	2 %	28 %

Question #2 According to experts, the sale of BC RAIL provides “insider” benefit to certain members of the legislature, and 379,000 public servants through pension funds. At the same time, 90% of BC’s population do not receive any equal benefit. In your opinion is this fair?

	Liberals	Reform	Business
Yes	12 %	3 %	3 %
No	88 %	97 %	97 %

Question #3 Do you support Reform BC’s demands that all “off book” secret agreements involving BC Public Assets and Liabilities be submitted to the BC Legislature for approval?

	Liberals	Reform	Business
Yes	62 %	100 %	92 %
No	38 %	00 %	08 %

Question #4 Do you support Reform’s demand that the BC Auditor General be authorized to prepare and present the BC Legislature with a quarterly Balance Sheet which shows BC’s Consolidated Public Assets and Liabilities, including all Assets in the Public sector under pension funds and all taxpayer supported and Crown Corporation supported debt?

	Liberals	Reform	Business
Yes	94 %	100 %	92 %
No	06 %	00 %	08 %

Question #5 CanWest Global which owns Global Television, the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province and numerous community newspapers is owned in part by the same pension fund (bcIMC) which also owns shares in CN which recently purchased BC RAIL. In your opinion, is there a clear potential for bias in news coverage by CanWest Global in favour of Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberals, owing to the millions of dollars in advertising money received by them through government funded advertising, and advertising in the media by friends of the government pension fund who own shares in large corporations?

	Liberals	Reform	Business
Yes	39 %	87 %	78 %
No	16 %	13 %	32 %

Question #6 Small Businesses surveyed were also asked this following question: Does the local Chamber of Commerce, or any other business organization including the Better Business Bureau speak for you on matters relating to Small Business in British Columbia?

Yes		2 %
No		98 %

Commentary [by Glen Robbins]

There is a large gulf of disagreement between what the BC Liberals are doing and what two-thirds of ‘free enterprisers’ think they should be doing with respect to clarity in government.

The respondents reveal an attitude of “show me don’t tell me” because other than a minority of respondents surveyed, they don’t trust Gordon Campbell and his BC Liberal government.

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals have only marginal support. The supporters they do have are not ready to fight for them, and Reformers, many frustrated over their federal failures are ready to look provincially for an alternative.

If there is anything discovered in the BC RAIL sale that provides a benefit to the bcIMC pension fund at the expense of the citizens, even the media won’t be able to help Gordon Campbell and his MLA’s.

A random telephone survey 150 BC Liberal supporters, 150 Reform BC supporters, and 150 independent small businesses. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" This Robbins Research poll dated Dec. 16, 2003 (12 days before the raid on the legislature) is posted here for its unique test of public feeling even before the shock of a police raid on the B.C. Legislature. The poll is also unique in its focus entirely upon conservative (or "free enterprise" in Mr Robbins' terms) citizens. Mr Robbins was himself a contender for the leadership of the Reform Party. Again, I thank Glen Robbins for permission to re-post his findings from 2003. - BC Mary. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" I try to keep this web-site non-political, believing that BC politics are adversarial, therefore toxic. While searching for information, however, I came across the Provincial election platform of the Reform Party of B.C. (May 17, 2005) Get this: A Reform government will ... RECOVER custody of public equity in the B.C. Workers Compensation Board, Forest Renewal BC, BC OnLine (land-title and personal property registries), bcIMC, BC Hydro, BC Rail and B.C.'s Medical Services Plan. Publish all "off-book" agreements entered into on behalf of the public. (!!) www.reformbc.net/ """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""