Former NDP MP Fin Donnelly is hoping to make a political comeback.
Donnelly is seeking the BC NDP nomination for the riding of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. The 54-year-old served as an MP for 10 years in the Tri-Cities before deciding not to run in the 2019 federal election.
“Now more than ever, the people of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain need leadership that represents everyone,” Donnelly said. “I’m ready to join John Horgan and his NDP team to create more affordable housing, ensure access to better childcare and build schools to meet the demand of our growing community.”
The riding, which is currently held by BC Liberal MLA Joan Issacs, is seen as a crucial swing seat.
Issacs defeated NDP incumbent Jodie Wickens by 87 votes in the last provincial election, the closest race in the province. Wickens will not be seeking the nomination against Donnelly.
There is uncertainty about when the next provincial election may take place.
The makeup of the B.C legislature is 41 BC Liberal MLAs, 41 NDP MLAs, two Greens and two Independents.
Premier John Horgan has not ruled out an election in the fall but he also doesn’t have the power to singlehandedly trigger an election. The Lieutenant Governor would have to support the idea of an election any time before the next fixed election date in October 2021.
There has been a recent string of polls that appear to be good news for Horgan and the NDP. Ekos Research released data on Tuesday showing the party would be expected to win a majority government if an election were held now.
The poll found 51 per cent of those polled would support the NDP and 25 per cent would support the BC Liberals. The Greens remain third at 14 per cent, while 11 per cent support other parties.
One in six voters remain undecided.
“Our recent polling in other provinces shows large leads for governing parties, thanks in part to their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NDP is no exception, even though they lead a minority government with support in confidence votes from the Green Party,” an explanation from Ekos reads.
“The NDP now leads in every region of the province, even in the Interior where they trailed the Liberals in our last poll. In fact, there has been a huge shift in the Interior, where the NDP has gone up from 35 to 44 points, while the Liberals have dropped from 37 to 25.”
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
