The response of the private power industry (IPPs) to the recently released study on BC Hydro is goofy even against other barmy statements they make.
The defence against the charge that their power costs many times what BC Hydro can make it for themselves is that BC Hydro has paid for its facilities long ago so doesn’t have any capital costs whereas IPPs must build new plants.
Of course that’s true – AND THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT!!!
Why should BC Hydro (that’s us folks) pay huge rates to cover the construction of private dams when they can get the power from their own system at a fraction of the cost? To pay a triple, quadruple bonus to IPPs so they can build power plants that ruin our rivers and supply us with hugely dear power is plain and simply nuts – yet that’s what the Campbell/Clark Government has been doing for 10 years!
Repeat after me – Vaughn Palmer and Mike Smyth too please: “We have never needed IPPS, don’t need them now and won’t need them in the foreseeable future.”
Independent experts make it clear that with reasonable conservation, upgrade of current facilities, new generators on flood control dams and taking the Columbia River Treaty power back that we currently sell, puts us in a position that no new power will be needed for decades.
My Liberal colleague on our Monday morning Political Panel said today, obviously thinking this was in the government’s favour, that the Committee Report is a window into BC Hydro’s inner workings.
I replied and say again, “Yes that’s absolutely right and when the experts look into that window they see a screwed up mess of massive proportions all of which happened during the last 11 years the Campbell/ Clark government has been running the show!”
There is no escaping this charge because BC Hydro has its policy directed by the government of the day and always has. The orders to bugger up our rivers and streams by IPPs came directly from the Campbell/Clark government. The government has persisted in this policy even though they have been fully informed throughout.
This report also, without saying so, is a condemnation of the media which knew all the facts leading up to the report’s criticism of IPPs, but stayed silent. This is disgraceful and there’s no excuse for their silent support for the Campbell/Clark encouragement of IPPs. If Vaughn Palmer had dealt with this issue the way he dealt with the “fast ferries” issue under the NDP, I have no doubt that the outcry from the public would have been such that the government would have been forced to cancel this outrageous policy.
As with fish farms, and will be with pipelines and tankers, it’s all there for everyone to see – BC Hydro has been brought to where, if it was in the private sector, it would be in bankruptcy protection.
Premier Clark would like to distance herself from the past and considering her role in government and her silence when in radio, one can understand why.
She could make a big step towards her goal by ending BC Hydro’s commitment to private power immediately.
If Ms. Clark refuses to change, she will deserve to have her name linked with that of Gordon Campbell because her government will continue to be joined at the hip to the 10+ years the Liberals have been destroying BC Hydro and the environment.
My Liberal colleague on the CBC is right – the report is indeed a window into BC Hydro’s government-directed follies which have destroyed our rivers, are bent on destroying many others and committing corporate suicide in the bargain.
Why are we in this position? There is much bitching and whining about public policy, but we elect the same clowns again and again. In Australia it is not a right but an obligation to vote. Complacency is the enemy. Whining on the internet is easy, Getting involved in the political process requires more effort. If we want to defeat the edicts of these greedy buffoons then we must vote our opinions. We must also enlist more people with an understanding of the issues and the ability and the desire
to respond to the public’s demands rather than the demands of the corporate world
The Liberals are all about profit at any cost. Families First! – what a joke, how about Liberals First! Christy Clark is just confusing people by appearing to care. BC Hydro has been used by the Liberals as a tool to further the ir private agenda, making themselves and friends rich, destroying BC Utilities oversight on the Smart Meter/Grid disaster, setting up a system of remote control by utility to shut down our power consumption in peak periods to sell to California, helping their friends make outrageous amounts of money on IPP charges 4 times regular rates. Bring back accountability, get rid of these creeps, and insist on moratorium on IPP, Smart Meters, privatization of BC Hydro. People – get involved and stop this headlong rush to totalitarianism where the “authority” boots your face because we are too polite to stop them. Either that or hand over your life to Government who uses you, but doesn’t represent you. And just open the border to the US – Canada’s resources are theirs for the taking with governments like this.
Exactly GJW, and that is the only reason Rafe was “silenced” from broadcasting on brand X…we couldn’t have someone on the air every morning telling us the actual truth.
That is much too inconvenient; after all we can’t handle the truth….(must be a good movie in there somewhere…..;)
Of course Rafe is right on, that’s why we have so much confidence, in reading his site.
Christy had the chance, to undo Campbell’s insane, unjust, taxes, and, hateful endeavors he forced upon this province and the people. She chose to do nothing. Her priority is, continuing on with, Campbell, Hansen and Harper’s, HST scam. Good Grief!!! BC’s HST doesn’t even stay in BC. It goes right straight to, the other snake in the grass Harper. BC is a province of natural resources. The HST does nothing for the people, what-so-ever. What does Christy care about, the horrific eco damage from, the run of the rivers, and the cost of hydro. inflicted on her citizens? Christy is no damned different than Campbell.
And while we are at it. I think it’s time, Canada kicked Norway out of our country. It’s bad enough, their filthy fish farms, are killing our salmon. They could care less about, the people who depend on the salmon, in other country’s too. Now they are diverting our rivers? If they have no respect for Canada’s eco systems, it’s time to kick them, the hell out.
But then, we have Harper lying to Europe, passing the tar sands oil, as clean energy. Disgusting.
Rafe’s statement here in the ninth para:
“The government has persisted in this policy even though they have been fully informed throughout.”
How many issues can this statement be applied to when referring to this government?
BC hydro, BC Rail, fish farms, the HST debacle, the budget previous to the last election, the South Perimeter Rd, the Tsawassen hydro lines, convention centre, the land sold between Sooke and Jordan River etc etc…and those are before my first coffee…
Almost any issue that comes to mind recently has been driven by this government’s policy and always has.
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Rafe does not receive many comments from readers because people are afraid to stand up and be counted.
People are afraid to state what they really truly think for fear of being looked upon as something other than what they are.
This is the part of “political correctness” in our society that MUST CHANGE IMMEDIATELY.
The result being the appearance that the general public has little interest in important topics such as the aforementioned issues.
These jokers in Victoria have to go, before they sell off every last crown corp and destroy the environment to boot.
treat yourself real good Rafe (and co.)
you are burning so bright !!
it’s irreplacable , try to make ‘sustainable”
Deep Respect + Gratitude to you Mr. Mair
Live Long
(please folks, lets not split the non clark vote!)
It bothers me that the mainstream media is not doing its job to bring this matter to the public’s attention. It is very concerning that there seem to be a lot of people that are not even aware of what is going on. I just read an article in the Guardian Weekly titled Call for public jury to rein in ‘feral elite’ (in Britain). They have formed a public interest first group and would like to see power taken away from remote interest groups, the article also states that private interests have bankrupted and corrupted the public realm. It would be good to do something like this in BC as it is very distressing to watch public utilities and our rivers and salmon etc. being destroyed so private interest groups can profit. Thank You Rafe for all your good reporting I really appreciate it.
Well done Rafe and Damian! It is hard to imagine how the BC Liberal’s can hang on much longer, but then
I suggest that BC should have a second body, a Senate, to approve and reject legislation and even policy. But this senate can form like we form a jury: randomly picked from the people. A People’s Senate! Then they look at these kinds of government policies and say, hmm, this is goofy.
“Right on, Rafe!”…..as I nod in agreement
I used to wonder why you received so few comments on your articles, Rafe. I finally figured out why, though. It’s because you state your opinions so eloquently that nobody in their right mind could contest them, and all other readers can only nod in agreement, or yell, “Right on, Rafe!”