The Bad Record

Macdonald accused past NDP governments of “destroying the economic welfare of our province as a whole, and destroying the lives of decent, hard-working union and non-union people in the private sectors of this province.” So what have the liberals done?

The Golden Decade:

Closed 1279 hospital beds 2002-2004

Increased wait times by 30% on average since 2001

Reduced home support services (cleaning, laundry and shopping) to
5600 residents requiring assistance in their homes. And commenced the despicable habit of separating seniors from their families. Causing (I allege) the deaths of some of those seniors

Increased Pharmacare costs for 420,000 seniors. And didn't increase their pensions accordingly.

Cut 17 drugs from Pharmacare. Thus adding additional costs to those who most need it.

Increased MSP premiums by 50%. Putting further hardship on those who can't afford it.

Cut over $200 million from programs for children and families under
the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Eliminated the independent offices of the Child, Youth and
Family Advocates. And had to do a turnaround when finally someone died.

Eliminated the independent office of Mental Health Advocate.

Cut $50 million from child care,causing neglect and death to those most vulnerable in our society.

Broke contracts with health science professionals, nurses, health
support workers and community social service workers legislated away key job protection rights previously provided under the Labour Relations Code to health care workers and community social service workers.

Cancelled a negotiated $2.5 million wage increase for community
social service workers, and then rolled back their wages by a further $40 million.

Rolled back wages of hospital support workers by 15%.

Fired 8,000 hospital workers (87% of hospital workers in B.C. are
women).

Privatized laundry, food, cleaning and other hospital services. Bringing about poorer services and food and dirtier hospitals.

Privatization resulted in wages being cut to $9.50 to $11.00 an hour
with few benefits.

Reduced minimum wage from $8 to $6 an hour for new workers under the guise of calling it a "training wage".

Cut 550 staff at Workers' Compensation Board. And gutted the regulations making it almost impossible to get compensated for injuries on the job.

Deleted one third of staff at the Employment Standards Branch. And gutted the Employment Standards Act

Closed 177 schools. Making countless students travel further to school. Then caused the demise of some routes making it next to impossible for some children to get a proper education.

Deleted 2,500 teachers (350 teachers because of declining enrolment;
the rest because of government cuts).

Broke contract with teachers. Causing an uproar with the General Population.

Increased college and university tuition fees by 104%. After promising to have the best education system in the country.

Cut training and apprenticeship programs. Leaving the labour force to look elsewhere to find certified workers.

Cut 1,200 staff between 2001 and 2004 from the 2 main ministries
dealing with the environment; Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, and the Ministry of Forests. Cut regulations protecting the quality of drinking water by changing the regulations to allow the contractors to certify sewage and septic field installers to certify their own work.

Cut spending on wildlife protection and law enforcement to the lowest in 20 years.

Introduced parking fees in provincial parks, reducing provincial park
attendance by 25%

Privatized one third of BC Hydro to Accenture, a Bermuda based company. Then castrated the company by making it inpossible for it to increase its' power generation. Leaving it with only the transmission lines.

Privatized B.C. Ferries, ferry fares increased. Yet they still get involved with the ferry system by handing them candys every once in a while.

Increased ICBC rates by an average 18.6% over the last 4 years.

Increased drivers' license fees.

Increased parks, hunting and fishing fees. Cut taxes by $2.2 billion - the biggest benefit going to business and
the wealthiest.

Continues to close long term care beds and fail to open beds promised in the last election.

Continues to give non answers in question period. Calling it" question period not question and answer period" This from a government that promised to be the most open, honest, and accountable government in the history of the province.

All of this prompts me to state that whatever Campbell promises in the next election he absolutely do the opposite. Look at his past record.