XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
   From: Çons@32%   
      
   CBC News Posted: Feb 13, 2012   
      
   B.C. premier delivers talk show 'throne speech'   
   LB.C. Premier Christy Clark returned to her roots as a radio talk show host to   
   announce her   
   government's priorities on Monday morning — ahead of the start of the spring   
   legislative   
   session on Tuesday.   
   During the 90-minute appearance on a private radio station in Vancouver where   
   Clark once hosted   
   a show before she became premier, she emphasized her government would be   
   sticking with its   
   policies of fiscal restraint, job creation and economic growth.   
      
   Clark said it will mean a lot of tough decisions, but the government still   
   wants to balance the   
   budget by the 2013-14 fiscal year.   
      
   "British Columbians want us to balance it," she said. "They do not want us to   
   burden their   
   children with mountains of debt. And so we're going to balance," she said.   
      
   Clark said there would be no wage increase for B.C.'s teachers, and she was   
   not optimistic that   
   the continuing job action would be solved with a negotiated settlement.   
      
   She also said she will outline a seniors agenda in the next few days, but did   
   not release any   
   details. Nor did she say when she would call two upcoming byelections in the   
   ridings of Port   
   Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope.   
      
   Radio appearance questioned   
   Clark's decision to introduce her agenda on private radio raised questions   
   among politicians   
   and political pundits.   
      
   The move was announced last week in an email sent to press gallery members   
   from Clark's deputy   
   press secretary and communications officer Rebecca Scott.   
      
   "In place of a formal throne speech, the premier will be appearing on CKNW’s   
   Bill Good Show to   
   outline the government’s agenda for the spring session," said the email.   
      
   Officially there is no throne speech required at the start of this spring   
   legislative session   
   because it is a continuation of the fall session when Clark did have a throne   
   speech in the   
   legislature.   
      
   But New Democrat house leader John Horgan questioned the premier's choice of   
   venue to introduce   
   her government's agenda.   
      
   "I'm a bit concerned that she has selected one media outlet to put forward her   
   ideas today. She   
   has every opportunity as premier to stand in the legislature at any time and   
   give the people of   
   B.C. her view in the legislature, which as you know was constructed for that   
   purpose," said   
   Horgan.   
      
   B.C. Conservative Party Leader John Cummins called it a communications stunt   
   designed to avoid   
   debate in the legislature.   
      
   Norman Ruff, a retired political science professor, said setting out the   
   government agenda on   
   private radio rather than in the legislature is demeaning and suggests a   
   contempt for the   
   legislature, and only adds to the appearance that her government is light on   
   policy.   
      
   The upcoming session is expected to be busy for Clark, with the budget due   
   next week. Other   
   issues facing the B.C. Liberals are an overburdened justice system, programs   
   to revitalize   
   Burns Lake after the loss of that community's sawmill and two upcoming   
   byelections.   
      
      
   *******************************************************   
   "We CAN look after each other better than we do today.   
   We CAN have a fiscally responsible government.   
   We CAN have a strong economy; greater equality; a clean environment.   
   We CAN be a force for peace in the world."                      - Jack Layton   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)