What the NDP Said...

• “It's a bad deal [the softwood lumber agreement]. Now, I've said you need to look at renegotiating it. You need to go back to the table.” – Carole James, Voice of BC, Oct 02/08
• “Is this a deal we can support? No, not on your life.” – Bob Simpson, NDP Forestry critic, Hansard, Feb 18/08
  

• “Bluntly put, [wanting to scrap the softwood lumber agreement] has to be one of the more uninformed views that I've heard for some time around softwood lumber.” John Allen, President of the Council of Forest Industries, Vancouver Sun, Sept 25/08
• “It [softwood lumber agreement] has provided our industry with the certainty we require to plan and carry out our business.” – Letter to the Editor, Jim Shepard, president & CEO of Canfor; Duncan Davies, president & CEO of Interfor, and Hank Ketchum, president & CEO of West Fraser Timber Ltd., Vancouver Sun, Oct 07/08
  

• Under the Softwood Lumber Agreement $2.4 billion has flowed back to BC’s forest industry.

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THE NDP IS INCOMPETENT ON ECONOMIC ISSUES

• “It doesn’t work to make tax cuts.” – Carole James, CFAX, Aug 06/03
• “We don’t need tax cuts.” – Jenn McGinn, Vancouver Sun, Nov 16/00
• “I haven’t seen anyone die of over taxation in this province.” – Leonard Krog, Hansard, Apr 01/93
  

• “…lower business and personal tax rates and a reduction of red tape have played an important role in encouraging both people and investment to the province.” - Richard Rees, CEO of the Chartered Accountants of B.C. Presentation to the Finance and Government Services Committee, Oct 5/07
• “Far-sighted union leaders should be applauding the move to a lower corporate income tax rate. Easing the tax burden on capital is a sure-fire way to spur faster productivity growth, which is the basic prerequisite for achieving higher real wages and incomes over time.” - Jock Finlayson, Business in Vancouver.
  

• Since 2001 British Columbians have seen their taxes go down an average of 37%, leaving more money you in your pocket. The NDP has voted against more than 100 tax cutting measures.

• “We would impose a moratorium on new projects.” – John Horgan, NDP Energy critic, Revelstoke Times Review, Oct 13/08

WHAT FIRST NATIONS SAY

• “…we believe strongly the IPP sector is resulting in more jobs, steady revenue streams, and capacity building for our nations.” - Chief Ken Brown, Klahoose First Nation; Chief Walter Paul, Sliammon First Nation; Chief Darren Blaney, Homalco First Nation, Letter to the Editor, Vancouver Sun, Jul 16/08

THE SCORE

• Independent Power Producers have invested an estimated $2.4 billion in BC and have created 1,100 jobs in rural and First Nations’ communities around the province – and is predicting $6.8 billion in further investment to come.
  

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CAROLE JAMES AND THE NDP’S OPPOSITION TO A NEW PORT MANN BRIDGE IS IRRESPONSIBLE

• “(the Port Mann Bridge is) …a colossal waste of taxpayers' money.” – Maurine Karagianis, Hansard, Mar. 2/09
• “I’ve said it’s [the Port Mann] the wrong bridge and the wrong plan.” – Carole James, CTV, Sept 27/07
  

WHAT THE COMMUNITIES SAY

• “With the Port Mann Bridge, the free-flow of traffic at Cape Horn will allow commuters to drive through our community instead of stopping at a parking lot every morning.” - Greg Moore, Port Coquitlam Mayor, The Tri-City News, Feb 05/09
• “It's costing the economy of this province tens of millions of dollars to have our trucks sitting in traffic. Every hour they're parked costs $100 and that drives up the cost of goods.” - Don McGill, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 213, Surrey Now, Oct 05/07
  

THE SCORE

• Building a new Port Mann Bridge will relieve the most congested highway in British Columbia, and will allow for transit service across the bridge for the first time in over 20 years.
  

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CAROLE JAMES’S OPPOSITION TO NEW ROADS AND BRIDGES IN THE LOWER MAINLAND IS IRRESPONSIBLE

• “I’m against the Premier's Gateway program. I've been clear about that.” – Carole James, Global BC, Sept 27/07
• “…I said that I was against the Premier's Gateway program. I was against it; it was the wrong plan.” – Carole James, Voice of BC, Oct 11/07
  

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

• “Transportation is an economic driver and hampering its growth is detrimental to us all. This initiative will ensure Vancouver remains the Port of choice on the West Coast and our business, freight, jobs and opportunities are not be lost to better funded U.S. system.” - Ruth Sol, president, Western Transportation Advisory Council.
• “The Gateway Program isn’t just about going green, it’s about quality of life, it’s about getting home sooner, having less stress, cheaper goods in our stores and getting people moving again by being able to re-introduce transit to the Port Mann.” – Langley Township councillor Jordan Bateman.
  

THE SCORE

• The $3 billion Gateway Program includes major road and bridge improvement projects, including the Pitt River Bridge, North and South Fraser Perimeter Roads, and expanding the Port Mann Bridge and Highway 1.

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THE NDP’S POSITION ON TRADE IS IRRESPONSIBLE

• "We need to be talking about local economies, not freer trade.” – Michelle Mungall, NDP Candidate Nelson-Creston, Nelson Daily News, Feb 19/09
• “Yes, I do [oppose TILMA].” – Michael Sather, NDP Intergovernmental Affairs critic, CKNW, Mar 31/07
  

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

• “Public policy developments such as the BC-Alberta Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA), will contribute to BC's continued prosperity. The agreement has enhanced the province's economic competitiveness.” – Canada West Foundation, News Release, Sep 6/07

THE SCORE

• TILMA created the second largest economy in Canada, and Conference Board of Canada found TILMA will add 4.8 per cent to real GDP and create 78,000 new jobs in BC alone.

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CAROLE JAMES IS DISHONEST WHEN SHE SAYS SHE SUPPORTS THE OLYMPICS

• "And I am a cheerleader for the Olympics. I think it’s a great opportunity for us in British Columbia." - Carole James, CKNW, Sep 16/06
• “I didn’t support the government trying to gain the Olympics.” - Carole James, CBC Almanac, Jan 16/04
• “I didn’t support going for the bid in the beginning.” – Carole James, CFAX, Aug 11/03
• “I heard the Finance Minister say this week that the Olympics are the best economic stimulus any government could hope for. I disagree.” – Carole James, Speech to the Western Silviculture Contractors Association, Feb 05/09
  

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

• “Winning the Olympic bid has been a huge benefit, attracting investment and stimulating new infrastructure. Continued construction on the Olympic venues and the transportation links will support economic growth even this year. The Games themselves will bolster tourism, retail sales, and other related activity in 2010.” - Dr. Anne Golden, C.M., President and Chief Executive Officer, The Conference Board of Canada, British Columbia Economic Summit Feb 3/09
• “Fuelled by the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games . . . the province will get back on its feet next year. Real GDP will turn around from a 0.1 per cent drop this year to a nation-leading 4.3 per cent gain in 2010.” Conference Board of Canada (www.conferenceboard.ca)

THE SCORE

• The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are expected to generate over $10 billion in economic activity, and the Games and their resulting activity are estimated to create 244,000 jobs.