Because Every Fact Matters – Week 3

May 3, 2009

When the NDP speaks, it always seems the facts are the first thing to go. 

As a service to those who think that the facts matter when it comes to important issues regarding the future of our province, here is a summary of some of the facts that Carole James and the NDP just got plain wrong last week.

* We apologize in advance for the record-setting length of this edition, but this was a record-setting week for NDP errors.

LIQUOR TAX #1
NDP CLAIM:   Carole James and the NDP tried to claim that a $155 million tax on private liquor retailers wouldn’t increase prices, stating: "The NDP's proposal will dip into licensee retail stores' big profit margin, but won't raise prices at the checkout.” (NDP Reality Check, April 30) – WRONG

THE FACTS: Only the NDP would try and claim a $155 million tax won’t impact retailers.  According to the Alliance of Beverage Licensees, which represents over 650 private liquor retailers in B.C., these additional costs would mean a 25 per cent increase in the price of beer, wine and spirits for consumers.  For example, under the NDP plan, consumers will pay $3 more for an average six-pack of beer.  For more information

LIQUOR TAX #2
NDP CLAIM: In a desperate attempt to distract voters from their punitive beer tax the NDP stated "The Campbell Liberals have raised the discount on wholesale alcohol purchases given to private liquor stores to 16 per cent. That means private liquor stores pay 16 per cent less for alcohol than the government-run BC Liquor Stores." NDP Reality Check, May 1 – WRONG

THE FACTS: As the Vancouver Province columnist Michael Smyth noted: “That is absolutely wrong. Private liquor stores DO NOT pay 16 per cent less for alcohol than the government-run BC Liquor stores."  For more information see Michael Smyth’s column.

LIQUOR TAX #3
NDP CLAIM: “The NDP plan ensures a level playing (field) between the public liquor stores and the private liquor stores.” (NDP Reality Check, May 1) - WRONG

THE FACTS: Again to quote Michael Smyth: “The government buys its liquor at MUCH LOWER wholesale prices (then private stores) and adds a huge retail markup of up to 163 per cent on its products.”  The NDP’s $155 million tax plan will not ‘level the playing field’, according to retailers the NDP tax will put many private liquor stores “out of business,” reducing choice for consumers and damaging B.C.’s economy.  For more information.

FLARING TAX #1
NDP CLAIM: The NDP claimed in their platform they would “end the routine gas well flaring that accounts for 13% of BC’s greenhouse gas emissions.” (NDP Platform, Pg 42) - WRONG

THE FACTS: According to the BC Oil and Gas Commission, flaring only accounts for between 1 and 2 percent of emissions not 13 per cent as the NDP stated.  Clearly the NDP again failed to do any basic research on a major component of their environmental and tax plan.  For more information, read Vaughn Palmer’s article in the Vancouver Sun

FLARING TAX #2
NDP CLAIM: When confronted with the above flaring fact Gerry Scott, NDP Campaign Co-Manager, tried to explain the error by stating the NDP “Flaring” tax was always intended to also apply to “Fugitive Emissions”. (Tyee, April 28) - WRONG
THE FACTS: Gerry Scott himself stated on Voice of B.C. on April 23 (After the NDP Platform was released) that the NDP was taxing Flaring and nothing else. Scott stated, "We're committed to ending flaring in the oil and gas fields, which means a 13-per-cent reduction right there."  The fact is the NDP announced a $412 million tax with no clear understanding of what or who they were taxing.  For more information.

FLARING TAX #3
NDP CLAIM: In a desperate attempt to explain the error in the NDP platform, NDP Candidate and Platform co-author Bruce Ralston stated: “The report they (the NDP Platform Tax Policies) were based on used the term flaring and fugitive emissions interchangeably.  So I don’t think it was really a mistake in that sense.” (CKNW, May 2) - WRONG

THE FACTS: The author of the report the NDP based their Platform Tax Policies on has fully rejected Ralston’s claim, stating: ““We reported flared and otherwise wasted gas...   The sources cited clearly indicated that flaring was part of the number and not the whole number.” The author also noted that this was stated several times throughout the report.  If Mr. Ralston had bothered to read the report or even contact the author before making a $412 million tax on industry part of the NDP platform, he would have known this.   For more information

CRIME AND POLICING
NDP CLAIM: “The cops have a responsibility to follow moral leadership and let me tell you, the cops do not have that here [in Abbotsford]." Bonnie Rai, NDP candidate. (Vancouver Sun, May 1) – WRONG

THE FACTS: Members of the Abbotsford Police Department work tirelessly to protect the residents of their community.  The Abbotsford Police Department has been at the forefront of dealing with gang violence in British Columbia, including the recent arrest of Jamie Bacon.  Carole James still has not apologized for these appalling comments.  For more information.

NDP DEATH TAX
NDP CLAIM:  NDP Candidate Bruce Ralston stated that fellow NDP candidate Taranjit Purewal was “not in favour of a death tax” (Globe and Mail, May 1) - WRONG

THE FACTS: NDP Candidate Taranjit Purewal clearly stated he supports a death or inheritance tax.  Watch the video of him stating that clearly here.

MINIMUM WAGE #1
NDP CLAIM: “A $10 minimum wage will put millions of dollars back into local economies.” (NDP Reality Check, April 30) - WRONG

THE FACTS: The Fraser Institute study cited by the NDP in the very same Reality Check says that, based on conservative estimates, the NDP’s proposal to increase the minimum wage would result in up to 52,000 jobs lost.  The report goes on to say that “Increasing B.C.’s minimum wage to $10 per hour will have a profoundly negative effect on employment opportunities for young and low-skill workers, and will have almost no effect on those most in need of income and a job.” 

MINIMUM WAGE #2
NDP CLAIM: “Raising the minimum wage will not result in job loss.”  (NDP Reality Check, April 30) - WRONG

THE FACTS:  Again, the only research cited by the NDP in their news release and at their event says that increasing the minimum wage to $10 would result in up to 52,000 jobs lost.  The report goes on to say virtually all “existing academic research from Canada and around the world... finds the overwhelming consensus is that increasing the minimum wage has a significant negative impact on employment, particularly for younger workers.”

MINIMUM WAGE #3
NDP CLAIM: Ontario's five-year, 50 per cent increase to its minimum wage has not caused job losses. (NDP Reality Check, April 30) - WRONG

THE FACTS: A separate study prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Finance on exactly this issue determined that a 25 per cent increase in the minimum wage would result in youth job losses of 7.5 to 30 per cent.  In B.C. this would conservatively mean losing over 50,000 jobs.  Furthermore, according to Statistics Canada, the same year Ontario began increasing the minimum wage (2003) employment growth dropped by almost 50 per cent.  In fact, employment growth in that province went from the highest in country in 2003 to below the Canadian average every following year.