For nearly the past four decades I have closely followed the BC political scene, respecting the difficult task members of the Legislature all face no matter what party they represent. I’ve voted in every election at every level which has been available to me, which is my duty so to do. During that entire period, when faced with cynics who state generalities about how ‘no politician is trustworthy’ or ‘what’s the point in voting, they’re all the same’, I’ve pointed out the need to understand the complexities of governing as well as actively playing a part in the decision-making process was important in order to make one’s voice heard.

Until now. Frankly, I’m fed up.

The BC Liberal Government has so frequently demonstrated an arrogance and inability to heed the needs of anyone beyond the halls of Premier’s Block that I can no longer stomach hearing the news each morning. Repeatedly statements made by senior Cabinet Ministers and the Premier of the province have proven to be less than entirely truthful.

We were told that there was no money for the BC Arts Council, yet there was a billion available to build a new Port Mann Bridge (which hasn’t reached the end of its life-span as yet). Yesterday, suddenly, $7 million of the Arts Council’s funding is restored, with the arts being “a priority” to the government.

We were told there was no money for young people’s community sports programming, yet there are countless millions available for the re-fitting and expensive re-roofing of a stadium which many said was no longer worth the continued use of, given the increased need for convention centre space instead. A few weeks ago, suddenly, the budget for that project is nearly doubled in order to then publicly declare it ‘under-budget and on-schedule’.

The provincial parks system is incredibly under-staffed and under-funded, and the revenue it takes in gets syphoned off to some other ministry. Meanwhile, the Premier shovelled money off a truck for his pet projects with no strings attached regarding how and when the money was to be spent.

There’s no real advancement with either the extension of SkyTrain to UBC – something which is long over-due – or the Evergreen Line which was announced nearly a quarter-century ago. Meanwhile it’s up-to-the-minute important to get going on the Site-C Dam, and for three plane-loads of people be flown to the area for the announcement of the millions of dollars about to be spent on another study for the project. This is possibly because the Premier considers himself the re-incarnation of W.A.C. Bennett.

Now it seems that the Liberal Government was very closely examining the question of the HST weeks before even calling the last provincial election, something both the Premier and Minister of Finance bluntly and repeatedly denied in the budget media lock-up, as well as every single time they were pressed on the matter by anyone and everyone. Additionally, the HST was described by the Premier as “the single most-important thing for the province”, yet he couldn’t be bothered to show-up once in the Legislative Chambers to speak or even vote for the legislation.

I could go on and on, but fatigue prevents this from occurring. In essence, either they think we’re idiots and we won’t notice because we’ve the memories of small cats, or they’re just plain too full of themselves to care.

The following carefully, specifically, and very clearly chosen words are for the Premier of BC and his Cabinet: when are you going to call an election and be held accountable by your public for these constant and blatant lies? If you intend to deny any of the numerous accusations of dissembling that many have given voice to, and provide a defence based upon semantical points that un-truths were not uttered, you’d be wise to save your breath, because I’ve stopped listening to you and to anyone else currently in office.

Congratulations; you can now do anything you feel like, because the last person to actually care what’s going on has given-up.