The Hook: Political news, freshly caught
BC Ferries announces April fare hike amounts
It will cost an extra $2.25 after March 31 for a car and driver on the major ferry routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. said today in an announcement of system wide fare hikes. Read more…
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Are you watching the winter Olympics this year? Read the results of that poll here.
'We have to really think about why people travel': ferry commissioner
Serious consideration must be given to why people travel as fare caps are set for B.C. Ferry Services Inc.'s next performance term, ferry commissioner Martin Crilly said.
“We have to start working on that now to get all the data together and figure out what's going to happen,” Crilly said in an interview yesterday. Read more…
Further fare hikes approved for BC Ferries
Ferry fares will likely rise again April 1 after ferry commissioner Martin Crilly today approved price cap increases on all 25 of British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.'s regulated routes. Read more…
BC Rail corruption trial to start May 3
The trial of three former provincial government aides facing corruption charges connected to the $1-billion sale of B.C. Rail in 2003 will begin May 3 and end by June 30, a B.C. Supreme Court justice decided Wednesday. Read more…
More consultation needed on ferry route change: minister
British Columbia Transportation Minister Shirley Bond said British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. needs to consult more with the public before she'll approve a controversial plan to run ferries from Tsawwassen to Prince Rupert. Read more…
BC Transit reverses Taxi Saver cuts
B.C. Transit is reversing a budget cut to a program that provides discounted coupons for taxi fares to people with disabilities. Read more…
Travel program cut for people with disabilities
A program that subsidizes cab rides for people with disabilities has been chopped in at least two British Columbia communities. Read more…
MP requests investigation into Victoria marina lobbying
Victoria member of parliament Denise Savoie has asked the federal commissioner of lobbying to investigate allegations about the involvement of political insiders in the Victoria International Marina proposal. Read more…
Basi-Virk trial date to be set in early February
A trial date in the political corruption case that begin with a police raid on the B.C. Legislature in 2003 will finally be set in early February for later this year, a Special Prosecutor said in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday. Read more…
Commission outlines ambulance options, including private delivery
A report on the Britich Columbia Ambulance Service released today recommends five options ranging from keeping the status quo to privatizing the service. Read more…
Basi-Virk defence drops applications to throw out case
The Special Prosecutor in the Basi-Virk/BC Rail case this morning told two court hearing that he expects the defence to drop all their applications to stay corruption charges against three former BC government aides - will the trial proceed quickly as a result - or not at all? Read more…
Referenda an 'affront' to elected officials: Victoria councilor
During a Dec. 10 debate on the future of Victoria's Johnson Street bridge, rookie councilor and former New Democratic Party member of parliament Lynn Hunter panned giving voters a say on the matter. Read more…
NDP's Fleming heads to Copenhagen climate meeting
The British Columbia New Democratic Party's environment critic, Rob Fleming, says he expects to hear B.C. premier Gordon Campbell give a selective account of the province's climate change fight in Copenhagen.
“There are so many inconsistencies with the Campbell government's talk on climate action,” said Fleming. Read more…
Worker transport still unsafe despite reforms, inquest hears
Vehicles carrying immigrant farm workers are often dangerous, yet roadside inspections have fallen off in recent years, a prominent labour rep said today.
“These are vulnerable workers,” said B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair. “We have to be doubly vigilant.” Read more…
Helicopter job that killed four not authorized
An ill-fated powerline inspection with a helicopter that killed four people in Cranbrook, B.C. was technically against federal regulations, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Read more…
Angry Pemberton mayor: Where are our Olympics benefits?
Pemberton's support for the Olympic Games is wearing thin.
That is the impression one takes away from a strongly-worded letter to VANOC CEO John Furlong in which Mayor Jordan Sturdy expresses severe frustration with the Olympic Organizing Committee and its alleged refusal to pay for a park and ride facility in Pemberton. Read more…
'Racist' book distributed to BC grade one students
Two maritime provinces declined to distribute a book to students saying it was racist and promotes stereotypes of First Nations people, but in British Columbia schools are giving it for free to students in grade one. Read more…
BC Ferries ignores government, reappoints director to two boards
Less than three weeks after the release of a finance ministry report that said the same people should not serve on the boards of both the B.C. Ferry Authority and B.C. Ferry Services Inc., at least one director has been reappointed to both. Read more…
Ministers thought hard about Tourism BC decision, produced no records
It was up to Tourism, Arts and Culture minister Kevin Krueger to explain to reporters today how the government managed to fold Tourism British Columbia into his ministry without generating a single paper record, e-mail or anything else.
“Government is thinking about issues all the time and thinking about things,” he said. “We were elected to represent British Columbians. We are assigned to ministries where we think about issues like this night and day.” Read more…
BC Ferries booked meeting at board members' hotel
When B.C. Ferry Services Inc. holds a public meeting in Prince Rupert in a couple weeks it will be at a hotel owned by a B.C. Ferries board member. Read more…
