Commentary

Speaking only ‘digitally’ is not enough to influence and motivate others

Since 2013, British Columbians have enjoyed a holiday in February. For six years, Family Day was observed on the second Monday of this month, putting the province at odds with other regions of Canada, whose residents rested on the third Monday.

The incessant information is troubling. The issues are complex. The public is clearly calling for clarity. But the provincial government has so far chosen to avoid calling a public inquiry into money laundering in the British Columbian economy.

You just knew from the cover of “Review of BC Hydro’s Purchase of Power from Independent Power Producers” commissioned by the B.C. Ministry of Energy that it was a political document. On the cover it says: “Zapped.

Political scandals – usually about money, sometimes about sex – have their own laws of physics. Their pathologies rarely deviate. In the case of l’affaire SNC-Lavalin, what we are witnessing is textbook.

In May 2018 I went to Shanghai with the Toronto Board of Trade. The purpose of the trip was to connect Canadian businesses with Chinese buyers. We also met with the Canada/China Chamber of Commerce.

As the BC NDP government prepares to table its 2019 budget, there is no reason to believe that Finance Minister Carole James is contemplating any major course corrections.

Note: This column has been updated. Today the Liberal government finds itself cornered by a credible allegation, a cabinet resignation and a competence test.

During last year’s municipal election campaigns in the Lower Mainland, housing was by far the most important issue for residents of the city of Vancouver and most adjacent municipalities.

For the past two months, the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver has captured headlines across Canada and the world.