Bill Tieleman

Bill Tieleman, president of West Star Communications, is one of BC's best known political commentators and communicators. Read political commentary from Bill every Tuesday in 24 hours, Vancouver's free weekday newspaper (also online) and in The Tyee — BC's award-winning online magazine.

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BC’s “Ethnic-gate” scandal won’t blow over

Mar 142013

Canadian politics

John Dyble's report is likely to lead to firings and other consequences.

by Bill Tieleman

"As a government plot it is quite unique in any scandology of BC politics."
– Political scientist Norman Ruff discussing BC Liberals' ethnic outreach

There's a strong temptation to call the hapless hacks who concocted the BC Liberals' disastrous ethnic outreach document The Gang That Couldn't Memo Straight, an inept bunch of bunglers.

That staff working in Premier Christy Clark's office have done her more damage trying to score political points than her opponents could dream of is bad enough. But there's much more to this than political farce performed by some incompetent aides who one ex-BC Liberal described as "a bunch of losers."
And despite Clark accepting resignations from deputy chief of staff Kim Haakstad and Multiculturalism Minister John Yap, this scandal is far from over.

Christy Clark faces pressure to resign

Mar 062013

Canadian politics

Manitoba's Howard Pawley salvaged the NDP party by stepping down before election.

by Bill Tieleman

"People are not sure of who's in charge of the store or, more frighteningly, is anyone in charge of the store."
– Manitoba dissident NDP MLA James Walding, 1988

Sound familiar?

The question of whether Premier Christy Clark should resign to save the BC Liberal Party from impending disaster has been answered once before — in Manitoba in 1988.

But while Clark could only be forced out by a revolt of her own MLAs, then-Manitoba NDP premier Howard Pawley did what he thought best for his party and quit to give them a better chance to survive.

And the BC winners are…

Feb 272013

Canadian politics

Post-Oscar, here are BC awards for egos, epics, and overblown performances.

By Bill Tieleman

"I want to get married before I'm 30. And I'd like to win an Oscar before then."
– Actress Lindsay Lohan, 26

While the Academy Awards are a big deal we just enjoyed, so too are the lesser-known Oscars for performances in BC politics.

Just like in the movies, these awards also feature oversized egos, over-budget epics and overblown performances.

The honest BC Budget Speech that wasn’t

Feb 202013

Canadian politics

Columnist itemizes costly errors that increased deficit.

by Bill Tieleman

"Honesty: the best of all the lost arts."

– Mark Twain

Perhaps if BC Liberal Finance Minister Mike de Jong were secretly injected with truth serum before presenting Tuesday's government's budget speech in the legislature, it would have come out like this:

"Honourable Speaker, I rise to deliver not just the budget but also an honest apology — because our BC Liberal government has truly put British Columbia in a financial mess.

BC Liberals run partisan ads

Feb 142013

Canadian politics

Facts fall like dominoes in $15 million government ads.

by Bill Tieleman

"I call it like the domino theory of reality. If you can go one step at a time and it seems to make sense, you can then take your audience into an area that is relatively outlandish."
— Movie director Ivan Reitman

Anyone who lives in British Columbia, except maybe in a cave with no cable, has seen the BC Liberal government's pervasive $15 million ad campaign on television — the one their tax dollars are paying for despite its obviously partisan purposes.

Anti-NDP ads tracked back to former BC Rail directors

Feb 072013

Canadian politics

Skeletons in closet add up for group behind $1 million heavy duty negative TV and radio ad campaign

by Bill Tieleman

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
– Buddha

An advocacy group — now asking tough questions about BC New Democrat leader Adrian Dix in a $1 million attack ad campaign — is being very shy in providing clear answers about skeletons in its own closet.

And as the election nears, Concerned Citizens for BC (CC4BC) may face increasing questions about the role of its leader, retired corporate executive Jim Shepard, in the controversial $1 billion privatization of BC Rail in 2003.

National polling firm contacting every BC voter

Jan 312013

Canadian politics

A national polling firm is attempting to contact all BC voters about the election.

All four major parties deny that they commissioned Probit robopolling.

by Bill Tieleman

"Polls? Nah… they're for strippers and cross country skiers."
– Sarah Palin, ex-American vice-presidential candidate.

A national research firm is attempting to call every single one of British Columbia's estimated 3.27 million eligible voters with election polling and voter identification questions, this reporter has learned. Who is paying for what is sometimes controversially referred to as "robocalling" and why? All four major BC political parties say it's not them and they don't know.

BC and Hollywood’s “tax credit bandits”

Jan 242013

Canadian politics

Film industry demands local governments cover more and more of their costs.

By Bill Tieleman

"Free is too much!"

– Desk sign at Hollywood film producer's office, 1998

If there's one thing that both BC Liberals and New Democrats can agree on it's this: giving money to Hollywood is almost irresistible!

$1 million in third-party ads to hit BC

Jan 172013

Canadian politics

Concerned Citizens for BC's attack ad on Adrian Dix.

Federal Liberal lobbyists behind pre-election campaign for BC Liberals.

By Bill Tieleman

"Christy has not been given a fair shake. She has not been identified as a competent premier."
– Jim Shepard, Concerned Citizens for BC.

A political action group formed by a retired corporate leader will soon launch a $1 million "blanket coverage… full multi-media campaign" to attack the BC New Democrats and help re-elect Premier Christy Clark's BC Liberals, according to leaked documents obtained by 24 hours Vancouver and The Tyee.

40-car crash raises questions about icy bridge

Jan 102013

Canadian politics

Transportation Minister denies any responsibility for crashes.

By Bill Tieleman

"@Surrey Police: #IceIceSurrey If ice is a problem, yo, you can solve it, check out this link while my DJ revolves it."
– Surrey, England police warning on Twitter.

Who knew that the $3.3 billion Port Mann Bridge was designed by slippery 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice? Not BC Transportation Minister Mary Polak, who will probably never listen to "Ice Ice Baby" again.

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