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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Vive les casseroles

Jun 062012

Canadian politics

Student protest has far-reaching consequences.

by Bill Tieleman

This isn't a student strike, it's a society waking up.
– Montreal protest banner, June 2, 2012

As the "casserole" protest with banging pots and pans took over Montreal's historic Mount Royal Avenue, first it was Dollarama store clerks who came out to applaud the marchers. Then it was bartenders and servers standing in their doorways to cheer on 7,500 protestors braving the Saturday afternoon rain.

They oppose not just a 75 percent tuition fee hike for students but also the Quebec Liberal government's draconian Bill 78, legislation that makes demonstrations of more than 50 people illegal unless police approve in advance.

Vive les casseroles

Jun 052012

Canadian politics

Student protest has far-reaching consequences.

by Bill Tieleman

This isn't a student strike, it's a society waking up.
– Montreal protest banner, June 2, 2012

Christy Clark out on a limb

May 222012

Canadian politics

But public the real loser in pesticide ban rejection.

by Bill Tieleman

The Canadian Cancer Society is very disappointed… I think it does have the potential to put the health of British Columbians at risk.
– Nancy Falconer, Canadian Cancer Society

Big business and lobbyists have publicly defeated the plans of two successive BC Liberal premiers, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the BC Lung Association to ban cosmetic pesticides.

Last week, a special legislative committee led by renegade BC Liberal MLA Bill Bennett handed Premier Christy Clark a stunning rebuke — rejecting her goal of banning pesticides believed to cause cancer.

Enbridge pipeline controversial

May 152012

Canadian politics

Christy Clark remains vague on pipeline position.

by Bill Tieleman

With elections maybe a year away, you're still pretty cagey, frankly, on this Northern Gateway Pipeline.
– CBC Radio's Evan Solomon to BC Premier Christy Clark

One British Columbia political party opposes the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline proposal that would ship Alberta oil sands bitumen through the province to Asia. The BC New Democrats say building the pipeline through northern BC to Kitimat and then sending bitumen to Asia via giant tankers down the coastline would be too environmentally risky.

Iron Snowbird Clark flying off the radar

May 132012

Canadian politics

BC Premier seems to be courting the right wing.

by Bill Tieleman

I would rather go to any extreme than suffer anything that is unworthy of my reputation, or of that of my crown.
– Queen Elizabeth I, 1533-1603

Why was BC Liberal Premier Christy Clark — a longtime federal Liberal — speaking last week at "a conservative family reunion" organized by former Reform Party leader Preston Manning that was filled with Liberal-despising right wingers?

BC Liberals ponder name change

May 082012

Canadian politics

Effort comes in response to sinking in the polls.

by Bill Tieleman

Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.
– J K Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

"We should be considering and actively debating a name change in our party, and I'm glad we're doing it," Premier Christy Clark said last week. But if the BC Liberals do pick a new name they will be breaking new ground.

In the last 50 years, I can find no record of a Canadian political party in power for over a decade changing its name before it faced an election. The only major re-branding for a governing party came when the Saskatchewan Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, or CCF, became the New Democratic Party while ruling the Prairie province in 1961.

Fight airport fees

May 012012

Canadian politics

Locals bear brunt of YVR fee hike.

by Bill Tieleman

There's nothing like an airport for bringing you down to earth.
– Author Richard Gordon, Doctor In The Swim

Vancouver International Airport’s controversial Airport Improvement Fee jumps by 33 percent Tuesday — but only British Columbians will be paying it, while international travelers will get all the benefits without spending an extra penny.

BC by-elections

Apr 222012

Canadian politics

Christy Clark and the Canucks on the ropes.

by Bill Tieleman

It's a tough one. You know, winning three byelections for the government …in a 12-month period is probably harder than getting a Stanley Cup.

– BC Premier Christy Clark

The Vancouver Canucks will find out shortly just how hard it is to advance in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, let alone take home the shiny silver mug.

And Premier Christy Clark will find out Thursday night if she does even better than that — but it's highly unlikely the BC Liberals can win either by-elections in Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope to go along with her narrow Vancouver-Point Grey win last year, let alone both.

Vote! or be fined

Apr 032012

Canadian politics

Compulsory voting has many benefits.

by Bill Tieleman

The right to vote is only meaningful when you use it.
– Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former chief electoral officer of Canada

There's a very simple way to quickly put an end to robo-call scandals, dramatically increase voter participation, reduce negative political advertising and strengthen democracy, without spending any additional money.

The solution: compulsory voting in elections.

How would it work?

On fraudulent robo-calls, or live calls that attempt to mislead voters by directing them to the wrong polling location like the ones being investigated from last year by Elections Canada, there would simply no longer be any point.

Christy Clark’s bad week

Mar 272012

Canadian politics

Delayed by-elections just one sign of BC Premier's shaky hold on power.

by Bill Tieleman

For Premier [Christy] Clark to wait so long for political, not practical, reasons is a disgrace.
– Tri-Cities News editorial on delay in Port Moody-Coquitlam by-election.

Mid-March brought another week of big problems for BC Premier Christy Clark.

Victoria sources say BC Liberal MLA Joan McIntyre walked out of the legislature’s chamber Thursday while Clark was speaking.

Those include cabinet minister Harry Bloy's resignation in disgrace, and Clark's new communications director Sara MacIntyre's controversial attempt to block media from asking questions at a photo opportunity.

The week also saw more questions about the blown $40-million deal with Telus to rename BC Place, and the reappearance at the Port Moody-Coquitlam campaign office of a BC Liberal Party executive member who resigned for bringing a convicted attempted assassin to the BC legislature for the budget speech — on a ticket from the premier's office.

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