A4 www.similkameenspotlight.com Wednesday, March 27, 2013 Similkameen Spotlight
SpotlightOPINION
Penticton hospital promise could be a hollow commitment Black Press Guest Editorial
It’s a little hard to take Premier Christy Clark seriously when she says the province is committed to building a new tower to upgrade the Penticton Regional Hospital. It’s also a bit hard to accept Mayor Dan Ashton — who will be the Penticton Liberal candidate when the writ is dropped next month — when he asserts that Clark’s announcement this week was not politically motivated. Health shouldn’t be about politics, Ashton said. On that, at least, it’s easy to agree with our potential MLA. However, when it comes to the PRH expansion, it’s pretty clear that politics plays a big part. The project has been “at the top of the list” for years. But political wrangling on the part of Kamloops and Vernon health proponents — a Vernon group even hired a political lobbyist — saw their projects jump to the head of the line. Now Clark says its Penticton’s turn, after public outcry and a “loud and proud” campaign on the part of Penticton doctors has given the B.C. Liberals a bit of a black eye. Clark has even found $2 million to put towards a business case to show the actual need for an expansion. It’s something of a hollow commitment, coming from a government that is by no means certain of re-election. And the need is obvious; PRH is more than half a century old, and suffers from chronic overcrowding as well as lack of facilities for increasingly modernized medical equipment. It’s too close to the election for Clark to make any sort of authentic commitment to PRH. The Penticton Medical Society has promised to continue keeping the need for the hospital expansion in the public eye until they see shovels in the ground. The rest of Penticton needs to do likewise, and support and encourage their efforts.
Ottawa takes lead on training VICTORIA – The B.C. election campaign that’s Delta-Richmond East MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay about to get underway will feature lots of talk about was one of the Conservatives out to promote the skills training. It will be everyone’s top priority, budget. She said when the Canada Job Grant is fully along with a dozen other top priorities. rolled out, it will fund training for 130,000 people a But since elections are no time to deal with seriyear. Some will be young people, but there will also ous issues, don’t expect much frank discussion about be older workers whose skills need upgrading. ways to redirect our increasingly soft, urban society “If they’re willing to look at the jobs that are toward useful work. Somebody might be offended. available and understand that that’s their best shot The B.C. Liberals see lots of skilled, technical at making a living and being able to support their jobs on the horizon, but they cut their skills training own families some day, we want to be sure that the Tom Fletcher budget and many of their MLAs are also looking at opportunities are there,” Findlay said. a career change. The B.C. school system, like that of The difference is that it has to be what an other provinces, still pushes kids to university proemployer needs, not what the student might prefer. grams that lead to coffee-serving jobs and the need It’s a public-private partnership, as we have seen with for another round of training. modern public works. This has been going on since the 1970s, and it’s not confined Findlay acknowledged that even with a big push on training, to B.C. Canada will still need to import foreign workers. The B.C. NDP apparently expects to coast to victory with the In B.C. we are bracing for an unprecedented resource boom, same empty rhetoric about “income inequality” and student debt much of it in the B.C. Interior and north. That’s one reason that they’ve been using for years. for a $241 million increase over five years to the federal Income Their only discernible intent is to return control over how Assistance Program for aboriginal reserves. The new money is many apprentices can be on a job site to industrial unions, which available only if the community leadership commits to a mandaseverely restrict it, squeezing out small business. This team’s ideas tory training component. They didn’t call it Idle No More, but are mostly left over from the last industrial revolution. that’s the gist of it. Fortunately there is a mid-term federal government that has Of course, no worker or province or band council is required acted. Last week’s federal budget launches new programs that the to participate. They have the option to leave the federal money on next B.C. government will have to go along with. the table. But the NDP should note that the Canada Job Grant Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government didn’t claw back applies to union-run apprenticeship schools as well as those in post-secondary funds from B.C. and other inept provinces, as community colleges and technical institutes. Saying no isn’t much some had feared. What we got from Ottawa was social engineer- of a choice. ing, Conservative style. Whatever grand promises the B.C. Liberals and NDP have The centrepiece is the “Canada Job Grant,” a $5,000 grant to written into their yet-to-be-released election platforms, they will employers willing to match it and train an unemployed person. To need to find the money to participate. qualify, the province has to match as well, for a total $15,000 com“Tom Fletcher is legislative reporter and columnist for Black mitment to one worker who will have a job to go to. Press”
BC Views
Mystery Person; Who is this man?
Check next weeks Spotlight for the answer. 1) Worked as a logger (faller) for years in our area. 2) When he wasn’t falling trees, he could be found on a local lake. 3) He usually was the most successful trout fisherman. 4) He gave many of his fish to the elderly house-bound pensioners. Answer to last week: Bud Dewolf PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY Annual subscription: $30 locally, $45 elsewhere in Canada. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
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