Betty quitting?

In an interview with CKNW radio, Betty Hinton reveals she is suffering from health problems and will not run for re election if the Conservative throne speech is defeated this month.
While we are unimpressed by her record as MP and we hope she is not re elected, we do not take any pleasure from the possibility that Ms Hinton has health issues. We wish her a quick and full recovery.

Cited article published Oct 10, 2007
Copyright © 2007 AM980 CKNW

Election dysfunction

On October 7th, Betty Hinton told Kamloops This Week "she has received no instructions from Ottawa to be ready for an election." Two days earlier, on October 5th, senior Conservative party organizers informed the Globe and Mail they had "told candidates in a conference call yesterday" that the other parties would find the Throne Speech "absolutely unacceptable."
The Conservatives want an election and their candidates know it. The question is whether Betty Hinton is being untruthful, or is simply out of the loop.

Cited article by Markus Ermisch
Published October 7, 2007
Copyright © 2007 Kamloops This Week

Cited article by Gloria Galloway and Brian Laghi
Published October 5, 2007
© Copyright 2007 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.

Veterans Affairs doesn't live up to promise

In February, the parliamentary committee on Veterans Affairs released a report calling for the federal government to create a veterans ombudsman to handle problems faced by our veterans – including the 228 Canadians who have so far been wounded in Afghanistan (which does not include those who might face psychological problems.) At that time our own MP, Betty Hinton, who is also parliamentary secretary to the veterans affairs minister, described the office of the ombudsman as a "heavy hammer" to uphold the Veterans Bill of Rights.
Now, the Toronto Star reports that
...the transparent and accountable process Canadians have demanded and government has promised in creating the office has been virtually non-existent .... [t]he ombudsman's office will not be legislated, nor will it have the necessary robust powers of investigation, such as the power to subpoena documents and witnesses, take testimony under oath or enter any relevant premises as required.
Just another half-filled promise. It's unfortunate that the victims in this case are our nation's best and bravest.

Cited article by Sean Bruyea
Published September 21, 2007
© Copyright Toronto Star 1996-2007

"That should be good enough for you."

In her latest On the Run column, Daily News city editor Susan Duncan gives us a snapshot of our MP's typical behaviour. During a lunch in which she tries to ask Betty Hinton about her current residence in Vernon (outside the riding she represents).
So, yes, she has a home in Kamloops. But she doesn't live in it. Is there any proof she has this home? No. Except this:
"I told you I have. That should be good enough for you."
Really? We were also told the Conservatives would:

• give us a universal patient wait-times guarantee (not a half-baked plan to reduce lineups for one type of surgery per province)

• improve government accountability (not appoint Conservative friends and allies to every position possible)

• reduce the tax burden on Canadians (instead of lowering the GST and leaving the income tax system grossly unfair)

• improve child care (do we even have to say anything?)

• come up with a real plan to tackle climate change (not shuffle environment ministers and graphic designs with no real effect)

We cannot accept this kind of "good enough" attitude from our government or from the person we pay $166,000 to represent our interests and concerns. The sooner we kick her out, the better.

Cited editorial by Susan Duncan
Published 19 August, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Notice

The Why-Betty-Lives-in-Vernon contest has been cancelled due to the obstructive tactics of this blog's political opponents. We apologize to the majority of our readers who are interested in constructive discussion.

She's still not in cabinet ...

... but it's never stopped her pretending she is.

Kamloops and region left unrepresented

The Daily News reports that the Conservative government's Canada-B.C. Mountain Pine Beetle Advisory Board, despite the recent addition of five more members, still has no representatives from the Southern Interior. We offer a selection of quotes that cover the issue nicely.

Gary Lunn (federal natural resources minister): "[The committee] has broad representation from all areas of the province affected by the mountain pine beetle infestation.”
Alyson Robb (Conservative caucus relations director): "There's no rhyme or reason that there wasn't anyone chosen from Kamloops."
Terry Lake (Kamloops mayor): “We were not given any information about [the board] or asked for any expression of interest to participate.”
Peter Milobar (TNRD chair): "[There's] nobody from the southern Interior whatsoever .... I'm a little worried."
Betty Hinton (Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP, Conservative): "Could not be reached for comment." (Daily News)

Sound familiar?

Cited article by Jason Hewlett
Published Friday, 3 August 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Thank you, Betty!

There are times when even your least favourite politician comes through. Wednesday was one of those days, when Betty Hinton joined federal natural resources minister Gary Lunn to announce $6.6 million in funding for the expansion of Kamloops Airport.
The Conservative government deserves its due for doing what the people of Kamloops have been asking for over two years. There has been inaction, there has been stalling, there have been excuses; but it has finally happened.
Thank you, Betty. You have done something for us.

Hinton pushes stickers, faces criticism

Instead of finally extending the Veterans Independence benefits as promised, instead of finally appointing a Veterans Ombudsman as promised, instead of securing funding for the pine beetle crisis or the Kamloops Airport expansion, Betty Hinton has decided the best use of her taxpayer-funded time on the job -- according to the Kamloops Daily News -- is to persuade Kamloops City Council to place "Support the Troops" stickers on City vehicles. This comes after Toronto's government managed to raise an uproar by doing the same thing.
As Mayor Terry Lake said in response, “[T]his should be an individual choice whether people want to put a decal on their vehicle. I don’t think it should be mandated by any organization or government. It politicizes a very personal choice."
Indeed, many local residents' vehicles already have these troop-support decals on them without help from the City. Meanwhile, Kamloops is one of few Canadian cities to offer free parking to cars with veterans' license plates.
B.C. political blog The Galloping Beaver responds with excellent commentary on what this situation says about Betty. Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Voters for Change offers you some selected quotes about our M.P. from there:

• useless as a bald snow tire on the Roger's Pass in January and dumber than a manhole cover
• watched nationally for her next gaffe
• incapable of independent thought
• a demonstration of the "big C" conservative need for authority figures and centralized control. Reduce independent thinking to a minimum. Follow the leader. That's what makes Hinton and her particular ilk comfortable. No need to think things through; somebody will do that for you.

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Cited article by Michele Young
Published July 17, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Cited post by Dave
Published July 17, 2007
thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com

Friday the 13th: Tyee bashes Betty

The popular B.C. political blog, The Tyee, was kind enough enough to mention Betty Hinton yesterday. Unfortunately for Betty, it wasn't very positive:

. . . the other way to get headlines when you're not in cabinet is to pretend that, in fact, you are. That's the strategy Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Betty Hinton tried in February.

Hinton made the claim in an interview with Kamloops This Week's Markus Ermish [sic]. But when the NDP's Jean Crowder brought it up in the House, Hinton denied everything and even demanded an apology.

Unfortunately for the veteran interior politician, Ermish had his interview taped.

The incident led columnist Dale Bass to pen a scathing editorial about Hinton's performance.

"Our local MP is rapidly becoming as valuable to the Conservative government as Hedy Fry was to the Liberals during her Ku-Klux-Klan-cross-burnings-in-Prince-George phase," he wrote.

He [sic] went on to say "[S]he goes through local constituency office staff like some losing NFL teams go through coaches," and she is "becoming a public embarrassment to her own party in Parliament."

Ouch.

After being exposed by local papers, the Globe and Mail, Macleans magazine, and The Tyee, our elected federal representative is a joke to the entire country.

Cited article by Tom Barrett and Richard Warnica
Published July 12, 2007
thetyee.ca (c) 2003-2007

More beetle trouble for Betty

In a right on the money editorial today, the Williams Lake Tribune drew attention to federal inaction on the pine beetle crisis:
"If only a B.C. Conservative would stand up the way Nova Scotian MP Bill Casey did last week, and demand his government live up to its commitments to British Columbia.
Will Dick Harris or Betty Hinton or Jay Hill publicly demand their government wake up on this issue?"

Cited editorial unsigned
Published June 12, 2007
Copyright © 2007 Williams Lake Tribune

When will they give a damn?

In today's editorial, the Kamloops Daily News asked why the federal government still hasn't indicated that it cares about the situation faced by local homeowners with many pine beetle-infested trees.
"The feds just don't get it on the pine beetle issue. Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn ... and his government colleagues, including MP Betty Hinton, deserve no credit whatsoever for their refusal to come to the aid of homeowners."
The city of Kamloops has coughed up $400,000 to fund the removal assistance program this year, and the federal government matched about half. But they're refusing to fund it any further than August, even though the pine beetle crisis will continue to get worse.

Cited editorial unsigned
Published June 8, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

"Pretty immediate"

The story of the Veterans Independence Program continues (see below). Betty admits in Kamloops This Week that this is a "major issue" and something the Conservatives "promised we will do."
According to the article, "Hinton said the Conservatives could enact the changes immediately, ut she said her government has chosen to instead examine the program .... there are three prongs to that review process."
This is pretty transparent. They could do the right thing and extend the benefits to widows as they promised. Instead, they're stalling. Betty's justification: "this is pretty immediate."
No wonder she's down in the polls today.

Cited article by Markus Ermisch
Published May 9, 2007
© Copyright 2007 Kamloops This Week

Betty in the national media

The last time Betty Hinton got noticed by the national media it was in Maclean's magazine, in an article about how she claimed to be in Cabinet (she isn't). Now, the Globe and Mail mentions her ... for failing to keep a promise.
Joyce Carter is an 80-year-old widow who is demanding that Harper's Conservatives extend the Veterans Independence Program (VIP), a home-care system, to all widows of World War II and Korean war veterans. She is not doing this for herself -- she already receives the VIP, but widows whose husbands died before 1981 do not.
In June 2005, Harper's office as leader of the opposition wrote to Carter and told her a Conservative government would "immediately" extend the VIP to all the widows. It still has not happened.
Where does Betty come in? When she was veterans affairs critic, she also wrote to Carter and said:
"You may be interested to know that this was adopted as part of the Conservative Party of Canada's policy last March at our convention .... you are preaching to the converted. Unfortunately, until the Conservative Party forms the government, I am unable you change the regulations to extend VIP benefits to all veterans' widows."
Carter says two federal budgets later it hasn't happened yet. Betty's office directed calls to the veterans affairs department.

Cited article by Gloria Galloway
Published April 19, 2007
© Copyright 2007 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.

Betty and the Airport

During his visit to Kamloops a few days ago, Liberal leader Stephane Dion promised that he would act on the Kamloops Airport expansion funding.
According to Kamloops This Week, Betty says, "if it's such a good idea, why didn't the Liberal government fund this before?"
a) Dion has never been responsible for airport expansions
b) That's the past. This is the present and Betty and her party are not delivering
Why can't she take some basic responsibility instead of remembering what didn't happen years ago? The liberal record isn't the point. She hasn't delivered.

Cited article by Christopher Foulds
Published April 18, 2007
Copyright © 2007 Kamloops This Week

Betty & Gary

Mel Rothenburger's editorial in the Daily News today suggests some interesting things about Betty Hinton and her party. The editor describes his interview with minister of natural resources Gary Lunn who was visiting Kamloops this week.

"... we asked him whatever became of the City's $1.3 million application for pine beetle funding five or six months ago, the one that seemed so urgent at the time. The one MP Betty Hinton said she needed within a few days so she could take it to the minister. It was he said, a miscommunication. There was no fund to draw from, nothing to apply for, and therefore the application didn't technically exist." (bold added)

So, either the government isn't competent enough to know what does and doesn't exist, or Betty Hinton just made something up.

Cited editorial by Mel Rothenburger
Published Saturday, April 14
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Liberals re-nominate Sommerfeld

In the nomination meeting on Thursday April 12, local Liberals reelected Ken Sommerfeld to run in the next election. Sommerfeld, who got 25% of the vote in the last election, defeated Dr. Randy Patch.

Hinton's department in confusion

Veterans Affairs Canada is coming under fire over the ceremonies at the Vimy memorial in France. First a Radio-Canada reporter noticed that French language interpretive panels on the monument were full of really bad French, so VA Minister Greg Thompson (Betty Hinton's boss) promised he would have them removed.
Now David Thompson, the head organizer of a group of 3,600 students travelling from Canada to join the ceremonies, is saying Veterans Affairs backed down on an agreement to provide lunch for the students the day of the ceremony. The organizers now have to put together $33,000 dollars for lunches ... money that was going to buy souvenirs for the students. CBC says:

The students raised the money to pay for their travel and other costs on the trip. Taxpayers are paying for more than 100 government officials to attend the ceremony.

You can bet one of those officials,our very own MP, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, is Betty Hinton.

Cited article by CBC News
Published April 5, 2007
Copyright © CBC 2007

KTW picks up on copyright infringement

The local news media has finally gotten around to covering the story of David Wise, the photographer, see post below, who had his photograph of Kamloops used without permission by Betty Hinton's office. Wise, whose photos have been bought by groups including Venture Kamloops and Harvard U., is asking for "up to $2000", the cost Hinton's office would have had to pay to legitimately use the picture.
Wise is clear he will sue if he is not paid, which is his right. The photograph license was clearly posted and will obviously be accepted in court if he sues.

Cited article by Markus Ermisch
Published April 1, 2007
© Copyright 2007 Kamloops This Week

From our colleagues

From our blogging colleagues at Kamloops Inside Out and City of Alleys ... new proof that Betty Hinton doesn't care about the law or other's rights.

• Kamloops Inside Out: Betty Hinton Accused of Copyright Violation
• City of Alleys: Betty Hinton vs. Intellectual Property

Have the Tories given up on Betty?

Federal minister Stockwell Day's decision to pull out of the Kamloops Conservatives fundraiser with only one day's notice should give Betty Hinton's constituents a reason to believe that the party has given up on this seat. Betty has been leaking support over the last few months, with events like her dishonesty over her position in government, this blog, and the Skrepnek controversy hurting her credibility – not to mention her continued inaction on issues that matter to the people who elected her.
We know that Stockwell Day would rather play a few rounds of golf and laugh it up with the Governor of Washington than speak in this riding ... especially when he knows that people will be protesting. Now we also know that the Tories aren't willing to risk anything for Betty ... she's a lost cause.

Call to action CANCELLED - Day chickens out

KTCVC has learned that Stockwell Day has pulled out of the Betty Hinton fundraiser at the last moment, leading to the whole event being called off. The rally against the budget at Forster's is cancelled.

Call to action: Day coming to town - UPDATE

Federal public safety minister Stockwell Day (and Penticton-area MP) will be doing a fundraiser with Betty Hinton at Forsters convention centre (in the Best Western) this Saturday at 5 PM. Dinner is $100 for non-Conservative members, but the speeches at 6 PM are only $5 at the door.
KTCVC has been informed that a number of local groups will be organizing a rally against the federal budget at Forster's, beginning at 4:30 PM on Saturday. The rally is open to all.

Big budget doesn't deliver for B.C.

There are only 17 MPs in the Conservative BC caucus ... you would think Betty Hinton could make her voice heard when it comes to creating the budget, but now we know they don't listen to her. Proof:
In his speech in parliament introducing Budget 2007, finance minister Jim Flaherty said: "From the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the rugged shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, many of the most beautiful places on earth are in Canada." Oops, guess he forgot about the other said of the Rockies ... us.
That's not the worst of it. The Vancouver Sun has a great article today on all the ways B.C. got left out in the cold by this budget that will raise government spending by 5.6%.
Last week for example, Premier Gordon Campbell said property values MUST NOT BE included in the new equalization formula. The Tories stuck them in anyway. What does that mean? It means that, because B.C. has very high property values right now, our equalization numbers will be skewed: so, if our economy ever slows down, we won't be able to get the federal transfer payments we need. As Campbell said:
"Anyone that says that your property values are in direct relation of your ability to pay doesn't frankly know a lot about what they're talking about ... property values in British Columbia went up by about 24 per cent last year. Peoples' ability to pay did not go up by 24 per cent last year."
Around now, B.C.ers' blood should be boiling at how little the federal Conservatives seem to care about us. As one MP put it, we've been "punished" by this budget.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is as mad as we are. CTF federal director John Williamson said "Canadian taxpayers were shortchanged on the issue of tax relief and will continue paying sky-high tax rates."
Ontario and Quebec, at the same time, are making billions and billions of dollars off this budget – because that's where Harper needs votes.
They don't care, folks. They don't care about B.C., they don't care about Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, they don't care about us. They think we'll vote for Betty no matter what. Let's show them they're wrong.

Cited article by Peter O'Neil (with files from the Canadian Press)
Published March 20, 2007
© The Vancouver Sun 2007

This is the Conservative Party.

March 8 was International Women's Day, a day dedicated to recognizing the rights of women and the importance of women's issues. On that day while Betty Hinton was busy praising Minister Bev Oda's rearrangement of the Status of Women Canada budget (yes, Oda was the one who spent $5000 a day on limos during the Junos and removed the word "equality" from the Status of Women mandate), Kevin Skrepnek (see post titled Shabby campaign tactics begin), posted the following words on his profile at Facebook.com:

"I'm the baddest motherfucker of all time, the best singer, the best lookin' motherfucker- hold my drink, bitch."

Skrepnek's defenders rightly pointed out that this is a quote from comedian Dave Chappelle's TV show, but does that matter?
This came just after CFJC did a story on Skrepnek in which MP Betty Hinton defended his prior actions with the Michael Crawford site.
As of today Skrepnek's blog was gone from the Internet. Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Voters for Change calls for Hinton to fire Skrepnek. He is an embarrassment to the community and to all young people.

Innovative solutions from Betty

From today's Kamloops Daily News:

Lobby for tax hike, MP tells protesters

MP Betty Hinton told a group of women protesting inadequate child care Thursday that they should pressure the province to raise taxes if they want services improved.

Need we say more? Canada's New Government at its best.

Cited article unattributed
Published May 9, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Photo Credit Dave Eagles/Kamloops This Week
Copyright © 2007 Kamloops This Week

Shabby campaign tactics begin

The Daily News reported today that one of Betty Hinton's taxpayer-funded assistants bought the www.michaelcrawford.ca domain name, clearly in order to prevent the NDP candidate from setting up a normal campaign website. Kevin Skrepnek, a recent arrival in Kamloops barely out of high school works at Hinton's constituency office and is paid by Parliament, not the Conservatives.
Skrepnek's blog, skrepnek.blogspot.com, includes doctored images of prominent Canadian politicians and cartoons with racist overtones.
Crawford is demanding return of the domain and says he has grounds to file a complaint with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority.
Betty, who belongs to a Party that ran on a law-and-order platform, will obviously stop at nothing to sabotage her opponents by any means.

Cited article unattributed
Published March 7, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Sorry, only "half-right"

In today's Daily News, Betty Hinton says "I don't own a place in Ottawa. I've never owned a place in Ottawa."
So when she's working so hard for her constituents, does she stay in a hotel? Maybe she checks into a hostel?
Doesn't look that way ... Betty also says the rumor we reported was partly true because "I do have a house up for sale in Kamloops." The article says she's "looking to buy a larger home in Kamloops." That must be nice. All Kamloopsians would probably like a bigger place, and at least our Member of Parliament can afford one at a time when 23.5% of British Columbia's children are living in poverty (Statistics Canada), we don't have the airport expansion, adequate pine beetle help, and on and on. Betty should take her new-house money and donate it to all the people who have suffered from her three terms of misrepresentation.

Cited article unattributed
Published February 26, 2007
© Copyright the Daily News in Kamloops

Betty's Ottawa home up for sale?

Rumours have gotten to KTCVC through the local Conservative Electoral District Association (EDA) that Betty Hinton has recently listed her apartment in Ottawa for sale – it's almost like she knows she isn't getting re-elected.
But, Betty's Ottawa address is unlisted so people can't find her. So, KTCVC is putting out a call for information: do you know the address? Do you know where the listing is? Can you confirm this rumour? Email us at hintonout@hushmail.com
KTCVC wonders whether this means local Tories are planning to replace Betty with a different candidate ... the "silent majority" seems to be getting smaller.

Betty lying low???

After the recent storm of criticism against her, Betty Hinton appears to have gone underground. She's gone several days now without commenting on local or national affairs. Maybe it was the Maclean's article about her dishonesty that made her go silent. Then again, maybe she just doesn't have anything to say.

Betty admits mistake

After numerous newspaper articles responded to with accusation of misquoting, after attacks in the House of Commons responded to with denials of wrongdoing, after several posts by this blog, Betty Hinton has finally admitted she claimed to be "part of the cabinet". Kamloops This Week reported on its front page today that Hinton "admitted she made a 'mistake'." Apparently what she meant is she is "part of the cabinet circle". That's a bit like if we said, "We are an official publication of the Parliament of Canada," then were called on it, and corrected ourselves, saying "Sorry, we misspoke, what we meant is that we are related to the Parliament of Canada in that we comment on political issues." However, we give Betty full credit for owning up to her error. Correct us if we're wrong, but we suspect this is the first time she's done so.

Cited article by Markus Ermisch
Published February 16, 2007
© Copyright 2007 Kamloops This Week

Looks like she lied ...

According to the Daily News on February 15, CHNL radio aired a clip from an interview with Betty Hinton recorded by a Kamloops This Week journalist. In the clip, she "clearly stated, 'I'm part of cabinet.'" This comes after Betty was challenged in the House of Commons over her claim to be a cabinet member, which she is not. Questioned by MP Jean Crowder, "Hinton flatly denied she claimed to be a member of cabinet. "I don't believe I ever said I was part of cabinet," Hinton said, when reached by the Daily News. According to the article by reporter Mike Youds, "she said it is possible she was misquoted." Well, Betty, thank goodness Kamloops This Week records interviews. Otherwise you could have pretended you didn't lie about being a cabinet member.

Cited article by Mike Youds
Published February 15, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Betty's bragging brings out the truth ... again

As reported in Kamloops This Week (page 12) on February 11, Jack Layton's attempt to secure funding for the Kamloops airport expansion has met with scorn and contempt from Betty Hinton. She brags: "I am a member of the governing party. I'm part of the cabinet (by the way, that's not true; if Betty had just checked Wikipedia, she would know that parliamentary secretaries are not Cabinet members). I have absolutely unfettered access to the ministers ... Mr. Layton has no influence, regardless of what he may feel." So let's get in this into perspective. Betty uses all her supposed influence to try to get the funding ... and, whether she's really trying or not, she fails. Then someone else tries, and she scorns him. Reporter Markus Ermisch reports that, when read Michael Crawford's statement that Layton's letter might "finally get results for Kamloops," Hinton "laughed for five seconds and said, 'that's my answer.'" Maybe it's funny for you, Betty, when you have your Member of Parliament's travel allowance. The rest of us, though, could really use some of those affordable WestJet flights we hear so much about.

Cited article by Markus Ermisch
Published February 11, 2007
© Copyright Kamloops This Week 2007

Prominent local Tory jumps ship

A story in the Daily News on Friday announced that local dental surgeon Randy Patch, vice-president of the Kamloops Rotary club and a longtime Progressive Conservative, has left the Conservative Party of Canada and joined the Liberals. Patch, who ran for Parliament under the P.C. banner in 2000, explained is decision by saying “There is no ‘progressive’ left in the Conservative party whatsoever.”
Patch described his frustration in watching how "the Harper government cut child-care funding, did nothing to fight climate change, and made no ground on improving health care for Canadians."

Cited article unattributed
Published February 9, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

"Who wasn't standing with them"

In a February 9 column entitled Voters will recall who wasn't standing with them, Kamloops This Week journalist Dale Bass described Tuesday's child care protests in Kamloops. She named a few of the people who were there in support: Mayor Terry Lake, city councillors Tina Lange, Jim Harker and Arjun Singh, school trustee Dick Dickens, and a representative for local MLA and provincial cabinet minister Kevin Krueger.
"We're talking about that most basic of human emotions," wrote Bass, "caring for our children." And when the federal election comes, she predicted, voters will "remember who wasn't there."

Cited column by Dale Bass
Published February 9, 2007
© Copyright Kamloops This Week

Hinton insults child care providers, parents

In Kamloops This Week today, MP Betty Hinton said the protest/walkout by child care providers in Kamloops over the Conservative replacement to the Liberals' national program is "not necessary" and "premature." Her rationale, according to the newspaper:

Hinton argued that her government is creating new child-care spaces via an infusion of $250 million.

Yes, she says they "are creating" spaces. The problem is, her party promised to create 25,000 new child care spaces across Canada within twelve months. That one-year mark has come and gone with not a single new space created. So, Betty, it's not premature. And not only is it necessary, it's not enough, because you're still not listening.

Cited article unattributed
Published February 7, 2007
© Copyright 2007 Kamloops This Week

Turner slams Conservatives

CBC reported today that popular former Conservative M.P. Garth Turner, an independent since last fall, has joined the Liberals. A former Progressive Conservative, he cited P.M. Stephen Harper's "mindless disciplinarianism" and said that "The progressive part of the Conservative party is gone." Of course, Betty Hinton played a role in making that happen – she was elected here originally for the Canadian Alliance, the short-lived party whose leader Stockwell Day is now a laughingstock from Penticton to Ottawa. Turner also expressed hope that P.M. Stephen Harper will "show some integrity" by calling by-elections in the ridings represented by now-Conservative floor-crossers like David Emerson and Wajid Khan, as well as unelected office-holders like public works minister Michael Fortier, saying he himself "would gladly run in a fourth byelection." Let us hope that our M.P. is at least ethical enough to be ashamed to be in the same party as these people.

Please view this video by Garth Turner about his decision.

Cited article unattributed
Published February 6, 2007
Copyright © Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2007

Today's the day

Today is the day when child care centres large and small across Kamloops will withdraw services for the day. Whether it's the right thing to do or not, people are going to have to take notice of the fact that daycare providers are desperate for change. Not the kind of change that Betty Hinton and Stephen Harper have given them -- calling it "giving parents a choice" when $100 per month (taxable) gives struggling families no choice at all.

Hinton accuses KTCVC on CBC Radio

On CBC Radio One's All Points West Thursday afternoon, MP Betty Hinton accused this blog of "misquoting" her. If that indeed occurred, it is the responsibility of the media outlets on whose reports our commentary has been based. At no time have we falsely attributed a quote to Betty Hinton or altered a quote in a way that changes its meaning. If anyone can find evidence to the contrary, we urge them to contact us by email immediately.
Also on the radio program, Kamloops city councillor Arjun Singh said he understands why bloggers would want to remain anonymous to avoid retribution, but only in countries like "Saudi Arabia or China." We see Mr. Singh's point of view; however, we submit that the same applies to people who work with co-workers (or for employers) who are prominent Conservatives. As long as we continue to refrain from making false or libelous statements, we reserve our right to remain anonymous.

Krueger to Hinton: "Wake up"

On February 1, the Daily News published an interview with Kamloops-North-Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger – who is quick to call himself a friend and supporter of Betty Hinton – in which he predicted her defeat in the next election. "I think Betty is going to lose her seat over this ridiculous quibbling," he said, referring to Hinton's stand on the pine beetle infestation. Krueger also criticized our federal representative for suggesting that B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell should ask the Prime Minister to call a national emergency. "I think this veiled threat where Betty Hinton says [Harper] might not like the result is just a nasty thing to say."

Cited article by Michele Young
Published February 1, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

"Not a national disaster."

In the February 1 print edition of the Daily News (page A7), MP Betty Hinton gives us some reassuring news on the mountain pine beetle infestation. "Is it a national disaster? No." Why? Because it is "mainly confined to B.C." Well, no doubt many people who read that were relieved. But if they were to visit the pine beetle website maintained by the Alberta Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development (run by the Hon. Ted Morton, who helped found Hinton's political party), they would discover that "an unprecedented massive flight of mountain pine beetles" into our neighbour province has led to somewhere between 800,000-1.5 million infested trees in northwestern Alberta. The beetles have made it across the Rockies, the last natural barrier stopping them before they head out on a long, gradual rampage that will not end until the Atlantic. To refer to this as "not a national disaster" because it's not quite yet halfway across the country is an example of very short-sighted thinking.

Cited article by Michele Young
Published February 1, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Council to try again

Another Daily News article reported that Kamloops City Council will propose a resolution to the Okanagan Mainline Municipal Association calling on the Conservative federal government to finally declare the pine beetle epidemic a disaster. Reportedly, Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger has brought the issue to the provincial forests minister and solictor general: the consensus is the province's hands are tied until Stephen Harper finally calls this a natural disaster. It's too bad that our municipal government has to go around our MP to get the funding our region so desperately needs.

Cited article by Cam Fortems
Published February 1, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

$145,000 per year

An independent panel has been set up to consider a pay raise for B.C.'s MLAs, according to the Daily News. A proposal that was dropped in 2005 would have put MLAs' pay at 60% of what federal MPs like Betty Hinton make: $145,000 per year! Plus living and travel expenses.
Kamloops MLA Claude Richmond reminded readers: "A backbench MP makes more than the premier ... something is way out of whack."

Cited article by Cam Fortems
Published February 1, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Copyright dishonesty

The party we elected to represent us in the last election – that big blue machine of which Betty Hinton is a member – yesterday released three new TV spots (in Superbowl season, probably costing a couple hundred thousand each) that attack Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, using the oh-so-clever tactic of snatching clips from last year's Liberal leadership debates. Turns out today, according to the Toronto Star, those clips were probably used in violation of copyright law. The debates were covered by a "consortium of TV networks," administered by the Canadian Public Affairs Channel (CPAC), which controls the rights to the footage. And CPAC says it's "not aware of any request" to use the footage, plus "such video is traditionally never authorized for use by political parties." This is the party of ethics and accountability?

Cited article by Joan Bryden, Canadian Press
Published January 29, 2007
© Copyright Toronto Star

Local daycares to protest Tory policies

Child care facilities across Kamloops intend to shut down in protest on Tuesday, February 6th (anniversary of the current government's swearing-in), according to an article in the Kamloops Daily News. Conservatives like ex-Minister of Social Development Diane Finley (pictured) were very proud when they announced their answer to the Liberal national child care program: a taxable $100 per month for families with a child under 6. Now, "you can't find child care in this town," says Val Janz. Daycare operator Irene Wende reminisced about the universal funding for child care that existed under the Liberals. "As soon as Stephen Harper came in," she explains, "they cut it."
If non-union child care centres are desperate enough to close up shop, there's obviously a problem. Meanwhile, our elected representative in Ottawa, Betty Hinton, does – you guessed it – nothing.

Cited article by Cam Fortems
Published January 26, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Where's the beetle funding?

On Friday, the Kamloops Daily News reported that the region is predicted to lose about 1,000 jobs and 15% of its timber to the mountain pine beetle epidemic -- that translates into $93 million lost from the local economy. As climate change lets the bugs chew through our forests at a dizzying rate, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo M.P. Betty Hinton continues to do absolutely nothing. The article cited local MLA Kevin Krueger as saying that "the federal government [must] come to the forefront of the pine beetle battle and call it a national disaster ... it's one man's decision, and that's the prime minister." Unfortunately, Stephen Harper doesn't live here, nor does he visit often. That's why we have a federal representative -- Betty Hinton. Who, given last week's City Hall debacle, doesn't seem to give a damn.

Cited article by Michele Young
Published January 26, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

City had to go it alone for sports facilities

In his weekly newspaper column, Armchair Mayor, editor and former Kamloops mayor Mel Rothenburger reminded us that the Tournament Capital's recent $48 million project for upgraded sports facilities, including upgrades at McArthur Island Park and the construction of the Hillside Fieldhouse at TRU, got pathetically little help from the current government. "The Harper Conservatives," he writes, "have ... put other programs ahead of sports and fitness." Yeah, like the useless childcare tax benefit, the nonexistent pine beetle assistance and the airport funding we're still waiting for. Anyway, the result is that Betty Hinton's best efforts (if she ever even tried) got us only 8% of the funding for this hugely beneficial project. And even that $4 million was through what Rothenburger calls a "federal-provincial infrastructure grant" – which means the money didn't even come directly from the federal government. "The money committed by the former federal Liberal government" disappeared, Rothenburger explains, with the Tories' election win. Where's Betty been while Kamloops taxpayers present and future have been saddled with the remaining $37.6 million of the project?

Cited editorial by Mel Rothenburger
Published January 27, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

Betty's rebuttal unconvincing

Kamloops This Week just published an "open letter" to NDP Leader Jack Layton (who recently passed through Kamloops) from our M.P. Betty Hinton cautioned Layton to "get [his] facts straight to avoid looking foolish and out of the loop politically." Betty does get her facts straight. Unfortunately, she still comes off looking foolish. She reminds Layton she is "not a backbencher"; no, Betty sits in the second row and only six seats from the prime minister of the House of Commons. That's just grand. Too bad she sat in the front row and only four seats from Harper during the previous parliament, when she was in Opposition. Seems Betty's been demoted. Our voice in Ottawa brags about how Jack Layton can never see her when she's "speaking with national media." That's odd! Has Betty ever been on national TV or radio? No. She also claims that even if she were a backbencher, she would still have "far more influence than that of any member of the fourth party" – a not-so-subtle dig at Layton's position as head of the House's weakest faction in terms of numbers. Of course, that's laughable. When Jack Layton – for all his flaws – makes a major speech, it's broadcast all over Canada. When Betty speaks, she's lucky to have a few dozen people and three or four journalists. Really, though, we should all appreciate and be grateful for Betty's letter; it's possibly the only thing she's said or written in six years that wasn't a regurgitation of talking points scripted by either the Canadian Alliance or the Conservative Party. It's positively refreshing.

Cited letter by Betty Hinton, M.P.
Published January 24, 2007
Copyright © 2007 Black Press Group Ltd.

"Trust me:" Betty spars with civic leaders

Betty Hinton's first meeting at City Hall in over a year was less than a smashing success, by all accounts. "I don't feel we're any further ahead than we were before the meeting," the Daily News quoted Mayor Terry Lake as saying; he also referred to her as "not helpful" and "condescending." There are strong reasons to accept Lake's account; asked about airport expansion funding, the best Hinton could do was "hopefully we'll see something." Hopefully, indeed – if Betty would just try standing up for her constituents.

Cited article by Michele Young
Published January 17, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops