To the supporters of ALL provincial parties in BC other than the ndplib party
BC Refed congratulates the executives of BC’s “other” provincial parties. BC Refed agrees with 90% of the policies of the other parties. In some cases BC Refed is in almost total agreement with policies proposed by other parties.
This section of the BC Refed website draws attention to our common ground. If your party has common ground with BC Refed that we missed, please tell us.
Reform BC www.reformbc.net
ReformBC’s aims and policies are the closest of all parties to BC Refed. Two items deserve mention. First - ReformBC is the only party other than Refed to have actually written a Direct Democracy Act (DD Act). It is not as water-tight as the Refed DD Act which makes use of the Swiss experience (150 Years), but both political parties have taken action to draft a Bill. Second - ReformBC is the only party other than Refed that advocates changing the Constitution of Canada. However, Refed points out that there is no Constitution of Canada. The central government’s authority to rule is based on a simple statute which the central government passed itself. A real constitution is a “Charter of government deriving its whole authority from the governed” (Blacks Law Dictionary) and no such document exists in Canada. Canada needs a proper constitution. Almost 100% of ReformBC policy has Refed support. However, ReformBC has not yet acknowledged that Ottawa controls how much money for social programs will be received by BC. ReformBC will need to take the extra step of dealing with this Ottawa problem. Refederation is the vehicle for dealing with this Ottawa problem.
BC Conservative party http://www.conservativesbc.com/
The BC Conservatives are similar in outlook and policy to BC Refed. However they recognize something called a federal constitution, in spite of the fact that the federal Constitution Act 1982 is an Act – a statute – and can not be a constitution, and it certainly has never been approved by Canadian voters. As a result the BC Conservatives are content to send BC taxes to Ottawa and accept whatever small repayments the central government decides to allow this province. They seem to be slowly moving in the direction of BC Refed’s policy of retaining all direct taxes in BC [around $12B annually] and paying the central government for services rendered to the province, and no more [as was intended by the 3 provinces that originally created Ottawa], but until then the BC Conservatives will reduce provincial taxes without specifying where they will find the money to pay for their promised social services. In spite of a prohibitive 15% threshold, their mention of allowing the people the occasional referendum is a move in the right direction. British Columbians attracted to the BC Conservative party will like the more powerful BC Refederation Party message.
Democratic Reform Party of BC (DRBC) www.drbc.ca
This young coalition of small parties supports a good policy platform. Its next step is to find the finances and the freedom from Ottawa’s control to be able to implement those policies. Like the BC Conservatives and ReformBC, DRBC is not yet willing to distinguish between a statute and a constitution, and therefore it accepts the Ottawa government as lawfully constituted. What DRBC regards as constitutional reform is achieving a Triple E Senate, which is a federal jurisdiction. Perhaps this provincial party is working towards a policy capable of forcing Ottawa to change matters in the federal jurisdiction. When it does it will be closer to BC Refed.
The Green Party www.greenparty.bc.ca
The Green party has an excellent platform for both the citizens and the economy of BC. Refed agrees with it, 95% + -.
Four areas need a mention.
One. The Greens will pour money into many worthy programs (similar to the NDP). But they cannot say where all the necessary money will come from. Their policy book admits that BC’s health problems are due to a decrease in federal transfer payments to this province. They are correct in this. BC has an Ottawa problem. The Green party’s solution is to rearrange the way the presently available money is spent in this province. Refed’s solution is to not send income tax to Ottawa. Every year $12 Billion of income tax from the incomes of BC’s workers is unlawfully remitted to Ottawa. $12 Billion is half of what is needed to run this entire province each year. A Refed government in Victoria will spend that money on BC programs, and will pay Ottawa no more than the actual cost of federal services provided to this province. Lawfully, income tax is payable only to the provinces - Read “The Intention” -
Two. A Green party government in Victoria will beg in Ottawa - for example, “will work with the federal government to….”, “will negotiate with the federal government to….”, “will request a fair share of federal taxes for….”. This “on the knees” approach merely legitimizes an unlawful federal taxing power. On the other hand BC Refed will lawfully keep BC’s income tax in BC and will then negotiate with Ottawa from a position of power.
Three. Similar to BC Conservatives, ReformBC and DRBC, the Green party claims loyalty to a Canadian constitution. A real constitution is defined as a “Charter of government deriving its whole authority from the governed” (Blacks Law Dictionary), and no such document exists in Canada or BC. In both Canada and BC the parliamentarians passed a statute giving themselves all power and excluding the citizens from all power. Until the Green party is willing to challenge these statutes the party is prolonging the hoax about “democracy”. On the other hand, Refed’s website carries details of a coherent plan to solve this longstanding constitutional vacuum.
Four. The Green party is on the right track when it advocates more say for the people in government decisions. But on this issue Green policy is weak. The party advocates some referendums, but at the government’s discretion, and the threshold is a high 7%, and voters are forced to wait up to four years for a vote. Refed makes BC citizens the sole source of political rights in the province, and Refed’s Direct Democracy Act gives voters the RIGHT to 16 voting days in 4 years - a maximum 3 month waiting period. And the Refed Direct Democracy Act brings the provincial bureaucrats and judiciary under control of the voters. An automatic, binding-on-government, citizens’ RIGHT. That’s democracy.
BC’s fundamental problem is Ottawa. Ottawa is the problem. Some form of refederating the provinces is the answer. Continuing to meekly obey Ottawa is no help to British Columbians.
British Columbia Unity Party (BC Unity) – - now seems to be deregistered"
Refed agrees with many of Unity’s policies, but sections of the party’s website seem to be undergoing a reorganization. Unity generally is in favor of lowering taxes, but does not suggest a source of any replacement government income. And how Unity would “assert provincial control of natural resources” or how it would deal with a federal refusal to allow offshore drilling (for example) is not spelled out. The party still seems to accept that a federal tax on incomes is lawful, and the party is content for BC to send $12 Billion personal income tax each year to Ottawa, unlawfully - (Read “The Intention”
Unity also is content to be ruled by Ottawa’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Refed does not accept restrictions by government on the freedoms of Canadians. This Civil Law Charter has displaced all our former Common Law rights. Unity’s best policy proposal is to create a BC Constitution. The party would amend the present Initiative Act “to mandate government to pass into law any (successful) citizens’ initiative”. But mandating the BC government to pass a law makes the Lieutenant Governor redundant. Changing the office of the Lieutenant Governor is forbidden by the statute that Ottawa uses as a Canadian constitution. This is the control mechanism that Ottawa uses to control provincial governments. Unity will have to take the next step of coping with an Ottawa disallowance of their provincial statute. The Refed website carries a detailed plan for coping with this contingency.
BC Marijuana Party www.bcmarijuanaparty.ca
The Marijuana party makes a solid case for the repeal of prohibition. Like Refed, its members recognize that all BC citizens face two fundamental problems. One. Our lives in British Columbia are run by federal decrees from Ottawa. Two. Citizens have no say in our provincial government. Representative democracy is not democracy. Members of the Marijuana party can achieve their political goals by using two of Refed’s strategies. First. A BC Refed government in Victoria will refuse to accept Ottawa’s disallowance of BC legislation that has been approved by citizens at referendum [by expanding the use of Sec 33]. Second. The Refed Direct Democracy Act gives BC citizens the RIGHT to decide social policies in BC. Under these circumstances a majority of BC citizens would vote for the end of prohibition, and Ottawa would not be allowed to interfere. This is an example of refederation - changing the rules of the outdated confederation without resort to separation.
Annexation BC www.annexationbc.com
The Annexation party’s website states two goals. The main goal is for BC to become the 51st state of the USA. The second is for BC citizens to have “a greater voice in their own political and economic affairs”. The second goal is a main objective of the Refederation party, which has detailed plans to achieve that objective. Annexation BC applauds Refed BC’s efforts in giving it one more “Kick at the Canadian Can” by attempting to get back to the original rules of confederation. However Annexation believes that Ottawa’s history and track record prove that Ottawa will never give BC, or the West, fair and equal representation. Annexation BC’s goals include separation from the Canadian Confederation and negotiating US Statehood. They believe other Canadian provinces and territories may soon follow their lead. They promise that the choice to remain independent, or join the US, will always remain in the hands of British Columbians. Annexation BC states that BC is rapidly being absorbed by the US. Therefore BCers must have a voice in our future, management, natural resources and environment. Their motto is: “BC Belongs to British Columbians” and they promote British Columbians as BC’s biggest, best and most valuable natural resource. They feel many of the obstacles facing forestry, fisheries, free trade, heavy taxation and the GST, etc will quickly vanish with BC statehood. They suggest BC must stand up and claim what rightfully belongs to British Columbians before Ottawa drains us dry and then we’ll be picked up by the US for peanuts.
Emerged Democracy www.vote-ed.com
Even though the VoteEd website does not include Refed in the warm welcome it gives to other BC parties, Refed does agree 100% with all the policies on their website. Like Refed, VoteEd believes that BC deserves a better deal from Ottawa - for example - “it is imperative that the political system in Canada change…”, and “BC should look for an alternative to the corrupt, eastern-based dictatorship we now endure.” VoteEd intends to “assume TOTAL control of all British Columbia Fisheries, both fresh and salt water.” In order to do that, VoteEd will have to find a method of forcing Ottawa to give up its coastal jurisdiction. The Refed website already has a step by step plan for achieving that kind of change. Forcing Ottawa to devolve power to the provinces is called Refederation.
BC Libertarian Party - http://www.libertarian.bc.ca/exec.html
The BC Libertarian Party favors choice for the people, and it stands for greatly reduced government involvement both in our personal lives and in our economic lives. Refed is in agreement, and Refed’s Direct Democracy Act gives BC citizens the ultimate in choice - the RIGHT to approve or veto all government legislation. The text of Refed’s draft legislation can be read on www.refedbc.com
The Platinum Party www.platinumparty.org
This may be the only party in BC politics other than RefedBC that questions the structure of government in BC. - for example,“The members of our [Platinum] party are less concerned with policy of the current regime and more concerned about the actual structure of it. Has the Government of British Columbia gone through the procedures necessary to maintain a legitimate position of authority over the current commercial world within their jurisdiction?” BC Refed agrees that this fundamental question posed by the Platinum Party must be answered. Refed goes further. The Refed website not only answers this question, but also lays out lawful procedures for correcting the problem. If the Platinum Party digs deeper it will find that both the BC and Canadian governments are de facto (unlawful), according to the definition used by the World Bank.
Western Canada Concept www.westcan.org
From its website, the WCC seems to be built on one fundamental principle or concept.- “First and foremost, we [in BC] must have the power to decide! Everything else is only possible if we succeed in that goal.” RefedBC agrees with that statement. There are, however, two ways to gain “the power to decide”. One obviously is to separate BC from the outdated Canadian confederation (that is, if there ever was a confederation). But there is another way. There is a lawful way for BC to gain “the power to decide” without leaving the nation of Canada. It requires the provinces to take back from Ottawa all the powers the provinces were always intended to have. The provinces created the central government with the Quebec Resolutions. The provinces can now combine to enforce those Quebec Resolutions. Removing the central government’s claimed right to tax incomes and its claimed right to disallow provincial legislation will allow BC to decide its future. And BC will still enjoy the benefits of an altered confederation. BC Refed’s detailed plan to re-federate the provinces avoids confrontation with international interests opposed to breakaway nations and new currencies.
Workless Party www.worklessparty.org
This is a single issue party concentrating on one of BC’s major problems today - employment. Their website states - “The goal of the Work Less Party is not to be able to present all solutions, but rather to facilitate individuals and individual communities making their own decisions.” The arguments on the Workless website are sound.
BC Refed’s DD Act (Direct Democracy Act) is the mechanism needed in BC politics to allow individuals and municipalities to make their own decisions and to have the last word in how this province develops.
Summary
In summary, the mere promotion of good intentions and policies by a party will not improve the lives of British Columbians. The problem is too much control over BC by Ottawa. Only a BC government that forces Ottawa to give up more power to this province can improve the life of British Columbians.
Consider:
It can be done. BC can do it. Alberta will follow. . Read the RefedPlan© at www.refedbc.com Think Refed.
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