Premier Andrew Furey went all the way to British Columbia for a few minutes - literally - with BC Premier Dave Eby. Furey got a photo op in a hydrogen-powered car, a photo op at an affordable housing project, and a photo op with Eby talking about the federal government.
“B.C. may join court challenge of federal equalization payments” said headines across the country. All right in one sense but wrong in the one that matters.
Eby said he’d have the government lawyers keep an eye on the issue and if the thing Furey’s people got around to filing lined up with BC’s interests, he’d think about intervening. But in the rest of his remarks, Eby wasn’t talking about federal transfers to provinces like Equalization, which is what Furey is apparently wound up about in his Fight for Fairity.
Here’s the widely quoted comment by Eby: “Quebec gets $750 million in funding for migrants, (and) we can't get money for dikes in the Sumas Valley."
"It's not OK. So, I will be asking our attorney general to work with Andrew's team to have a look at the case they're bringing forward and see if there's a place in British Columbia for this."
And so you really get the sense of what’s up Eby’s nose, look at the rest of examples offered in this CTV version:
The B.C. premier has been critical of unfair federal funding for Western Canada, saying the lack of money for projects such as flood prevention, while cash flows to Quebec and Ontario, shows those provinces get "special treatment."
On Thursday, Eby reiterated his frustration at the "pattern" of a lack of federal funding on projects such as the $4.15-billion replacement for the George Massey Tunnel in Metro Vancouver, where no specific figure on Ottawa's contribution has been set.
He said other projects also need federal funds, including flood mitigation in the Fraser Valley, an area badly damaged by flooding in 2021, and the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade in Richmond, B.C.
"Building out the Massey Tunnel — here's a $4-billion project where a federal government minister took out a full-page ad to say the feds are going to pay for it during the election," Eby said. "Zero right now. Zero.
"Taxpayers in B.C. can't afford to build everything for the federal government so that they can just rain cash down on Ontario and Quebec."
None of that is about funds given from the federal government to some provincial governments to provide basic services.
None of it.
There is a very clear annoyance in Ebys comments that taxpayer cash from BC is going off to Ottawa and then to provinces like Ontario and Quebec for stuff that isn;pt equalization or other federal transfers that Furey is on about.
For his part, after reciting his stock lines about Equalization, Furey offered up an example about funding for asylum seekers - Furey called them refugees - and how Prince Edward island gets $90,000 bucks a head but Newfoundland and Labrador only gets $9,000.
That’s not Equalization or the health or social transfers or any of the other federal cash that comes according to a formula Furey mentioned in his stock lines. But he also argued that provinces like BC, Alberta, and others that are already wealthy by any reasonable measure also should get federal transfers for basic services.
In other words, what Furey talked about at the news with Eby was a direct attack on the principle of Equalization and Regional Disparities as the heading says on that paet of the Constitution Act, 1982 Furey wants to fight over. rather an fighting to lower the differences - the disparities - among provinces - Furey apparently wants to make them even worse.
Or does he?
Hard to say because Furey’s been all over the place on this issue and we are only in the second week of the Fight for Fairity. That’s a point your humble e-scribbler made last weekend on Issues and Answers with Michael Collins. Furey cannot explain in a few, simple, consistent words what is wrong and how he thinks Ottawa can fix it. Not only that but he’ll travel to British Columbia just for a picture with someone who won’t commit firmly to back Furey’s fight. “BC Premier, Furey on Same Page When it Comes to Equalization” VOCM claimed. Nuh-uh.
In fact, no provincial government has backed Furey. The most any of them will say is what Eby said: we’ll have a look and might decide what to do later on. That’s not unusual. Nor is it unusual to have province’s shag around and come in weakly at the last minute based on some issue that isn’t really the one at play in the main lawsuit. But it doesn’t mean any of them back what Furey’s at, assuming they can figure out what that is.
The rest of us cannot.
Once again we talk about Photo Ops….and there is a reason for that. Our Premier appears to be taking advice from advisors that have completed some sort of training in why Instagram, Facebook and Tic Toc are the front door entrances to get the “message” out.
In a world of “being famous for being famous”, or someone who attains a celebrity status for no clearly identifiable reason… is a bit dramatic, it appears in this case, that our Premier is famous for his past successes and family connections. Not big policy initiatives. The Comms people would disagree citing that the photos have been accompanied by background and context. This is true, but I am certain that background and context is not the M.O. or scrolling behaviour for social platforms. Furey and Company need those constituents and they are striking out!
A Photo Op on the other side of the country, while looking concerned, should have been a Photo Op of our Premier looking at his Zoom Screen in his Office…, looking concerned.
Just imagine what the message could have been of our Premier being concerned and advancing opportunities … all while not spending a dime traipsing around, looking concerned. The only message that our Premier delivered was a flurry of threads of his constituents clicking “WTF is he up to now”!
If he still wants to traipse around looking concerned then I would suggest that he book a room somewhere in the Province and meet with a crowd that are hard done by. Pretty sure he could find a few groups that would welcome a Photo Op of the Premier looking concerned.