Funny thing, though, is that I had always equated QLT as somehow aligned with the New Democrats.

Julia Levi, co-founder of QLT and executive chairperson of the scientific advisory board of QLT, apparently supports centre-left causes.

She actively supported New Democrat Gregor Robertson's 2005 campaign and was also a supporter of the Friends of Larry Campbell.

Any smart businessperson or group plays both sides of the fence. The only trick is doing it in such a way that each party thinks that the "love" only flows to them!

Or maybe it's just good public policy. Supporting Bio-tech is now a bad thing?

John, John, John!

Nice try but no bananas. The issue raised by Mr. Holman is not that supporting bio-tech with government financial incentives is bad but rather that friends of the Liberal Party are recieving benefits in return for their financial support of the Party.

If you want to comment on this issue directly (which I think is very tenuously presented to us by Mr. muckraking Holman) please feel free to do so but let's leave the straw man in the field where it belongs.

September 15, 2005

ROBBINS Sce Research (1998)
www.robbinssceresearch.com

For immediate Release

Question #1-In your opinion should the BC Utilities Commission allow the sale of Terasen Gas to the U.S. Corporation Kinder Morgan?

Yes-32.5%
No-67.5%

Question #2-In your opinion should the BC Utilities Commission permit the increase in gas prices to consumers in the amount of approximately 13%?

Yes-29%
No-71%

Question #3-After the Vancouver civic election November 19, 2005 which political association would you like to see possess a ‘voting majority’ on the Vancouver School Board?

Non-Partisan Association-47.5%
COPE-48.5%
Other-4.0%

Question #4-After Vancouver’s civic election November 19, 2005 which political association would you like to see with a voting majority on City Council including Mayor?

Non-Partisan Association-48%
COPE plus Vision Vancouver-51%

Question #5-Of these three ‘Vancouver’ political personalities which one would you prefer to be your next Mayor after November 19, 2005?

Christy Clark-25%
Sam Sullivan-29%
Jim Green-46%

Question #6- (only to those respondents who selected either Christy Clark or Sam Sullivan in Question #5). If the person you selected as the one you prefer in Question #5 does not win the NPA nomination scheduled for this September, will you support the other NPA candidate that you did not select, when that candidate goes against Jim Green for the Mayor’s job?

Yes-95%
No-04%

Commentary-This ‘combo’ survey on applications before the BC Utilities Commission and questions relating to Vancouver civic politics provides some additional insight into the minds of Vancouver voters prior to the upcoming civic elections in November of 2005. These responses reveal ‘class divides’ in the City.

People on the East side of Main Street overwhelmingly don’t want Terasen to be sold to U.S. conglomerate Kinder Morgan. The majority of respondents who answered “Yes” in Question #1 live on the West side.

Similarly, those on the East side are in the majority in saying that approval should not be given for higher Gas rates, while fewer respondents on the West side accept a 13% increase as compared to a sale of the entire company to U.S. interests.

Civic races for School Board, City Council and the Mayor’s Chair will be close but Christy Clark has slightly shorter coattails for School Board than Sam Sullivan. What’s very interesting is the fact that although the Christy Clark plus Sam Sullivan support in Question #5 exceeds Jim Greens support, Question #6 tells us that virtually all of Sam Sullivan’s ‘supporters’ will take Christy as second choice, while Christy’s ‘supporters’ (in total) are slightly less inclined to support Sam Sullivan.