Carole James can't take the heat on tough decisions. Doesn't she think things through before voting?

I thought that Campbell was bad with committees and reviews but Carole James is exactly the same.

She is showing that she is unable to make tough decisions. No wonder her party can't let go with the power labour has as she once wanted.

Clearly the NDP Enterprise force shields couldn't take the pounding from the Klingons err...citizens.

Best to get out quickly before the dilithium crystals blew up.

Now will the Liberal Romulans uncloak their ships and fight or will they continue to hide?

So if this is true, the leader of the Official Opposition must have been sleeping as she voted for it and her team must not have told her the negotiations were going on. If that is the case, a few heads should be rolling in the aisles by now. So why was Corky and new MLA Simpson( a real sharp guy) telling us how it was needed on Voice of BC last evening. Both guys are usually pretty sharp but now they look a bit dense as well.

What a strange group we have down at the rock pile. The mind boggles. It's time to draft Joy McPhail back into the house, and time to fire a few more advisors.

Campbell is playing them like a harp and loving it. The comment about a leader by Joe Donkey is pretty accurate if a 180 reveral will happen each time the heat comes on. Maybe the num,ber of NDP supporters hitting the bog lines and the expected letters to editors might have hit home

I note with interest that Stan Hagen has just fired the Blue Ribbon Panel surrounding those 713 files, leaving Ex Judge Hughes by himself. The man is honest, and very credible( Judge Hughes that is) Stan is well ,good old Stan drawing a big wage and screwing up regularly.

Look, at least she's backing down after the thumping she and the party have taken from both supporters and media. Let's see if Campbell will "listen" as well. I'm not holding my breath.

Carole James gets credit for listening to voters. At a time that the government is under a cloud oc scandal over the child-death affair, and their abusive treatment over teachers, she was unwise to join in the unanimous passage of Bill 17. With her about face today, instead of skewering her for it, I congratulate her instead. If the government was wise, they'd take her advice.

I hope the BC Libs stick to their guns on the MLA pay increase. The amount MLAs were making was ridiculously low. Without adequate renumeration the only people who will run for public office are the independently wealthy and terminal losers.

James has just made a total ass of herself. Pat increases for politicians are NEVER popular and dragging the issue out for 4-5 months will only make the damage greater.

Get it over with and move on. The public will seeth for a few more days and then get really interested in the next episode of Desperate Housewives this Sunday and forget about it.

Unfortunately, Jerry, they won't forget about it. This government is under a cloud of scandal right now and this pay raise issue is making them look like the Socreds of old. What do you think would happen if the pay was raised by an NDP government? Liberal supporters and members would launch a holy war over it. Carole James is asking that the raise issue be deffered and looked at in the spring. Be glad that some politicians in Victoria actually LISTEN to voters, unlike the Orwellian BC Liberal party.

Okokok... before everyone goes Gov't bashing... It's important to point out the for FOUR YEARS the Libs had the Legislature virtually to themselves. They could have easily and quite simply boosted their income at any point. Instead, the Government side took a 5% pay CUT. The only MLA's keeping their full salary were the NDP.

MAgically, as soon as the old NDP monkeys from the gold-plated pension days show up, salaries go up! Five bucks says the NDP was the real force behind this change... everyone should go do the math. Who got hte largest raise in all this? An NDP MLA. Sue Hammel got a 47% increase. How they can say they have anything in common with "working people" is beyond me.

Right Bobert, The Liberals have relinquished control of the purse strings to the NDP. Oh, and the NDP also used mind control to get the Liberals to write up the legislation and make all of their MLA's vote yes.

Full marks to the BC Liberals for getting folks to forget the 713 forgotten children.

Whoever wrangled Bill 17 to the floor for a unanimous vote on this day deserves a raise from the bc libs. Pure politicking at its worst.

The NDP were starting to look reasonable and credible... alas, all is lost.

Robert blames the NDP for the liberal's MLA payraise scheme...understand that it was the NDP that first ended the gold-plated pensions, brought back by the BC Liberals. Now, Premier Campbell is "entitled" to $10 million upon his 'retirement' from the house - if he isn't dethroned or recalled sooner.

Give us a break folks. James no more listened to the people prior to getting feet first into the trough. Then she listened because the rank and file NDP told her she was stupid to fall for Gordo's scheme. Now we know what it costs to get her on side. It was so easy and she and her advisors screwed themselves and are now looking of an out. GO read Paul Wilcox, Mike Smythe, Vaugn Palmer and last but not least. David Shreck( Long accused of being a NDP patsy. he is at strategic Thought web site)David stated his article with MLA's Oink Oink. Then tell us again how she listens to the people. My god she left the province as soon as she could get out of the house. Campbells move was strategically quite brilliant( and I am no Campbell fan for sure.) As one writer above mentioned , when he had a massive majority he could have done just about anything. When his majority was cut way down he jumped at the chance to make the opposition look greedy and it worked. Thanks to helpers like Martyne Browne, and Ken Doebbel. he pays high wages and gets the results he wants. It sure as heck wasn't whizbangs like Stan Hagen.

That Carole doesn't have the guts to make and stick with tough decisions isn't news to anyone. It was an issue last election. It was an issue when she ran for the leadership. Carole is not a decision maker, frequently backtracks, and never thinks for herself.

So who's doing the thinking for her? David Perry, who can rightly be named as the architect of this debacle. Agree to an obscene raise for MLAs in return for more money for staffers, ie him. And now NDP members are in revolt, the public is in shock and Carole is backtracking. Ultimately, David Perry hasn't built a political career by being competent, but by snaking around, backtracking, and blaming others when necessary. I wonder who's going to be the NDP scapegoat and take the hit for Carole. It looks like the NDP is setting up Mike Farnworth for the fall just as the Libs are setting up Mike De Jong to be the bad guy.

Someone has to take the fall for Carole James/David Perry's embarassing leadership. Gee, d'ya think maybe it should be those two?

Can someone clue me in on who David Perry is and what his background is....

Let's take it from the top.

Who David Perry is: Useless tit, and chief of staff of the NDP

What his background is: Collossal screw-ups like the Joy MacFail leadership campaign in '99

In short:

This is your party without David Perry at the helm... (Government!!!!! Hooray!!!)

This is your party with David Perry at the helm...
(Opposition. Oh shit, we dropped another 20 points in the polls. Boo!!!!!)

Any questions?

When is that god-damn David Perry going to be shown the door? He is delivering this party to hell in a handbasket!! Even now, he is scurrying around like a god damn rat trying to save his own skin and make Farnsworth take the fall. He is the mastermind of this bullshit and it goes to show that he is out of bloody touch with reality that in his little world this outrageous horseshit makes sense.

For the sake of the NDP, he needs to be fired. I was around during the 90s, it was tough, but at least there was some decent people. Our MLAs need to find their balls and start showing some leadership rather than just taking orders from Perry.

Wow... I agree, David Perry's handling of pretty much everthing leaves alot to be desired... but the previous poster seems to have a more personal beef.

Hmmm... maybe David Perry didn't give you the staffer job you were hoping for? Or maybe you wanted his job for yourself... Hmmm...

David Perry didn't vote unanimously in the Leg to give every NDP MLA a raise, the MLAs did. Carole James may tell reporters it was a mistake but she'll still take the cash in the end.
Those who would like to blame the Liberals for 713 child deaths are playing with fire. The government didn't kill these children. In most cases, they were victims of abuse and neglect at the hands of their drunken, good-for-nothing parents. How is a "review" by a retired judge going to change that? What do NDP apologists suggest? Higher pay for social workers? The scandal is that murderous parents are provided an alibi by NDP greed-heads desperate to deflect attention from their selfish money-grubbing.

Yeah Right! David Perry is at fault. It's because Farnworth and de Jong made this secret deal in the back rooms of LAMC without David Perry that they are in so much shit. Perry has the political smarts to know that this wouldn't fly, but I guess Mike Farnworth didn't want to listen.

If anyone is to blame, it's Farnworth, who cut the deal with de Jong.

Yeah Right! David Perry is at fault. It's because Farnworth and de Jong made this secret deal in the back rooms of LAMC without David Perry that they are in so much shit. Perry has the political smarts to know that this wouldn't fly, but I guess Mike Farnworth didn't want to listen.

If anyone is to blame, it's Farnworth, who cut the deal with de Jong.

"The scandal is that murderous parents are provided an alibi by NDP greed-heads desperate to deflect attention from their selfish money-grubbing."

Right Steve, it wasn't Liberal budget cuts that led to those reviews being shelved. I mean there has to be some way to blame the NDP for this one too, right

Take the F***'in blinders off.

I mean come on Steve, even the Premier admits they messed this one up. Why can't you?

If we must play the Blame Game, I nominate Carole James as the one who must take responsibility for Nov. 19 in the Legislature.

There are times when gentle courtesy works wonders, I suppose. But god knows, in politics there are times when the pit bull needs to defend the principles of fairness and justice. Ms James failed the test. She has done irreparable harm to her own ability to perform the duties as Opposition Leader. She can't escape the burden of final responsibility.

Carole James must resign and make way for a new, stronger, more principled leader who remembers what it means to be a New Democrat.

N, you're absolutely correct, of course. I guess I expect this kind of crap from Gordon Campbell's government all the time ... and didn't notice them there in the shadows, leering.

Maybe James did make a mistake,it has to do with a person making a mistake, and admitting it, after all, did boozin Campbell not make a mistake and have the people forgive him for embarrassing them and the Government of B.C. by appearing on TV and saying (with a tear in his eye)I have a dream and I will not step down, I am sorry. But do not forget, he made a statement earlier in his career that anyone that was involved in corruption within the Government should step down for the good of the government, ya right.
When are we going to have a poll on how many people have passed on because of the Governments cutbacks of Hospitals, I asked Campbell how he was getting across the US border with a criminal record, if you or I have a criminal record try to cross the US border. I am sorry also, but I do not feel that corruption should be allowed in the Government, as it is, a prescedent has been set, drunks, convicts, Mafia and all Hells Angels can run for government, What is to stop them?
I will always vote for NDP unless they start to corrupt the Government also, not for a mistake that anyone could make.
Regards Dave Noble