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All the best in 2019!
As we turn the calendar over on another year, we reflect and resolve.What did we do well in 2018? Do more of that!What didn't work so well in 2018? Try to do less of that in 2019.Although it is really just another day, New Years Day provides the opportunity to assess and improve. In some respects, that is what this blog is. A chance to reflect...
Why do we do what we do? Who knows?
Let's start to address who knows what, when, and how. There is a lot of people who comment on why we do what we do.But first, the elephant in the room. It was only a matter of time before the streak of consecutive days publishing a blog post was to be broken. 19 days and 19 blog posts. Then came Saturday. There is an unpublished post sitting in...
Win, lose, play: A Pokemon Battle
Background Regirock, is a legendary Pokemon and is the central feature of my Pokemon deck. Silas, and his cousin Reuben, are into Pokemon. A few months ago, Reuben made a deck for me, and Silas taught me the game. Pokemon didn't show up until the 1990's, so I am pre-Pokemon. I grew up in the 1980's with Atari's and the World Wrestling Federation....
Part 1.1: Puppets, puppet-masters and erosion of trust
A Facebook commenter on my last blog post noted,"U are a rare well intentioned politician but the longer u stay in the game the higher the risk that the corruption of politics will eventually win you over. Politicians are the pawns of puppet masters, they do their dirty work, the puppet masters never get their hands dirty. I am sure u know this I...
Part 1: You don’t know what you don’t know
The Standing Orders provide the rules of the House. There is no handbook for the politics of the House. We have to figure that out for ourselves and it is a steep learning curve.Looking back at our legislative work through 2018, there is plenty to learn from. Many mistakes not to be made again, and missed opportunities to catch the next time...
Voter participation and fostering community connections
Congratulations Saanich North and the Islands!We once again returned the highest participation rate in a vote. When a vote is called, we turn out! We show up!In the 2013 provincial election, we finished in the top three of voter participation with 69% voter turnout. Similarly, in 2017 we finished with 74% voter turnout. And, at the deadline...
Merry Christmas! I am taking a break today!
It has been a good run of posts over the past few weeks. I am going to rest today. Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings! [siteorigin_widget class="Jetpack_Subscriptions_Widget"][/siteorigin_widget]
It’s a win-win! But, is it?
It comes up for me when someone defends a proposal, program or policy as a "win-win.""It's win-win," they say. Cut and dry.Of course there are many lenses to look at something through. But, it is a black/white, good/bad, world. It is polarized and divided between us and them. So, win-win is sufficient.Win-win's are exclaimed, often with a sense...
Protect. Restore. Conserve. The value of a wild salmon
Where are we on the wild salmon file? Taking stock, salmon have been my primary issue in the legislature. My work is underpinned by a hopeful vision for the future and the notion that "good salmon policy, is good social, environmental and economic policy." That is the way it has been for thousands of years in British Columbia. The bounty brought...
Clicktivism, attention and making an impact
How much is a click worth? Google, and many other platforms, make it a competition, an auction for how much your attention is going to cost. In my line of work, your attention is also very important. Many decisions are driven by the amount of attention from the public. Politicians are very sensitive to scrutiny and criticism. Therefore, decisions...
The Balance of Responsibility
It is a simple question. Ok, maybe not so. The balance of power or responsibility? In an interview on CFAX 1070 with Pamela McCall, in the middle of the dramatic summer of 2017, she asked me straight. "What does it feel like to hold the balance of power?" My response surprised her. It was quick and sharp and went something like this....
Emily, Silas, Ella. HÍSḴW̱E (Thank you)
A while back now my good friend Evan, took me aside and told me straight. "Adam, you need to do a better job acknowledging the people around you!" It is important advice. (His advice always is.)Yesterday's post was a tip of my hat to all the incredible people who lift me (and my colleagues Sonia Furstenau and Andrew Weaver) up everyday.The people...
HÍSḴW̱E (Thank you) to the BC Green Caucus team
When I settled into my seat on a short flight to Vancouver last week, I began to think of the trust we put in the pilot. Trust that they will get us safely from point A to point B. But, in reality it is more than just the pilot, it's an exceptional team of professional technicians that deliver you there. Think about it. Remove any part of the...
Seeking common ground in rental housing
Governments fixate on housing units. People create homes. There is a big difference. Housing is the most controversial issue in British Columbia. What is the provincial government doing about it? People demand less! People demand more! The home provides security and comfort. It is a primary factor in the health and wellbeing of an individual and...
Have you heard about Radio Sidney?
How do we tell our stories? Blogs are an excellent way to deliver a story. Whatever topic you are interested in, there is likely a blog or several of them, from people with the same interest. 300 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. Live storytelling with video on platforms like Facebook and YouTube is growing in popularity....
We all have blue blood. For some, it’s really blue!
This post is about hope. It is about having a hope-filled vision for the future.Its root is way back in my childhood and being a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs?The Toronto Maple Leafs you ask? Really? Perhaps this guy's judgement is not very good after all you might quietly say to yourself.Ok. Fair comment. But, it does shine a light on a couple...
Supporting primary care on the Saanich Peninsula
There is a growing primary healthcare crisis on the Saanich Peninsula. Exhausted doctors are calling and emailing. Exasperated constituents are calling and emailing. A primary challenge! One clinic has closed and others are straining under the pressure. Due to the lack of primary care services, clinic doctors are increasingly being called upon to...
Preparing for the worst while we still can
When an earthquake tore up Anchorage, AK a few weeks back, the news quickly spread through British Columbia. Coastal communities need not worry, there is no threat of a tsunami. Everyone stand down. Humans respond pretty well to disaster. We do a good job of setting aside differences and pouring our focus into the task at hand. When we need to....
Privacy, policy and mobility in big data
What is your privacy worth to you?Do you read the privacy agreements before using your new device or that new app that helps with your productivity?Does it bother you that you are being tracked? The maps app that is telling you about the traffic jam down the road, can do that because it is processing the data from all the people, just like you...
Reconsider Trans Mountain over and over again…
The Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project continues to provide substantial concern in the Salish Sea.When the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the Federal Liberal Government’s approval of the pipeline, and called into question the National Energy Board’s (NEB) recommendation. One of their reasons for the decision was the quality of their...
The kids are paying attention!
The kids are paying attention. Yes, the kids are paying attention and see a lot more than perhaps the adults think! Ella, my six year-old daughter, said to us, “do gases make it not snow? Because, if they do then we need to go to the gas station and tell them to stop selling gases." On balance, she has it just about correct. They listen intently...
Journals. Blogs. And the discipline to do it.
My friend John has been encouraging me to keep a journal. Capture the political drama from inside the big stone house at 501 Belleville. It is good advice. Unfortunately there are not a few hundred journal entries capturing those early days. But, thankfully journaling can start at any time. You start writing and commit the discipline to keep...
“People like me” should make an impact
It was good of Michael Stelzner to introduce Seth Godin on his show Social Media Marketing. Seth was familiar to me, but the timing was right. It happened on the perfect morning walk a few weeks ago.Social Media Marketing is about "navigating the social media jungle." Seth's podcast, Akimbo, is about the big ideas, and small, powering meaningful...
032 – The Public Circle LIVE! (Talking salmon!)
032 - The Public Circle LIVE! (Talking salmon!) Friday, December 7, 2018 In 2018, I stood and spoke about wild salmon many times. I and my colleagues addressed fish farms . It is an issue that I am passionate about. As the year winds down I decided to make this episode of The Public Circle LIVE! a...
Thank you to the champions of Pro-Rep!
As we reach the deadline for referendum ballots on Pro-Rep to be delivered to Elections BC, it is the perfect time to pause... Thank you to all the volunteers who have spent thousands of hours working on the Pro-Rep campaign. You all are champions! Fighting for electoral reform is important work in British Columbia. But, the work for this...
Setting a table for leadership
During the 2017 election I committed to working to strengthen the relationships between the provincial, local, first nations and federal governments. There is only so much that a single MLA can do, but I remembered back to my time as a municipal councillor and the need for more opportunities for cross government connections. When we opened the...