What do you believe are the most important overall provincial issues that must be addressed in the next election?

Recently I was contacted by Rajeshwari (Raj), Managing Editor, for Insight, a publication with Glacier Media Group. Insight is a bi-monthly regional publication that highlights the Indo-Canadian lifestyle and community.

The reason he contacted me, was to ask if I would provide responses to a number of questions he was posing to other candidates in our area.  I was delighted to have the opportunity, and I have decided to also share these responses with you today. 


l. What do you believe are the most important overall provincial issues that must be addressed in the next election?  

It would be natural to answer this with what most people would expect to hear; that would be the protection of Health Care, Education, and Social Services.  These are certainly very important, however there is something else which I believe tops all others -- that is the issue of accountability and integrity in government.

This is not something new, but with all the scandals plaguing the BC Liberal government, it is once again at the forefront for many people.  Words are easy to say, and I too have been accused of issuing 'motherhood statements'; however I know the principles and commitment of BC Conservative members -- MLA's are first and foremost to represent the wishes of the people who have elected them to office.

This is something which I take very seriously, and something which was just re-enforced to me again in a personal way by our party leader John Cummins when he was recently in Kamloops. 

I believe in the everyday common sense of British Columbian's, and it is that common sense that will go with me to Victoria when I am elected.


2. What are the changes you propose to make in your riding and for the province? 

If there was just one single major change I could make, that would be to be able to show the people of Kamloops South Thompson that government really can represent them.  We now have more and more people becoming apathetic, and who no believe it makes any difference if they vote or not.  

I want them to see that they can have input in to the decision making process, and that government really can be accountable to them. 


3.  What do you feel are your best qualities as a political candidate? 

Kamloops is my home by choice, and it is where my family and I have resided for over 20 years. 

I have served my community as a policeman, a city councilor, a member of the Thompson Nicola Regional District board of directors, as chairman of our regional hospital district board, plus 15 other committees and local non-profit community groups and organizations. 

Through these opportunities I have been able to put my own personal skills to use in a number of ways.  More importantly however, I have learned from others how to better serve my community by seeking out the wisdom of others, and then putting that knowledge to practical use. 

Now retired, I believe I have the time, the energy and the desire to be the elected 'representative' for the people of Kamloops South Thompson. 


4. Do you think a special campaign is necessary to win the "ethnic" vote like Indo-Canadians?  

We are all Canadians -- we are all British Columbian's.  Some of us have lived here for several generations, and some are relative new-comers who will have the opportunity to add to, and become part of, the growing fabric of our province. 

There is no one individual, or ethnic group, that should be singled out for a special focus by unethical backroom manipulators within some political party's.  To do so, in my opinion is one of the most disrespectful things that a political party can do.  


5.  What is the most important issue facing in your riding today?

There are a number of important issues for our riding, however I believe the biggest is the problems confronting Doctors, Nurses, and other front-line workers and staff at Royal Inland Hospital. 

We now have a situation where the top 13 administrators of the Interior Health Authority are earning $3.3 million dollars a year -- an average of a quarter of a million dollars each.  In fact, there are over 2,600 people in administrative and executive roles, who are supervising a staff of 18,000.  One for every 7 people seems a little excessive to me, and I think we would be better served by having more front line people.

Meantime will have an aging hospital that had an entire operating room closed and its equipment removed -- 100s of beds closed ... patients being looked after in hallways, and an Emergency Room that itself is in a state of emergency time and time again. 

We need to, I believe, listen to the people providing the most direct level of service to see how things can be improved, where changes need to be made, and how we can get more doctors and nurses into the interior, northern and rural communities that are desperately under-served.  


Do you have a question you'd like an answer to?  I'd like to encourage you to contact me; I'll do my very best to provide you with an answer. 

Let's 'stay sharp' Kamloops. 

I'm Peter Sharps -- I'm a BC Conservative -- and "I Believe In BC!"

"Canadian Armed Forces, and Interior Health Authority, Top Heavy With Bureaucracy?"

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to speak to approximately 140 members of the BC Nurses Union in Kamloops, at a noon hour meeting, today.  The nurses came from across the Interior Health Authority (IHA), and had gathered for discussions, at the Coast Kamloops Convention Center. 

Joining me was fellow BC Conservative candidate Mike McLoughlin from Kelowna, along with Kamloops South Thompson NDP candidate Tom Friedman. No representatives of the BC Liberals were in attendance. 

I felt very comfortable speaking with the nurses.  We spoke to a variety of subjects related to medical care in BC, but especially the IHA, and what appears to be a top-heavy bureaucracy.  

One of the things I wanted to be sure they understood, is that BC Conservatives have made a firm commitment to conduct a review of all government ministries to determine if, and where, efficiencies can be found.  

When I told them that, "We need to build up front-line staff, and look to reducing, what seems to be a top heavy management system," that received a large round of applause. 

I also told them that, "As a former members of the Canadian Armed Forces, I used to think they were over managed with the number of Generals and Senior Officers they had."

"I have now found that we in BC have an organization which, in my opinion, is even worse.  That is the IHA, which has a ratio of one person in administration / management, for every 6.3 front-line, or support employee, providing services."

BC Conservatives definately stand for common sense governmentr.  Health Care, Education, and Social Services will be the top 3 priorities of a BC Conservative Party led government. 

But to do that, ongoing deficits, and ever increasing debt, must end.

Let's 'stay sharp' Kamloops.

I'm Peter Sharp -- I'm a BC Conservative -- and I BELIEVE in BC.

That's sucking money away from the front lines and we don't think it's right

One of our BC Conservative candidates had the following question asked of him by someone in the nursing field.  

QUESTION:
What is the BC conservatives stand on the issues the BC Nurses Union faces in the province, and in general what is their stand on unions. I am little concerned about the potential for union busting as a means to cut wages so that corporations can save money. Given I am a female in a predominately female profession if it weren't for the union I do not think I would be making the wage I am able to make now. 

RESPONSE:
As John Cummins pointed out at the budget unveiling, we're not interested in creating labour strife.

We're more interested in the fact that block funding has created a bureaucratic nightmare. In Interior Health alone there are over 2500 directors and managers. There's a manager of this and a director of that and an overseer of some sort for pretty much everything (recalling Monty Python's Minister of Silly Walks). The support structures build around that top-heavy bureaucracy are groaning with overstaffing. Almost half of them make over $100,000, in a geographical area in which the median income is around one third of that.

That's sucking money away from the front lines and we don't think it's right. That's where we're interested in streamlining. There are other associated problems with management that we're going to be looking into as well.  It is not the frontlines we're interested in ... that actually has to be strengthened.  

Now I actually did some research on staffing, with the Interior Health Authority, and here is what I found. There is a 9 person Senior Executive team which is responsible for day-to-day operations and management  ... plus a member Board of Directors ... plus 2,500 Directors and Manager.  

Total administration and management = 2,518 ... and that is for approximately 18,500 employees / staff. 

I'm not saying the answer is "No", however do we really need to have one management / administration person for every 6.3 employees? 

Salaries, of course, take up a huge bite from the health care budget -- including management.  It's difficult to find information, however in a story from the Kamloops Daily News, in January of last year, it noted the following:

Top staff at IHA (all figures exclude pension amounts)

• Chief Executive Director ... in 2010/11, his new position boosted his pay to $346,014, up 18 per cent from his old pay rate.

We will spend less than projected revenues, and we will do it protecting the three cores services; Health Care, Education, and Social Services

SHARP:  We will spend less than projected revenues, and we will do it protecting the three core services; Health Care, Education, and Social Services 

For Immediate Release:  March 6th, 2013

KAMLOOPS:  Meeting with over two dozen members of the news media yesterday in Vancouver, BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins announced a major plank in the 2013 Election platform; the parties Budgetand Fiscal Framework for the next 5 years.  

 

Kamloops South Thompson BC Conservative party candidate Peter Sharp, commenting on the plan, stated:

"Our budget outline is the framework we will be taking in to the elections.  It is one based on economic growth expected by Central One Credit Union; these are not numbers we have cherry picked from someone favorable to our party." 

 

Sharp continued:
"In our 5 year plan, we will spend less than our projected government revenues -- and we will do it protecting the three cores services we as BC Conservatives -- and all British Columbians -- want to see maintained; Health Care, Education, and Social Services.  Each will have increased financial resources and budgets over the term of this 5 year fiscal framework."

 

The BC Liberals have thrown up their hands and said things are bad so we'll just go ahead and spend money anyway.  They have not done what is needed to give the provinces visionaries the spark to create, and go ahead with, the jobs we need to really get the economy going. 

 

"We need to create an environment where our children, the next generation of business leaders, can begin to create more wealth and revenue for the provinces -- and to give the people of BC REAL jobs they can earn a good living at." 

 

BC Conservatives will be looking for efficiencies in government and it's ministries ... there are savings to be found without cutting front-line workers as the BC Liberals have down during their term in office.  

 

"Efficiencies are there, and government and its' ministries don't have to look hard to find them", stated Sharp. 

Can things really be much different here in Kamloops with the Interior Health Authority? I would think not.

PLEASE NOTE ... this is a commentary I had originally posted in the Conservative Thoughts blog on Monday February 25th, 2013

I came across a story today that should give at least a few British Columbian's, many of whom are desperately looking to find a family Doctor, a bit of hope.

The news story indicated that BC has recruited a record number of doctors in 2012.  I am pleased to see this, but also find it a shame however; that we can't work harder to find ways to train more of our own BC young people.

Just the other day, in a government release, the BC Liberals also informed us that:

The government of British Columbia and the BC Medical Association are partnering to improve primary care services and ensure all B.C. citizens who want a family doctor are able to access one by 2015. 

Here are the first two features they called attention to:
1) Funding to enable family physicians to consult with patients by telephone

2) Incentives for physicians to take more patients with complex conditions, such as cancer, onto their caseloads.

Now I don't know about you, but I'm not so sure that we want to have doctors diagnosing patient medical concerns by telephone -- something tells me we could be opening ourselves up for some kind of multi-million dollar lawsuit if a serious misdiagnosis were to occur.

And ... if doctors are already carrying more parents than they wish to have, which is greatly increasing their stress and burn-out level, what kind of 'incentives' can we possibly provide that would have them take more patients on?

I have to say that everything I see, read, and hear, tells me that the whole system appears to be getting worse, and not better.

And it's not just doctors and others in the healthcare system saying the problem is confined to too-high patient loads, and not enough family doctors to go round.  Spending is being badly misdirected as well.

Some Doctors involved in direct medical care in BC are saying; "Hundreds of millions of tax dollars are being wasted every year on inefficiencies ... " 

In this same story we read:

Mike McLoughlin, a Kelowna businessman whose wife is a family doctor at a walk-in clinic, said patients often needlessly repeat medical tests when they're referred to a local hospital. 

"The information sharing is so poor that patients undergo the same tests twice," said McLoughlin, who's running in the May election for the BC Conservatives after getting fed up watching waste in the system. 

The story "Wasted Tax Dollars: B.C. health spending under fire", by Michael Smyth, informs us that:  

... in the Fraser Health Authority alone, the number of non-union staff making over $150,000 a year has increased 22 per cent since the 2009 election.

... and those making between $125,000 and $150,000 is up 35 per cent, and those making between $100,000 and $125,000 is up 39 per cent.

Can things really be much different here in Kamloops with the Interior Health Authority?  I would think not -- and it IS NOT.