Public Affairs Update Header
Issue No. 11April 23, 2012
In This Issue
NDP Win Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope By-Elections
Record Number of Journeypersons Qualified in 2011-12
BC Teachers Vote to Quit all Voluntary Duties
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The Public Affairs Update is your weekly insight, perspective and analysis on politics in British Columbia and Canada.  This newsletter is brought to you by the largest, and most broadly-based business organization in the province, the BC Chamber of Commerce - the Voice of Business in BC.

 

NDP Win Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope By-Elections


The BC NDP won two by-elections last Thursday, just one year out of the next scheduled general election in May 2013.

 

In Port Moody-Coquitlam, NDP candidate Joe Trasolini won the by-election with 54% of the vote, compared to the Liberals' Dennis Marsden with 30% and the Conservatives' Christine Clarke with 15%.

 

In Chilliwack-Hope, NDP candidate Gwen O'Mahoney won the party's first ever seat in the riding. Ms. O'Mahoney finished with 41% of the vote, Liberal candidate Laurie Throness with 31%, and Conservative candidate John Martin with 25% of the vote.

 

Record Number of Journeypersons Qualified in 2011-12

 

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Hon. Pat Bell  announced that there is a record breaking number of skilled trade persons who have qualified as journeypersons this year. For 2011-12, the Industry Training Authority (ITA) awarded 8,760 Certificates of Qualification. This is the highest number of certificates awarded since the ITA was established in 2004, and represents a 20 per cent increase over 2010-11.

 

A Certificate of Qualification, known on the job site as a "ticket", is a credential issued to skilled tradespersons who meet industry-developed standards for theoretical knowledge and workplace proficiency within a trade, either through completing an apprenticeship or successfully completing a challenge assessment.

 

It is estimated that in the next decade, British Columbia will have over one million job openings - including an estimated 104,600 openings in the trades.

 

BC Teachers Vote to Quit all Voluntary Duties

 

The BC Teachers Federation (BCTF)  says its members have voted 73% in favour of a protest that includes withdrawal of voluntary extracurricular activities, including coaching sports teams and taking part in graduation ceremonies.

 

The vote supporting the BCTF resistance strategy also creates the possibility of a future vote on a full withdrawal of services, although Bill 22 sets punitive penalties for any walkout by teachers.

 

BC's public school teachers have been without a contract since last June, and in March, they staged a three-day strike to support demands for a 15% wage increase. The government remains committed to its net-zero mandate, which prohibits increases for all public-sector unions.

 



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This weekly report produced for the BC Chamber of Commerce by Fleishman-Hillard.  While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication as of the date of issue, events and government policies are subject to frequent change.  Therefore, the BC Chamber of Commerce and Fleishman-Hillard cannot assume any responsibility for actions taken solely or principally on the basis on the information contained herein.