December, 2012 - Bill Bennett’s MLA Column

Dix has been hiding his plans December 7, 2012

The front page of today’s Vancouver Province newspaper reveals that Adrian Dix has been misleading British Columbians, pretending to be a moderate in order to get elected, while writing the NDP election platform hand-in-hand with the BC Federation of Labour.

The leaked document from the BC Federation of Labour states:

“Labour platform is being developed with the BCNDP. This includes extensive affiliate discussions on key issues including the BC Labour Code, Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB), trades training and employment standards.”

Dix has been hiding his plans for some time. Over the summer, our Party interns launched a light-hearted search for his election platform at www.dixshiddenplan.ca. Little did they know what the NDP and the BC Federation of Labour were really up to.

We know what happened the last time the NDP were in power – changes to labour laws drove investment out of the province. In this time of global economic uncertainty, they are going back to their old playbook.

It’s a safe bet that the secret ballot for union certification is as good as gone with the BC Fed pulling the strings.

As usual, Mr. Dix is talking out of both sides of his mouth. He pretends to be friendly to business while at the same time the BC Federation of Labour is writing his election platform.

The leaked document also reveals the extent to which organized labour is bankrolling the NDP – with money from union dues and paid union organizers.

This illustrates the real risk Adrian Dix poses to British Columbia’s economy. While our BC Liberal government has reduced taxes, spurred job growth and kept spending under control, Mr. Dix has revealed that he is simply pretending to be moderate in order to get elected.

With momentum on our side, our BC Liberal team is gathering strength. Our renewed cabinet, strong team of new candidates, and the determination of our supporters will ensure there is no free pass for Adrian Dix and the NDP.