BC Liberal Leadership Candidate George Abbott during a visit to North Vancouver

Video footage from TheLeftCoast.ca at last night's visit to the Holiday Inn by George Abbott:

Announcement: NVP.com Under New management

Barry F. who started this blog about six years ago has handed over the reins to me. Barry was finding he just didn't have the time in his busy schedule to give this blog the attention it required.

I am most definitely following a tough act.

I trust we will see Barry's continued involvement with the discussions here at Northvancouverpolitics.com

Thank you Barry for your creative energy, leadership, and uniqueness with the blog since its inception.

Once and for all, Amalgamation

The 2011 Property BC Assessment notices are in and property values are up as much as 20 percent on the North Shore.

City of North Vancouver Mayor Darell Mussatto says, the increase is both good news and bad news for local residents - depending on whether they already own property or not.

For those who don't, "It's now eight percent more difficult to get into the housing market," said Mussatto in Friday's North Shore News.

For those who do there really isn't any good news either. The Assessment is key in determining local property taxes each year so most homeowners will see an increase for 2011.

A recent report showed the North Shore local governments are some of the highest spenders of the tax money we entrust to them as compared to other B.C. municipalities.

Is it high time to re-visit the issue of Amalgamation of the City and the District? Is it one way to potentially reduce or curb the upward spiral of municipal taxes we seem to be facing in our future?

BC First

It’s been many years since I threw my lot in with a political party. Regular readers will know that it’s been several elections since I did anything but wring my hands in despair over the paucity of candidates or platforms that I could believe in.

So it may come as a surprise to some that I’m publicly endorsing BC First, a new provincial party that has risen from the ranks of the dissatisfied voters who are forcing a referendum on the Harmonized Sales Tax.

Even at this early stage, before their first general meeting, BC First has been drafting policies that more or less fit what I think is right; suggesting directions that are sensible, balanced, practical, and – dare I say it – progressive.

Read their policies on Environment, Health, Energy, or Taxation, and see if they don't look pretty darned sensible.

It’s early days for the Party, and policies are still being developed, with an inaugural board of directors to be elected at the first Party meeting later this spring.

I've volunteered as Constituency Organizer for the North Vancouver-Seymour riding, and have the wonderful task of signing up the first 25 members in the riding. You can contact me directly, or log onto the BC First website and pay your $10 membership on-line.

No matter how you join, I hope you’ll be as excited by this new Party as I am.

*note: I've no idea what happened to the NVPolitics blog last week, so I'm re-posting.

Christy Clark Clarifies Position on HST

BC Liberal leadership candidate was in North Vancouver yesterday and was asked to clarify her position on the HST referendum: