From John Ibbitson’s Globe and Mail [online] column today: “Balls, the opposition replied…”

The head reads, “Historic ruling to bestow supremacy on either Parliament or PM”, but talk about opinion writing that jumps off the page — at least in Canada, where so much such penmanship is as drab as the newsprint it falls on.

At practical issue is whether the government will be found in contempt over its reservation to release records to a parliamentary committee. In a larger sense, the article partners that issue with a long struggle between “the executive” (read a government, through its cabinet, devolved from a monarch) and parliament in general (the people, through general representation).

In any case, perhaps the well-used U.K. idiom, “balls”, was pulled from a subject drew from talk about the mother parliament (with deference to John Bright). In any case it was well-played.

And, as the article notes:

Patrick Monahan, provost of York University and a constitutional scholar, believes that Mr. Milliken’s decision “will be a historic ruling” watched by Westminster-style governments around the world.

So, as Rupert Murdoch seems to aim his hounds at The New York Times, it is nice to see Canada’s “Gray Lady” going a bit ‘Foxy’ — language-wise, at least.

Web stories are, given the immediacy of the Net’s news cycle, prone to typos.

That’s still no excuse for poor headline writing — especially when it can carry sexual innuendo.

The CBC’s story about a Canadian general’s unauthorized firearm discharge can read like it was written by Bevis or Butthead, and never considered how it could be interpreted.

First, it’s incorrect, unless there was supposed to be a doctor involved. No dice. No other type of probe should ordered into ones’ self. Next (unseen in the screen capture here) there’s a video link that reads, “Ménard orders probe of himself“.

There is also a crude joke that can be found from the story, in a lede from another outlet, about getting the officer essentially getting his gun off (there’s no link because this post is bad enough). Of course, the lead in the CBC story is well played.

Editors sometimes rag on reporters or not simplifying content to meet the demands of a readership/audience that carries the command of a Grade 5, 6 or 7 reading level (take your pick). This, however, forgets that the approach — to some lowest common denominator — leaves wordsmithing open to the interpretation that excludes not certain levels of unintended sexual connotation.

Here, it is too bad the headline did not follow the lead as an example… Pun intended, but puns are for another post on the unexpected consequences found from Internet news reports.

The following is a filed story with a local media outlet from August 2007, shortly after B.C. MLA’s approved significant pay raises for themselves.

So, a week’s election away and introspection from one recovering [quadriplegic] reporter, Fullstop.ca now runs it in the public interest.

Slug: Richmond MLA pay increase and pension: they benefit local MLAs differently
By: DJ Lam
Filed: Aug. 17, 2007

Records received by the ***** show that local MLAs were not in financial trouble when they voted themselves a pay increase in May.

In interviews, Richmond-Steveston MLA John Yap and Richmond Centre MLA Olga Ilich explained why they voted to give themselves a pay increase of at least 28.8 per cent and a revamped pension plan.

Hansard records show all three Richmond-area MLAs voted ‘yea’ to increase their pay in-line with recommendations made by the Independent Commission to Review MLA Compensation, which was appointed by Premier Gordon Campbell in January.

“When you’re a member of the executive council, you vote the government line; and second, I agree with it,” Ilich said. “I’m not there because I need the money, but because I felt I could make a contribution. It’s a rewarding type of experience.”

The ***** was unable to receive comment from Richmond East MLA Linda Reid, who has represented that riding since 1991.

Neither Yap nor Ilich said what they are doing with the increase, which became retroactive from Apr. 1. Opposition NDP members announced they would give the balance of their pay increases to MLA-selected charities.

According to Yap, however, his increase does not amount to much after higher pension payroll deductions replaced the nine per cent group RRSP plan deductions.

“My net pay is plus approximately $200-250 per paycheque,” he said.

“It is an increase in compensation that has been approved by the legislature,” Yap added. “I didn’t need a pay increase to be a donor to charitable causes.”

Ilich agreed. “I give a lot of money to charity and so does the rest of my family. And I think that’s a matter between me and the tax guy; I’m not doing it for the money.”

Public disclosure statements obtained by the ***** paint a financial picture around each of Richmond’s MLAs.

MLA Olga Ilich reported no liabilities in 2005 and 2006.

Statements show she owns recreational land on Galiano Island, a timeshare in Hawaii’s Maui and a local piece of land on Gabriola Crescent.

She also is the single owner of two development companies: Jema Properties Ltd., and Moffatt Road Development Ltd. Jema owned property around Steveston and in Victoria.

Ilich also reported receiving public money for her work as a BC Assessment Authority director. She reported other income from her director roles for UBC Properties Trust and the Vancouver Airport Authority. However, records show she resigned from the BC Assessment Authority on Nov. 4, 2005, as well as from UBC Properties Trust (June 8, 2005) and YVR (Mar. 31, 2005). She was elected in the May 2005 provincial election.

Reid told the ***** in May, “You don’t come to this life for the salary,” and “working people deserve a pension plan.”

She held no investment property in 2005 and 2006, and maintains a mortgage on her home in the community.

When MLAs voted for the commission’s recommendations, Reid became eligible to buy back pensionable years she lost when the old pension plan was scrapped in 1996.

Under the old plan, MLAs became eligible for their pension after six years of service, with payment based on a formula.

NDP opposition house leader, MLA Mike Farnworth, agreed the new pension plan is an improvement. “You have to be 65 to accept, rather than (the old formula of) years of service plus age,” he said.

Yap, a former banker, owns land in Richmond other than his home. His wife holds the title to property in Maple Ridge. And both are under mortgage.

He has held two out-of-government RRSPs since he was elected to office in 2005, while his wife has held four RRSPs, including one held in Singapore in 2005.

The Members’ Conflict of Interest Act requires MLAs to file annual disclosure statements with the province’s Conflict of Interest Commissioner.

Farnworth said his caucus came to a consensus about the pay increase. “We voted against it, because we thought 29 per cent was too high.” He did not say what increase was more acceptable.

Yap said BC Liberal MLAs exercised similar diligence, “Our members of caucus were encouraged to consider carefully the recommendations.”

But Farnworth also suggested that the MLAs self-agreed pay increase came too easily at the rate the commission chose. “A lot of [labour] settlements have been in the 10 to 15 per cent range – across the province,” he said.

Yap maintained, “You need to ensure politicians at all levels – whether provincially, federally, or city – are fairly compensated.”

Part of the commission’s research also included an elected official survey, where 39 of 79 MLAs responded, which revealed generally middle-class MLA representation. “The majority of respondents are married, with a university degree, typically in middle age (45-60), and few have children still living at home,” it noted.

The survey also found that MLAs average work week lasted between 62 and 70 hours.
Yap said he completed the survey; Ilich said she had not.

Both MLAs agreed that the province needed the best candidates running for public office, and that low pay should not turn people away.

“MLAs make decisions that affect the lives of many people,” Yap said. “In this province of four million people, we encourage the people with the experience and the capabilities to pick up public office to make sure they’re fairly and reasonably paid, but not so highly paid that it becomes the reason.”

“I’m happy to be doing it, I’m proud to be serving the people of Richmond, because it is an honour,” Ilich said. “Many people want to contribute to society, and many contribute to the level they can and I’m very honoured to be doing it.”

According to Yap, “It’s very satisfying job – it’s about what I expected, and more; it’s been just over two years now, and so far so good.”

In its 32-page final report, the commission concluded, “There is likely no perfect answer to the question, ‘what should an MLA be paid?’”

“I think people enter public life for a variety of reasons. I would hope it would be for people to make a difference to their community or the province,” Farnworth said, “not just the money.”
B.C.’s MLAs return to their legislative work in Victoria on Oct. 1.

-end-

From the ledge of the Leg, an insider reveals some of the subtext on today’s B.C. government Speech from the Throne. To wit:

Throne speech paragraph
“The importance of the Asia Pacific and its strategic relevance to British Columbia in this Olympic era, as Canada’s Pacific Gateway, is magnified today.”

Government election translation
We’d like to hold on to our three Richmond seats; we’d really like to win more south of the Fraser. We read Statistics Canada Census data, too.

Throne speech paragraph
“No place on Earth offers more cause for hope and confidence in the future than British Columbia.”

Government flack reinforcement
Remember, B.C. is “The Best Place on Earth”.

Throne speech paragraph
British Columbia has enormous potential in clean, low-carbon energy, mining, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, tourism, trade and transportation.

Feel-good-for-election omission
We forgot: mining pollutes at the moment; the pine beetle beat us to the CO2 increase from tree loss; farming uses a lot of energy and isn’t normally as clean as your local ‘earth-to-ash-flavour-coloured’ Starbucks washroom; manufacturing… is manufacturing; trade and transportation mean planes, trains and automobiles (trucks), which run on burned jet fuel, diesel and, well, diesel (ok, credit goes toward the technology bit).

Throne speech paragraph
“Our government will increase K–12 education funding in spite of falling school age populations.”

Government election translation
Parents — many of you that actually vote — we want your votes; don’t listen to those (your) teachers, mostly because you cannot (see Bill 42).

Throne speech paragraphs
“In the past 30 years, health spending has climbed from 26 per cent of the provincial budget to more than 44 per cent of this year’s budget… That trend will grow in the foreseeable future, as 90 per cent of all budgeted new operating spending in the next three years will go to health care.”

Government election translation
Seniors and Boomers: we still want your votes, too.

Throne speech paragraphs
“The answer to shrinking global markets is not to close out the world and close off markets; it is to expand markets and to invite the world in, with new vigour and reciprocity… That is what the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement with Alberta is about.”

Government translation
We, er… messed up this one. We forgot the “the world” doesn’t have to begin with Alberta.

Throne speech paragraph
“In March, your government will host a first ever joint cabinet meeting with Alberta and Saskatchewan.”

Government translation
We know it, and they know it: spring is still better on the Wet Coast than on the Prairies? And hey (insert nervous laugh), doesn’t everybody want to see the ocean at least once?

Throne speech paragraph
“Mining has a great future in British Columbia.”

Government translation
Sorry, log drivers, lumberjacks. The end is nigh.

Throne speech paragraph
“Our government will build on its Clean Energy Plan with new direction to BC Hydro and to the British Columbia Utilities Commission.”

Government election translation
We can still privatize and abolish/’authoritize’ after the election, if you choose us.

Throne speech paragraphs
“Natural gas is one of the cleanest-burning fossil fuels. It too is an important source of rural jobs and investment in our province… Our government will open up that industry while still ensuring the province meets its legal greenhouse gas reduction targets. New policies are in place to require the elimination of routine gas flaring by 2016… New investments will be made in carbon sequestration technology… With that policy framework in mind, B.C. will make the most of its remarkable wealth of natural gas.”

Government translation
We hope you miss the close, un-natural juxtapositioning of ‘clean’ vis-a-vis “fossil fuels”, because the rest sounds great!

Throne speech paragraphs
“The more we look for ways to use wood, the more we will expand our wood markets…New legislation will require wood as the primary building material in all new publicly-owned and provincially-funded buildings, consistent with the new B.C. Building Code… We will lead the way in safe, six-storey wood frame construction that lowers building and housing costs… Where wood can be employed in building designs for new structural purposes, such as the new Richmond Olympic Oval, it will be.”

Government translation
Wood, pretty.

Government Throne speech paragraph
“Where wood can be incorporated into trim and finishing, it will be — inside and out… This will create a culture of wood that looks to wood first.”

Government translation
Darn IKEA and its unionized store… in Richmond, too. Hmm. Real wood, pretty. It may also get you subversively buying B.C. wood over that scandalous Scandinavian pine & particleboard. That’s two birds with one stone.

Throne speech paragraph
“The Olympics will highlight and showcase our B.C. wood products and construction technologies.”

Government translation
We can privatize PavCo, too, after 2010 so we can avoid BC Place Stadium splinters — old roof, new roof, whatever. It was so SoCred, anyway.

Throne speech paragraph
“British Columbia will legally mandate Zero Net Deforestation.”

Government mea culpa
We missed the idea of Positive Plus Reforestation. The speech writer for this paragraph has already been replaced by ‘Wood Good guy’ (plus, we’re considering donating the old guy to the BC NDP or BC Green Party just in time for the election).

Throne speech paragraphs
“The fallout in the industry has been daunting and dramatic, and hardest of all on forest workers and their families… Our government will continue to work closely with the federal government and industry to help.”

Government translation
Blame the feds?

Throne speech paragraph
“To complement the major new investments in the northern corridor, government will open up the new Delta Port, the new South and North Fraser Perimeter Roads, the new Port Mann Bridge, the new Evergreen Line and the new Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill bypass.”

Government translation
Please forget the Pattullo. It’s deadly, gets gutted by fire, and it’s really a Translink problem, isn’t it? Besides, it’s a connection to New Westminster and surrounding areas where we won’t (New Westminster), or probably won’t (Burnaby-Lougheed, Burnaby Edmonds). But, we do like Surrey (see above), and the redistribution in the north-east sector interests us.

Throne speech paragraphs
“Funding for advanced education will increase… As more students choose to complete their studies and more workers look to pursue new training and skills development, more resources will be available… Fortunately, we have prepared, with the largest post-secondary expansion in 40 years… That has created nearly 32,000 new student spaces since 2001… Seven new universities have been established and new medical schools have been launched in Prince George, Victoria and Kelowna… A new law school will be opened at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops in collaboration with the University of Calgary.”

Government self-props, omissions, admissions (pun intended)
1. We planned ahead. We couldn’t fill the first 20,000 of these 32,000 seats when the economy was booming.

2. Our seven ‘new’ universities were mostly institutes or university colleges already authorized to offer undergraduate and applied master’s degrees. But they were opposition ideas from the ’90s. And we had Geoff Plant, QC, prepare a report recommending the idea most people wouldn’t have rejected anyway.

3. We really hope the new doctors up north will stay there. God knows we can’t keep them there.

4. New lawyers mean we didn’t take Shakespeare seriously in high school either. Ironic, huh? Oh, and about the association with the U of C… UBC couldn’t take the whole Okanagan and UVic’s law school was too far to help — and too close to the legislature to be of any help.