The Orca Podcasts

Since the early 1970s, every B.C. driver has been forced, by law, to purchase their auto insurance through the government-owned Insurance Corporation of British Columbia – ICBC.

But ICBC is not aging particularly well. It is on pace to lose a billion dollars this year. Attorney General David Eby has called it “a dumpster fire.”

But crisis also brings opportunity. At their recent policy convention, BC Liberal members voted to support opening up ICBC to competition; their leader, Andrew Wilkinson, even hinted at selling it off completely.

Aaron Sutherland is the Vice President of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, which represents private insurers across the country, and which supports opening up ICBC to competition. Aaron joined Rick in studio.

The Orca's Maclean Kay and ICBA's Jordan Bateman talk all things BC politics, including prop rep, the Eby-Horgan relationship, Vision Vancouver and more.

How big is the LNG Canada decision to the provincial economy? It’s so large that it will add two-tenths of a percentage point to B.C.’s economic growth next year – and likely more in the years to come.

But what impact will rising interest rates have? And what about a slowdown in real estate sales?

Ken Peacock is the chief economist for the Business Council of British Columbia and has just released his economic projections for 2019. Ken joined Rick Cluff in studio.

Maclean and Jordan recap the Horgan-Wilkinson debate on proportional representation, bust the media myths about what debates are suppose to be, and ponder whether we're "woke" or "lit" enough to truly understand BC politics.

The 2018 municipal elections are finished, but their impact will be felt for a very long time, especially in the Lower Mainland. New mayors in Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Delta, and a dozen other cities will mean new priorities and new approaches to the challenges left by their predecessors.

Mike Klassen, a columnist for The Vancouver Courier and former staffer for Mayor Sam Sullivan, keeps a close eye on city politics. Mike joined Rick Cluff in studio.

The voting is under way in the referendum on the most important part of our democratic system: how we elect our provincial MLAs. The NDP and Greens are campaigning in favour of three proportional representation systems; the BC Liberals are standing up for the status quo, first past the post.

Andrew Wilkinson, the BC Liberal leader, has been making a strong case against prop rep. Andrew joined Rick via Skype, from Victoria.

Orca editor-in-chief Maclean Kay and co-host Jordan Bateman of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of BC recap the sights, sounds and surprising energy of the BC Liberal Party's 2018 convention. Live from the convention floor, just after @Andrew Wilkinson's keynote speech.

This weekend in Vancouver (Nov 2-4, 2018), hundreds of BC Liberal leaders, members and volunteers will gather in Vancouver for the party’s policy convention. The convention theme is “Winning Takes Work” and will include substantive policy debates on everything from the future of ICBC to agricultural policy.

Emile Scheffel is the executive director of the BC Liberal Party and is putting the convention together. Emile joined Rick Cluff in studio.

***Be sure to watch The Orca's live coverage of the BC Liberal convention all day Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, at www.facebook.com/theorcabc.

Orca #BCPOLI Hotstovers Maclean Kay and Jordan Bateman will be on site interviewing MLAs, strategists, riding presidents and more.

(The Orca's coverage of the BC Liberal 2018 Convention is sponsored by ICBA - www.icba.ca)

Many pundits, experts, journalists politicians and academics have expressed concern over the referendum rules and process, put together by NDP Attorney General David Eby. The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association have even taken the BC Government to court over it.

Chris Gardner heads up ICBA, and has led the court challenge against prop rep. Chris joined Rick in studio.