Will there be a lasting credibility gap as a result of the sale of BC Rail? Gordon Campbell's book of election promises, the New Era Document, said he would not sell or privatize BC Rail. Instead of saying he changed his mind, Campbell is insisting that by keeping the right of way, rail bed and track, he isn't selling the railway. Few believe that; legislative debate revealed the lease is for 90 years with an option to cancel after 60 years during which time neither the government nor the crown corporation have any liability for anything to do with the property and rights they supposedly own. This means CN has every right, obligation and privilege of an owner.

The credibility gap widens when the language used in other promises is examined. The government website contains a partisan document titled "New Era Review", http://www.gov.bc.ca/bcgov/down/new_review.pdf. Complete with attacks on the NDP, the document reiterates the BC Liberal party election promises and, together with commentary, categorizes each promise as either "done" or "in progress". The document belongs on the BC Liberal party's website, not on the government site, but wherever it is, it provides an opportunity to examine more deceptive language and denials of broken promises.

Promise: "Pass a Community Charter to outlaw provincial government "offloading" of costs onto municipal governments, and to give local governments greater autonomy and better planning tools to reduce pressure on property taxes."

Reality: Bill 75, the Streamlining Act, strips local governments of autonomy and eliminates their ability to plan.

Promise: "Honestly balance the budget, without cutting funding for health care or education."

Reality: The government suffers from "money illusion". The money it provides is inadequate to buy the same bundle of real health and education services that existed prior to the New Era.

Promise: "Establish service plans that include measurable performance standards and targets for all programs that are annually audited and published, for all taxpayers to see."

Reality: Targets, such as lowering infant mortality, have been eliminated and replaced with measures of cost controls; measurement of outcomes has been replaced with an accountant's balance sheet.

Promise: "Protect private property rights to prevent government from expropriating assets without fair compensation."

Reality: Government stripped forest companies of tenure rights, limited the amount of compensation and prohibited legal action.

Promise: "Restore an independent BC Utilities Commission, to re-regulate BC Hydro's electricity rates."

Reality: In Bill 85, government made it law that "the commission must, when setting rates of the authority, comply with any regulations, including, without limitation, any general or special directions, made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under this Act."

Promise: "Not sell or privatize BC Rail."

Reality: Tell that to the CN shareholders!

Promise: "Make the Workers' Compensation Board more responsive to workers' and employers' needs."

Reality: Benefits to injured workers were cut by 9%.

Promise: "Pass real comprehensive ground water legislation to improve the quality of British Columbians' drinking water."

Reality: Nine months after the recommendations from the independent Drinking Water Review Panel were received government finally introduced Bill 61, the Drinking Water Protection Amendment Act, 2002. Bill 61 only changed a few provisions of the NDP legislation, and the changes went in the opposite direction from the recommendations of the Panel. Instead of an independent agency, power is firmly vested with a cabinet minister.

Promise: "Ensure that major capital spending decisions and land use decisions involving the Agricultural Land Reserve, new parks, land claims and tenure reform are decided by Cabinet in public, and not behind closed doors."

Reality: Staged cabinet meetings are glorified public relations stunts. Any real debate and decisions happen behind closed doors.

Promise: "Give school boards multi-year funding envelopes, to improve long-term education planning and budgeting."

Reality: The envelopes constantly change so that no one can count on the current year let alone two years from now.

Promise: "Develop an Intermediate and Long-Term Care Facilities Plan that addresses the needs of our aging population and frees up existing acute care beds."

Reality: Residential care facilities are being closed and the money is being reallocated to lower level "assisted living".

Promise: "Establish a Rural and Remote Health Initiative to ensure all families get the care they need, where they live, when they need it."

Reality: Wait lists have grown and regional hospitals, hours away, are replacing local hospitals.

Promise: "Fund health regions at a level necessary to meet the needs of the people who live there, regardless of where a service is provided."

Reality: Beds are closed and services are contracted out so the Minister can earn a bonus awarded for balancing the budget.

Promise: "Fulfill BC's obligations under the Canada Health Act to properly fund and provide access to all medically necessary services."

Reality: "Properly" must be a weasel word because thousands of people on wait lists aren't getting the service they need when they need it.

Promise: "Stop the endless bureaucratic restructuring that has drained resources from children and family services."

Reality: Regionalization is creating chaos and has been repeatedly postponed; a further $70 million in budget cuts is slated for the Ministry of Children and Families.

Promise: "Stop the expansion of gambling that has increased gambling addiction and put new strains on families."

Reality: Government has budgeted for a 45% increase in gambling revenues over three years.

Promise: "Enhance training, resources and authority for frontline social workers to properly protect children at risk and improve services to families."

Reality: Government has laid off line level child protection social workers.

The government has not only broken many of its campaign promises, but it has twisted the meaning of words in efforts to deny the obvious. The Campbell government has a major credibility gap.