There was a net outflow of British Columbians to other provinces in the first quarter of 2004. You might not know that from reading the local print media, and you certainly wouldn't know it from the government website.

Between January 1, 2004, and March 31, 2004, 11,554 people moved to BC from other provinces while 11,804 moved out of BC to other parts of Canada for net negative interprovincial migration of 250. That warrants attention because part of the "BC has turned the corner" mantra of the Campbell government was to shout about net positive interprovincial migration in the fourth quarter of 2003. Now they are ignoring recent interprovincial migration and focusing on net migration from all sources, which was positive 7,417; however, net migration from all sources has been positive in BC for decades.

There is a government website which cherry picks positive economic news. It only refers to the 7,417 first quarter 2004 total results and to the fourth quarter 2003 interprovincial results but fails to mention that BC had net negative introprovincial migration in the first quarter of 2004. BC's population growth rate has fallen to 0.8%, below the national average of 0.9%. It fluctuated between 1.0% and 3.0% for most of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. That is also not obvious from reading the Campbell government's numbers. The point is that it is not possible to believe what the government says as it struggles to regain credibility. It could start by telling the whole truth.

On July 8th the Mustel Group and Ipsos-Reid both released their provincial polling results from samples taken in the first week of July. The Mustel Group has the NDP at 45%, the Campbell Liberals at 33% and the Greens at 14%. Ipsos-Reid has the NDP at 38%, the Campbell Liberals at 37% and the Greens at 18%. The Mustel Group has Campbell's disapproval rating at 60%; Ipsos-Reid has it at 62%. Other than for Campbell's disapproval rating, the difference between the two polling firms is greater in July than it has been in years, but both show a consistent trend of the Liberals falling and the NDP rising.

Ipsos-Reid provides detailed tables of its results. They show the Greens strongest on Vancouver Island-Coast with 22%. That's where the Campbell Liberals have 24% and the NDP 49%.

There may be a relation between the polling results and the problem the Campbell government has with its credibility.