sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

They’re not following government policy

Re: “‘Systemic mismanagement’ in ­hiring in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ public sevice, ombudsperson says,” June 25.

The ombudsperson’s report on the Public Service Agency’s breach of its own hiring policy dozens of times is a bad practice.

What is more disheartening are the statements made by Premier David Eby and the deputy minister of the Public Service Agency, defending their mismanagement of the hiring process as extremely small numbers! Seriously?

It is just like saying “we do have a written policy, but it is OK if the government hiring agencies do not follow it.”

That defies the governance principles that governments must adhere to. What is the point of developing a policy if it is not followed?

How is that fair and equitable to people who believe in fair hiring practices when they apply for jobs and want to work for the government?

The ombudsperson report adds doubt in the minds of prospective employees that “it’s who you know in government will get you a job.”

This casts a shadow on the government’s credibility and hiring standards. If any bureaucrat or politician thinks this is OK, I think they need to think again. Perceptions can be very damaging to their image.

Mano L. Sandhu

Victoria

The Peter Principle in our government

Re: “‘Systemic mismanagement’ in ­hiring in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ public sevice, ombudsperson says,” June 25.

I have seen what appear to be improper hiring practices in the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ government. I applied for three different mid-management positions that required project management experience.

In all three cases I was interviewed and then told that a person already working in the government was hired, despite the fact that they had little or no project management experience.

In one case an admin clerk was hired. After those experiences, before I applied for any further positions, I would speak to the contact person on the ad and ask if any internal employees had applied.

If the answer was yes I did not waste my time applying. And the answer was always yes.

There is a conspiracy theory that suggests that unions make it nearly impossible to fire government employees and that internal candidates must be hired even if they are not qualified for the position and even if there are very qualified external candidates.

After my experience, it is entirely plausible that this process happens. The Peter Principle states that people rise to their level of incompetence. It is possible that this principle is alive and well at all levels within the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ government.

Rick Smith

Victoria

Ask the organizations working in the field

Re: “Money spent on SOLID could have better uses,” letter, June 22.

I do not understand why financial support is not increased to those local agencies already providing the needed physical supports such as Our Place and Cool-Aid.

They have the systems in place and are respected and appreciated by the population they serve. It can hardly be cost effective to reinvent the wheel.

Has Our Place staff been included in the discussions leading to this latest City of Victoria plan? That would seem to be the most rational approach to take.

Carol Hale

Victoria

Don’t burn my body, don’t bury my body

Re: “Inventors of water cremation machine say sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ laws could push them out,” June 23.

Water cremation is an option that I want to have. I do not want my body burned, emitting significant carbon into the air.

I do not want to be buried, taking up land in a cemetery or other burial site. Aquamation or Alkaline Hydrolysis offers the best alternative and I hope that it will become legalised in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ — the sooner the better.

It would be a shame for this enterprise to move out of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ It could be a profitable business investment, as our environmentally aware, older population makes their end of life decisions.

I urge everyone reading this to make some noise, so that the provincial government removes the legal barriers that prevent this from being an option in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

When you think about human life as a circle: we start by emerging from a water filled (amniotic) sac — doesn’t it seem fitting to end with water?

Personally, I want to go out with a splash, not up in smoke.

Gail Mitchell

Duncan

Victims not getting support they need

The sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Brain Injury Association strongly supports the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ editorial that raises awareness of the unfairness of ICBC’s no-fault insurance – Enhanced Care.

Since Enhanced Care’s introduction in 2021 the British Columbia Brain Injury Association and the regional Brain Injury Associations throughout sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ have received numerous accounts from car crash survivors of poor, unfair, and unsupported treatment by ICBC’s Enhanced Care. They are not getting the services/support to which they are entitled.

This is troubling to hear as ICBC strongly stated when it brought no-fault forward that crash victims would receive better services to address their injuries. ICBC went so far as to say that survivors could trust ICBC to deliver upon this statement.

Unfortunately, we have reports of crash victims’ injuries downplayed and requested medical advice being ignored, resulting in the denial of timely urgently needed rehabilitation services. Many have been left to pay for services out of their own pocket.

ICBC’s financial bottom line has been strengthened on the backs of innocent and severely brain injured crash victims.

The BCBIA implores ICBC to update its procedures in assisting crash victims with their recovery. Look at implementing the suggestions presented by the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½. Be committed to full recovery for crash victims. Fair and equitable treatment needs to be the mandate – especially for those with the greatest needs.

These changes need to be made for the past, present and future crash victims of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Geoffrey Sing

President, sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Brain Injury Association

Manager Brain Injury Services – The Cridge Centre for the Family

Langford’s tax increase was justified

Re: “Langford council is spending too much, raising taxes too much,” ­commentary, June 20.

The commentary confirmed that past annual tax increases in Langford were below three per cent, but failed to mention that this was accomplished by diverting funds destined for amenities — and somehow, miraculously, amenities did not suffer?

The authors state that the “justification for these tax hikes does not hold up” and that money is being wasted on things like “junkets to conferences” and “extensive media training” etc.

Data published by Langford city staff (same staff from the previous administration) breaks down the composition of our tax increase: 35% caused by staffing increase (police, fire and city), 29% caused by inflation/growth costs and 16% caused by debt servicing.

These three components alone represent about 80% of our latest 16% tax increase. Council does not control inflation costs, debt has been mostly inherited, and based on the city’s rapid growth, council has chosen to spend money on additional police, fire and city staff; a wise, if not inevitable investment.

As for the junkets and media training, I’m guessing the same group of people that criticize mayor and council are also critical of providing funding for events/training that improve their perspective or performance.

This commentary is a good reminder, going into a provincial election, as to why we all need to seek out all the information, and not just the sound bites or partial story that would best support one’s narrative.

Jeff Byam

Langford

Security agencies, please work together

Those of us of an age to remember the 1940s may recall the defection in Ottawa of a Russian Embassy cipher clerk, Igor Gouzenko, how it disrupted the national government of William Lyon MacKenzie King, and gave sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ the reputation of a security risk to former allies, causing much debate domestically and internationally.

My memory is from the 1950s CBC television show Front Page Challenge, of a mystery guest appearing with a pillow case over his head with slits cut for eyes and mouth, which in later life led to researching the incredible story about how the Soviet Union set up a sizeable spy network in wartime sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ and the nearly comic opera tale of what happened when one man decided to defect.

I do not want sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ to be a police state, but our country has always been considered a soft target, the latest revelations of China and India interfering in local and national politics are evidence of this.

Some team play on the part of the agencies set up to ensure the country’s security is called for to block this interference in our local and national affairs.

John Wiznuk

Saturna Island

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