Time for another B.C. Monday Morning Quarterback – five issues I’m thinking about this week.

1. Listen to this quote on government advertising: “People don't want the government to spend… their money so they can find out how to access services; people want this government to spend their money so that those services are there for them to access. That's what British Columbians want. How many firefighters, how many police officers will not be on the street because [the Finance Minister] is spending… on her advertising campaign?”

That was then-Opposition member Christy Clark ripping the NDP for a $700,000 ad spend in 1999. Disappointing to see her head up a $15 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign in 2012. More here.

2. We don’t often agree with the lefties at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, but they’re bang-on with this post on the regressive, just-plain-stupid Medical Services Premium tax:

Consider the contrast between the HST debate and the MSP tax. The MSP is the most regressive tax in BC – after the low-income exemption, individuals and households pay the same flat dollar amount regardless of income. It is a head-tax that represents a considerable challenge for modest-income families, and is largely inconsequential to wealthy ones. It is considerably more regressive than the HST or any other sales tax.

Between 2000 and 2013, MSP premiums will have increased by $366 for a single person, and by $732 for a family of three of more – both increases of a dramatic 84%. The BC government now derives more income from MSP premiums than it does from corporate income taxes. According to the 2012 BC Budget, a family of four with a modest annual income of $60,000 will pay more in MSP premiums ($1,536) than it does in personal income taxes ($1,190). And BC is the only province in Canada to charge household medical premiums in this way.

This is a true outrage.

3. B.C. residents are drowning in consumer debt—the heaviest debt load in Canada. You have to think our tax burden—42% of income—is a huge factor in that.

4. Federal Liberal MP Hedy Fry spent $260,584 of your money travelling—the most of any MP in Canada.

5. In case you missed it: here is a letter we sent to the Speaker of the B.C. Legislature Friday outlining precisely what transparency measures we want to see in MLA expenses.