BC Conservatives Plan "Policy" while BC Liberals hold "Fund-Raiser"

It’s Wednesday February 2^nd, and that means the arrival of the BC Liberal Party leadership candidates to the city of Kamloops.  Here for a fundraiser / debate will be former MLA Christy Clark, current MLA’s George Abbott, Mike de Jong, Kevin Falcon and Moira Stilwell, as well as the former Mayor of Parksville, Ed Mayne.

Residents of Kamloops and surrounding area arriving at the Kamloops Convention Center – and hoping to hear real debate, and future plans and policy of the party -- will find this a closed door event however.  The event is being held exclusively for member of the BC Liberal Party.

That’s very disappointing because voters of all ages across the province have been clearly saying they are tired of the closed door policies of the BC Liberal Party, and their lack of accountability with the voters.  This is just one more example, of how it’s business as usual, even with the leave taking of current Liberal leader Gordon Campbell.

Meantime, across Kamloops and the Thompson, Nicola, and Fraser region, BC Conservative Party members – as well as interested individuals in the community – have been taking advantage of the opportunity to present ideas and suggestions to be developed into policy; policies that the BC Conservative Party will take to voters in the next provincial election.

The BC Liberals meeting in Kamloops today --- hiding away their leadership hopefuls so that seniors, students, care-givers, workers, employers, homemakers and others can’t have a chance to ask them “real questions” -- are clearly showing us the difference between themselves and the BC Conservative’s. 

Maybe the BC Liberals believe they have a divine right to rule, and want us to believe the only alternative to them would be the NDP.  Is that why consulting with us is beneath them?  Is that why they meet behind close doors, and have fundraiser, which they call a debate of policies and ideas, that no one but a select few get to be part of?

Let’s call a spade a spade … this is no debate of ideas … this is a Liberal love-in where the leadership hopefuls will ruffle a few feathers to make it look good, but at the end of the night they get to congratulate each other and say that no matter who wins it will be best for BC.

Well I for one beg to differ.  What the province needs now is a party serious about open and accountable government; one that won’t meet behind closed doors to decide policy like the sale of BC Rail and the implementation of the HST.   That’s why the BC Conservative Party is committed to restoring honor and prestige to both politics, and government.

I like what party president Wayne McGrath said recently because it sums it all up …

“Unlike the BC Liberal Party, our policies will be practical, straight forward and innovative, giving the province a vision to be proud of.  The BC Conservative Party will develop its policies by involving the grassroots from across the province.”

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … and those are the thoughts of one conservative.