He was afraid of “splitting the vote” ... last night he signed a membership in the BC Conservative Party

Well I made comment for a couple of days, with regards to an article by Chantal Hebert, intimating it would be best if the west stuck with the BC Liberals.  That kind of rubbed me the wrong way, as most of you who read my Conservative Thoughts blog are well aware.

Others within the BC Liberals ranks however, have also been suggesting (?) that BC voters better not vote for any one other than them either.   What I find regrettable is that they have no real reason that we should “support” them … only that they will keep the NDP out of power.

WHAT KIND OF REASON IS THAT TO SUPPORT ANYONE?   Why would they not instead promote the positive things they have done to make BC a better place to live … work … and raise a family?

In the Fraser Valley media over the weekend was a story that former Chilliwack city councilor, and failed (third place) federal Liberal candidate, Diane Janzen  had decided she was now NOT going to seek the BC Liberal  nomination for the riding of Chilliwack-Hope.  She is the latest now to tell us how we should vote.

Janzen said: "A vote for the BC Conservatives is a vote for the NDP. Period. The right-of-centre vote has been firmly in the BC Liberal camp and it needs to stay there. . . . Whoever is chosen will have to make sure that person appeals to the right end of the spectrum."

So I ask again … WHAT KIND OF REASON IS THAT TO SUPPORT ANYONE?  

Former MP Jim Hart (standing), with now BC Conservative
Party leader John Cummins (R) and Paul Forseth (L)

Obviously I am not the only one this is rubbing the wrong way.  My friend, former MP Jim Hart, also thought of that statement as being negative as well.  He sent the following to me … and also gave me permission to share it with you:

Dear Alan … here is an exchange that I had with the Chilliwack Times. They want to print the rant that I wrote below. I thought you might like it. … Jim 

Hi Paul,

I read with interest your news item regarding Diane Janzen and her dropping out of the race in Chilliwack-Hope.  I find it very interesting that she continues to argue that the Right Of Center Vote, belongs in the provincial liberal party.  I really don't believe that small "c" conservatives like being told where they belong.  It is insulting and reprehensible that a politician should have the arrogance to tell the people where there vote belongs - well of course unless your name is Stalin or one of the other dictators that our world has been plagued.

And, her example obviously doesn't apply with federal politics as she ran for MP, and she did this when the conservative vote has been firmly with the Federal Conservatives for 17 years.  If she is a small "c" conservatives why would she try to split away the vote from the Conservatives.  Did she see her job as letting the NDP win federally?  If she applies her own provincial methodology to federal politics she would have concluded that she should not run, but she did and came in a distant third.  Or maybe she ran to give people choice.  This is really what I believe her reasoning was behind her failed bid for a seat in parliament, and she was right to run.

People should have choice in politics.  We should be able to vote for representation that stands up for what citizens believe is best.  To simply say you must vote provincial liberal or we will get NDP - is the politics of fear and has no logical basis in the battle for good democratic governance.  For those who think that they can vote strategically I say good luck, this has been tried over and over and the will of the people prevails and those that try to outguess the people - fail.

Diane Janzen is just one of the people trying to convince you to vote Liberal.  Albertans like Preston Manning and Jay Hill (Calgary resident) have waded into British Columbia politics.  Preston Manning just happens to have one of his senior board members as an advisor to Christy Clark and the provincial Liberals, Jay Hill is a lobbyist and would like a contract or two from the BC Liberals.  If you follow the money it seems there may be other reasons for this desire to keep the provincial Liberals in office.  But at the end of the day all of these folks at one time believed in real choice whether it was Reform, Alliance, Liberal, Progressive Conservative or Conservative.  Funny how things change.

There will be three or more parties on the ballot in the coming elections in BC, and just like in federal or other provincial campaigns people will have a choice.  Politicians should resist trying to tell people where there vote belongs, because no matter how firmly you believe your base is - the peoples vote is always fluid waiting for the arrogance of a government rear its head.  When it does the voters make their own decision.   

Jim Hart,

Member of Parliament
1993-2000

I don’t want to be told where someone else thinks my vote should go … and I certainly don’t want someone else telling me that should be my only choice. 

That is why I think it is is both rregrettable, and disappointing, that for reasons I and others cannot fathom, people like Preston Manning, Stockwell Day, and Jay Hill seem to have abandoned / jettisoned their reform principles.

With that, I will wrap up today by letting you know that for the past year I have been talking to a good friend who is small “c’ conservative --- a man who was firmly in the Liberal camp. 

In our discussions during the year he said he had to stay with the Liberals because he was afraid of “splitting the vote” ... well last night he signed a membership in the BC Conservative Party.

If you too are a small “c” conservative, I hope you will consider looking at John Cummins and the BC Conservative Party as well.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … with the thoughts of two conservatives … myself, and Jim Hart.