The argument of last resort … the one of desperation … “Don’t split the vote”

Randy White speaking to BC Conservatives

The Saturday, Parksville Qualicum News had a story from writer Neil Horner;  one he had written after spending time in an interview with former Reform MP Randy White. 

With Randy Whites reform background, the following observation from Mr. Horner came as no surprise to me:

Like the NDP, he (Randy White) said, the B.C. Conservatives have come to a point where they can no longer act as a protest vote, but rather, must come across as a government in waiting.

Randy White also commented on vote splitting during the interview say;

“The people have lost confidence of the people, so in desperation, what you have is Liberal supporters saying we are splitting the vote, in an effort to hang on at any cost, but it’s not going to happen for them. It’s just not there. The days are gone where you can scare someone into voting for you.”

Reporter Tom Fletcher posted a link, on Facebook, to the Parksville Qualicum Beach News story – and included this quote from Randy White:

“I had some surprising calls over Christmas and I can say with some assurance it is very likely the Conservatives will be a party in the legislature before the next election.  I think there are enough disgruntled members in their caucus and I don’t know if Christy Clark can hold all that together.”

That led someone to ask … “Are they actively promoting an NDP government or are they so sure there is going to be one that they've moved on to competing with the Liberals for who comes next as right of centre?”

Here is what I believe … even without the emergence of the John Cummins led BC Conservatives, Christy Clark's Liberals would have lost the next election. 

A big part of the growth of the party has been due to people leaving the Liberals, and looking for a home where they could find a party that had both a fiscally conservative beliefs – and policies with a social conscience … a balance between protecting the environment and creating new jobs … having patient centered health plan … an student focused education plan … and a justice program that believes in the protection of victims.

Those kinds of policies, and an emerging election platform, have come from the grassroots across the province … and they have been formulated into an action plan by a team of people, of which Randy White was a member and leader of.  Those are the policies and plans that have had not just attracted disgruntled Liberals, they are also attracting those from the 50% of the population that had given up on government that reflected and respected their views.

And as Randy White said, the future shape of the BC Legislature may very well be determined by up-coming by-elections;

“The Liberals will be hoping for a win in the by-election, but they are not going to get it.  The last thing they want is for the Conservatives to win it, because that’s the beginning of the end.”

Interestingly, I spoke a variation of those very same words as well the other day, to a Liberal friend of mine.  And as much as Christy Clark will say that sitting governments tend to lose be-elections … these two will very much be a grading of her leadership – and a loss in both will see financial support erode, and begin to collapse.

POINT ... a little over a year ago, support for the BC Conservative Party stood at 4 or 5%. 

Since then, John Cummins became the leader of the party, a grassroots policy platform was developed, and constituency associations began to pop up across the province.  A handful of people became dozens … became hundreds … became thousands.

And what has that led the Christy Clark Liberals to do??  They have been forced to haul out the argument of last resort … the one of desperation … “Don’t split the vote”.    

Shouldn’t they instead be able to point out all of the things they have done to make the lives of British Columbians better?   Better yet, why would they even need to do so --- we would know that without them having to say so!

No … people are coming to the John Cummins led BC Conservative Party because it has better ideas … AND … it’s talking about the things that matter to people in communities like Dawson Creek, Maple Ridge, Kamloops, and Nanaimo … along with greater Vancouver and Victoria!

A friend of mine said the following the other day:

"Easterners must be confused by the state of politics in BC, as our Liberal Premier hires a federal Conservative as her top aide.   All she is really doing is demonstrating the federal Liberal philosophy of doing whatever is needed to get elected and then following that up with doing whatever she perceives is needed to stay elected.   Alas, the federal Liberals have never understood British Columbians, something I'm sure our Premier will discover at election time."

And my final though today? 

The BC Liberals don’t own anyone’s vote,  In the next provincial election the BC Liberals will find themselves in a third place position … just as happened to their federal partners.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … with the thoughts of one conservative.