The public will have their say about the confidence they have in the BC Liberal Government

Often times I will get comments from folks on things I have posted and written about on the Conservative Thoughts blog.  Today, with their permission, I'd like to share a few…

Well there was lots to think about on the political front, Alan, but what stuck in my craw the most was the fact that apathy is running rampant in BC. It doesn't matter if it's federal, provincial or a municipal election folks are staying home in droves.

I think people are sick of clichés and are looking for future politicians who will 'say it like it is', and be honest and up front with them before worrying about being 'politically correct'.  People want representatives who represent their constituents rather than political parties

... you asked … lol"

Sue Brown

Dear Alan,

The best of the year has to be the growth of the BC Conservative Party.

In my work overseas developing democracies I have learned that all donor organizations and countries, such as the United Nations, European Union, USA and yes even Canada encourage transition and developing democracies to adopt a multi-party political system.

This is an international agreed method to improve citizen’s involvement in their democracies, and also encourages people to review political parties’ policies, and governance systems and find a political party that they could support. The real reason the world supports this multi-party concept is that it gives the power (as 60's as that sounds) to the people. It is the people that decide which parties are worthy of supporting.

This is a worldwide truth, except here in BC where the BC Liberal Party continues to tell people that they must vote BC Liberal or they get the NDP. Because of this, even if the BC Liberals were the best party since sliced bread, I would not support them.  They truly believe that they are better than the people, at making a decision about who should govern, even if it is by default.

I do not support this "politics of fear" that appears to be the overriding policy of the BC Liberal Party. I do support a multi-party system around the world and here in British Columbia, Canada.

In parliamentary tradition when a government fails to win a vote of confidence (such as a money bill, budget, taxation motion), the government would immediately fall and an election would be called; after the Prime Minister or Premier made the walk to the Governor General or the Lt Governor and ask to dissolve the legislature.

In BC, we witnessed the government stray from Westminster tradition after they lost the public referendum on the HST -- a Confidence Motion. Now some will argue that this vote was not set-up as a confidence motion. But if you believe as I do, that our BC legislature follows Westminster tradition, it was in fact a confidence motion.  The issue was a taxation measure that was supported by the government of BC, and the legislature ceded their vote to the public. 

You will recall that Christy Clark had originally argued that the legislature should vote again in the legislature, but against the advice of cabinet colleagues took the issue to the people. Doing so turned the "confidence motion", a money bill regarding a taxation issue and all the tradition of a Westminster parliamentary system, over to the people. The government lost and by all accounts Christy Clark should have requested that the Lt. Governor dissolve the government and call and election.

Christy Clark did not do this and continues to govern after losing a major confidence vote in the province of BC.

The BC Legislature is a place that is under the control of the Liberals, but it is not a place where any one political party should be in control. All parties have responsibility as the legislature is a place that belongs to the people of BC.

We currently have a party that has a disdain for parliamentary tradition, parliamentary precedent, history and culture. There certainly is a prima facia case that the BC Liberals have no authority to govern this province; one that I would support as a parliamentarian.

The Liberals continue to operate as if confidence motions were won, that they were the only party deserving of a vote in a 2 party system, and with the arrogance of the Trudeau Liberals of a past generation.

There is one time honored tradition that the Liberals cannot ignore … and that is the upcoming by-elections, and the 2013 general election, where again.

My New Year’s wish is for people to vote for what they believe, and we will achieve a strong voice that shares the aspirations of all British Columbians.

Happy New Year,

Jim Hart

Regarding the article: "John Cummins (has) cheerfully set about destroying B.C.’s centre-right coalition", written by John Kinsella:

This is pretty rich, considering the guy who wrote this is expressly one of the reasons that former members of the "coalition" are fleeing it like lemmings. The BC Liberals ceased being a "centre-right coalition" when people like Warren Kinsella started "advising" them.

The coalition is dead... having been co-opted by federal Liberals, as epitomized by their new leader.

The only thing Cummins has done is give some relief those of us who felt we had to "hold our noses" in order to vote in this Province.

But let's be clear about this. It's not us who have destroyed the coalition. It's Kinsella and his ideological kin.

Al Seibring

Meantime, I was quoted today in Kamloops This Week regarding the current NDP attack ads, in a story entitled “Risky Dix campaign attacked, defended”

Alan Forseth, regional director of the B.C. Conservative Party, said the ads are tamer compared to ones used against Dix and his own party’s leader, John Cummins, last year.

“I look at it more like pathetic desperation,” he said.

Forseth said the more the Liberals criticized the Conservatives, the greater the fledgling party’s fortunes rose in the polls.

He said he’s not sure why the B.C. Liberals continue to run negative ads rather than letting people know why they should vote for the governing party.

Rather than engage in the fray, Forseth said the Conservatives are busy building the party and getting ready for the next election.

He said the party has about 125 members in the two Kamloops ridings and will be approaching potential candidates who may want to run under the B.C. Conservative banner in 2013.

For those of you on Facebook, check out the comments string in a post by Liberal MLA John Rustad … there are some good comments being made there with regards to this debate. 

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of a few conservative minded folks on a Thursday morning – take care.