Those four things stand out to me, as having clear direction … a vision so to speak … of what government should do, and the role it should play in our society

I woke up on Sunday evening with the word “Vision” going through my mind.  Of course it was attached to something that is often on my mind, which is politics.  I believe that in BC we have suffered from a lack of elected officials, and leaders, that have had a real sense of vision on what our province can be for us, and the future it can hold for our children and grandchildren.

But first … what does the word ‘vision’ actually mean?  Here are just a few descriptions:

• a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination
• the act or power of imagination
• mode of seeing or conceiving
• unusual discernment or foresight (a person of vision)

Each of the three main political parties in BC has a vision of how they would govern – and if you are interested you can see what they have to say by visiting their websites.  The one that has resonated for me has been the direction, and vision, presented by the BC Conservative Party.

The first four guiding principles of the BC Conservative Party say it will be guided by the following principles:

1. A belief in clearly defined public policies and programs that are affordable and effective and for which delivery is accountable to all the people of British Columbia.
2. A belief in managing the government to the highest standards of integrity and transparency and British Columbians are entitled to full knowledge of services rendered and their costs.
3. A belief in the rights and responsibilities of all British Columbians and that Governments at all levels are responsible to serve and respect all individuals and their families, including freedom from unnecessary laws and regulations and excessive government.
4. A belief that Members of the Legislative Assembly are primarily responsible to represent the interests of their Constituents.

Those four things stand out to me, as having clear direction … a vision so to speak … of what government should do, and the role it should play in our society.

We have seen in the past what the vision of the BC New Democrats has resulted in, and for many of us, it is a place we do not wish to see our province go back to.

The BC Liberals on the other hand, over the past 10 years, have seemed to lack a real sense of direction and vision.  They have wandered from being fiscally responsible … to having a never ending string of deficit budgets and ever increasing debt.  I have to ask, what tangible results, that we have benefited from, have we seen from that.

They have taken us from a province that people have wanted to live, work, and raise a family in … to one where more people are now leaving for elsewhere in Western Canada – for the first time since the NDP governed our province.

We have never ending labour strife in our education system --- health care that does not provide the services we need in a timely manner – and a legal system that is so bogged down we are now turning known criminals lose on society to once again have the opportunity to prey on innocent victims.

And NOW after several years of people calling for vision and direction they can support – and just 12 months before the next provincial election -- we finally hear Christy Clark and the BC Liberals asking for some common sense wisdom and ideas from you and I.

Is that a desperate play to try and save themselves from what looks to be certain defeat, at the polls, in the next General Election?  I’ll leave that for you to decide.

What I will point out however is that there is a party in BC, that has come from nowhere, to now have the support of a quarter of the people in BC – the BC Conservatives, led by John Cummins.  I believe that growth has happened because they have presented a clear vision of what government should be.

During this coming week, John Cummins will be visiting in communities in the Okanagan … as well as making a stop in Clearwater for a Town Hall meeting on Friday May 25^th at 7pm at the Wells Gray Inn.  He is also going to be speaking to the founding meeting of the Fraser Nicola Constituency Association at 1pm on Saturday May 26^th in the Cache Creek Community Hall.

I’d like to encourage you to come out to these meetings, and have a chance to meet and visit with John Cummins.  I believe you will come away with a renewed belief that government, one led by the BC Conservatives, can once again have a positive vision that can resonate with you.

If you have the time, I’d also like to encourage you to check out the Voice of BC interview which Vaughn Palmer, of the Vancouver Sun, conducted with John Cummins last Thursday.   You can CLICK HERE to watch it.

Vision … it’s an interesting word which can be both negative, and positive, in nature.  In recent years government has failed to show us their vision for a positive future; I believe we now have a choice that can allow us to turn that around.   

What do you think?

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