Over the past several months, there have been many stories in the news, about Christy
Clark's call for the big tent free-enterprise coalition to once again rally
around her.
“We’re different now” … “things
will change” … “we want to have your input” … are part of a dubious and questionable
rebirth of their enthusiasm to have suggestions and ideas from the people of BC.
Should
that not be an on-going process that political parties are involved with –
NOT just at the point of certain defeat at the hands of voters?
Over
the past several years, BC Liberals have not been interested in hearing from the people of BC. Instead,
they seemed to believe they already had all the right answers.
They have governed with what seemed to many, a callous disregard for the results.
Things
like Community Living BC spring to mind … as does ever increasing fees and
taxes for things like hydro, car insurance, medical premiums, ferries, and more.
Rural
communities watched in shocked disbelief as schools and medical facilities
were shuttered and closed.
These
things are just the tip, of a long list, of reasons why three quarters of the
people in BC are now indicating they will NOT vote Liberal in the next provincial
election.
These
things and more, are the only reason for Christy Clark’s sudden invitation to let her know our ideas on how the province could be better governed.
At
the same time however we have Christy Clark supporters, such as Phil Hochstein
(President of the Independent Contractors and Business Association) continuing to show disregard to those who have had enough.
In a
story today from the CBC (BC
right-of-centre coalition laughed off -- BC Conservative leader John Cummins
says idea a non-starter) Hochstein said:
"If it's best for the province that somehow the forces all come together, then I think he (John Cummins) should look at that. If he doesn't look at that, then I think it's more about him than the province."
"If it's best for the province that somehow the forces all come together, then I think he (John Cummins) should look at that. If he doesn't look at that, then I think it's more about him than the province."
It's
all about who?
Why
on earth should BC Conservative members feel bad about creating a political
party that has accountability and integrity as the governing principles of
policy, and how they plan to govern when elected?
It appears what's left is becoming a carcass.
It is
comments like those of Phil Hochstein, that show nothing has changed within the
BC Liberals.
As BC Conservative Party
leader John Cummins said, in the same CBC news story ... "You can call a skunk a rabbit but it's still a skunk".
What are your thoughts? Let me know.
I’m
Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.
5 comments:
I think that Phil Hochstein doesn't seem to understand that the B.C Conservative party is not the property of Mr. Cummins, it is not a private corporation, he is the leader, spokesman, and public face of the party, it is not his decision to make. If Mr Hochstein is so concerned about the electorate abandoning the B.C Liberal party for the Conservatives and NDP why did he remain silent about the Liberals following a policy agenda that anyone with a funtioning brain stem at the time would know was political suicide. Not only did he say nothing about such policies, his group, the Independent Contractors and Business Association, campaigned in favor of the HST during the referendum last summer. Phil Hochstein is not only politically illiterate but he economically illiterate as well. Blaming John Cummins for the fall of the Liberal Party and rise of the NDP is like G.M blaming Ford for their loss of car sales, if the public doesn't like your product you can't force them to buy it.
Well said Fritz ... I couldn't agree with you more!
Fiscal and honest Liberals, if there are any left and if we want them, should instead leave the Liberal party and sit as Conservatives.
Even those of us who held their noses and voted for the Liberals three elections ago will not do this again, as the level of cronyism is so high that it stinks. Christy Clark is left of centre, so we just have to work on building the BC Conservative party. Those independent business people need to be separated from their friends in the LIEBRAL party.
As much as I agree with the criticism of the Liberal Party, it is very unlikely that the Conservative Party can, on its own, attract enough voters to avoid a NDP victory (aka disaster). A much better option would be to find a way to form a coalition under a new leader (i.e. neither Clark or Cummins).
The only way forward is to promote solid small c conservative ideas and principles. This will not be easy and will take some time-the left wing is the default paradigm in our culture. In the meantime, even 4 years of the Dix NDP will be a disaster-I have advised my 30+ aged son to leave BC if that happens. I think that is what many independent business people are thinking.
The "listen to the people" idea is important, but also important in leaders is to point out to people where we are headed. I am 100% sure that the politicians in Greece, Portugal, Spain etc. "listened" to the people-and they are now bankrupt. True conservatives have to work at getting the message out. Even from within a coalition government the conservatives can be the ones promoting policy ideas for the long term, even while accepting the short term pain of half measures. We have some time to avoid the Euro style disaster, but not much time given the situation in the USA and in E Canada.
What we do not need in a conservative party is yet another big government party, as the federal party has become. They are talking about yet another stimulus when all the previous stimulus did was put the country further in the hole.
Yes, plenty of ex BC Liberals are now Conservatives. But, there is not enough time to go it alone next spring. To think otherwise is to indulge in a political fantasy.
Whatever coalition there was Jartann, it has fallen apart, in large part because those at the top on the Liberal Party had no interest in listening to small 'c' conservatives.
The Clark Liberals are on their way down ... BC Conservatives have the momentum and intend to bring about a fiscally responsible government with a social conscience.
That does not mean however that we will have BIG government. We have already had enough of that --- and rising debt, taxes, and fees are the result.
The BC Liberals will loose the next election regardless of whether BC Conservatives are on the ballot. That is why we MUST work to elect BC Conservative members in the next legislature, if for no other reason than to hold the NDP to a minority.
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