For what it's worth ... a few thoughts on slates and elections

It appears that there are now two slates of candidates, within the BC Conservative Party, who are running for executive and board positions.

Wikipedia describes a ‘slate’ as … a group of candidates that run in multi-seat or multi-position elections on a common platform.

Who will we vote for, and why?

If we (members of the BC Conservative Party) want a “Never the twain shall meet” result from the board elections, we can guarantee it will happen by voting for one slate or the other.

I for one am not prepared to see lines drawn between two groups that cannot exist … OR agree with each other … within our party.

ARE YOU prepared to let that happen through inaction?

No one person, or group of persons, is the BC Conservative Party.  The BC Conservative Party is the entire membership … the grassroots foundation and core of the party.

I am finding this next part of my comments to be hard to write.  I have written, edited, and rewritten this next part several times now.  I’ve done that because I do not want anyone reading this to think I have set myself up as some kind of authority.

Being on one slate, or the other, does NOT mean a person is qualified for the job. 

I hope that you will look at each person, who has let their name stand to be on the Provincial Executive and Board for our party, as an individual. 

What do you know of them … and what qualities and experience do they bring to the table?

Are they individuals who will be willing to seek the council and wisdom of others … others who may have a difference of opinion?

Will they commit to working with all members of the board … realizing there will not always be unanimous agreement on everything that comes before them?

I’m sure you have other qualifications and ideas as well, so talk to those who are seeking a position on the board … see what answers they have to these questions I have posed, and others you have thought of.

Kipling’s poem with the line, “and never the twain shall meet” also goes on to say;

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!

I’ll end by saying in my opinion there can be NO room, and no place, for individual agendas, if our common goal is to elect BC Conservative MLA’s to the legislature in next year’s general election.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … with the thoughts of one conservative.  Feel free to share yours.