Nothing else can, or will, save them before defeat in 2013 … even with a Leadership change

Steve Forseth, former BC Liberal
Policy Chair / Riding Secretary
for the Cariboo - Chilcotin

My nephew Steve, has been a blogger for several years now, and has been active in support of the BC Liberal Party – it makes for some interesting discussion on politics for sure. 

The other day I asked if he would be interested in providing a Guest Opinion for the Conservative Thoughts blog, which after consideration, he agreed to do.  Here then, is that guest editorial.

Over the last year or so, much has been made about the so-called vote split for the ‘Conservative’ voter in BC. 

In times past, most conservative voters (small-c, ‘Blue’ and ‘Red’ Tories) provincially have aligned themselves behind the ‘BC Liberal’ brand,  Recently however, small-c conservatives have become rapidly disillusioned with the Christy Clark BC Liberals’, and a fair number of them have decided to back the John Cummins BC Conservatives’. 

It should be noted that the split of small ‘c’ conservatives in Alberta has led to the formation of two conservative political parties in Alberta consisting of the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta

Political history in BC during the 1952, 1972, 1991, and 1996 BC General Elections shows that a split on the centre-right in BC generally elects a NDP government

Much has been made recently of the two by-elections in Port Moody and Chilliwack, including what would have occurred if the centre-right vote had been behind one party. 

Let’s be clear – one conservative party in the Port Moody – Coquitlam by-election would have made no difference, given the strength of the NDP candidate, former Port Moody Mayor Joe Trasolini ... but it could have prevented the election of an NDP MLA in Chilliwack – Hope.

So what does the future of conservatives in BC hold?

Which of course means both candidates for the BC Liberal Party could not be bothered …

BC Liberal candidates mum on issues important to voters in
Chilliwack Hope, and Port Moody Coquitlam by-elections

Several weeks back Integrity BC asked the candidates running in the by-elections for Port Moody – Coquitlam … and Chilliwack – Hope, to answer a short questionnaire.  

It was designed to provide important information on where each candidate, and party, stood on issues important to the people of the riding's.

I am delighted that both candidates for the BC Conservative Party (Christine Clarke in Port Moody – Coquitlam … and John Martin in Chilliwack – Hope), took the time to provide answers to the questionnaire. 

Only one other, Gwen O'Mahony who is running for the NDP in Chilliwack – Hope, also did so.  Which of course means both candidates for the BC Liberal Party could not be bothered.

Here are the questions which were asked in the questionnaire:

These are desperate days for the BC Liberals

BC Liberals about to be swept away?

Three interesting stories came out yesterday on politics in BC.  I don’t know if you have seen all three, but they were in the Huffington Post … the Now Newspaper … and the National Post.

All three contained very bad news for the governing BC Liberal Party.  While the NDP continued to maintain little more than there normal hold on their voter block, the three stories acknowledged why there has been a swing to the John Cummins led BC Conservative Party.

Here’s some of the details from the story found in the Huffington Post (Christy Clark: B.C. Premier Poised To Be Swept From Office By Adrian Dix's NDP, According To New Polls)

… Liberals did not have to worry about the Conservatives when voters last went to the polls in 2009 … Clark’s party is a coalition of British Columbia’s centre and right-wing, but its identity is becoming murkier. Clark herself comes from the federal Liberal camp, though she has been trying to prove her true-blue tendencies of late. Nevertheless, 20 per cent of B.C. Liberal voters think the party is closer to the federal Liberals, while 39 per cent think it is closer to Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, according to Forum.

Placing the B.C. Liberals on the political spectrum is in the eye of the beholder: more supporters of the B.C. Conservatives think the governing party is closer to the federal Liberals than the federal Tories, while a large majority of B.C. NDP voters identify the Christy Clark's party with the Harper Conservatives.

This is just further proof that no one, not on the right or the left, can really identify with what the BC Liberal Party is … and what it stands for.  Simply saying, 'we are not the NDP so vote for us' just does NOT cut it anymore.

Given where party membership is now, and where they are polling, it looks like I am not alone

It’s Friday and the end of the week is approaching.  Later this afternoon I’ll have a wrap-up of news stories, but for now here’s a couple of things I’d like to mention and look at.  First, here’s the start to a story (Full hospital postpones surgeries; worse than it has been in a year) that I saw today in the Kamloops Daily News:

Royal Inland Hospital is so full of patients, administrator Marg Brown had to postpone a total of 16 surgeries Wednesday, Thursday and today.  “The staff are working flat out right now,” she said Thursday.

The 16 patients who will be rescheduled were all getting elective procedures and required admission to the hospital. None involved cancer, pediatrics or hip/knee operations, and additional day operations were slotted into cancelled surgery times.  Emergency surgeries continue to get done. Still, Brown said she regretted having to take the step of postponing surgeries — she hasn’t had to do it for a year.

You know what --- I don’t care if they were elective surgeries or not.  These were things that people had planned for --- perhaps made special arrangements for --- some may have traveled for --- and others may have booked time of at work for.

We should NEVER hear, “There’s no room at the Inn” when it comes to hospitals.  Perhaps if they weren't paying thousands of dollars, for fictitious carbon credits, they would have the money they need for beds at the hospitals.   

I guess Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government is just giving us one more example of how this is a government that puts families first!

Meantime, in the Province newspaper today, Michael Smyth had a story entitled, “Clark could roll the dice on spring election”.  He asked some interesting questions of where Christy is going and what she is trying to do … here is part of what he asked and had to say:

… why would you want to "renew" one of your best MLAs, in one of your party's safest seats?  The comment must have other Liberal MLAs wondering just what the premier was getting at … rumours some of them might be encouraged to retire, so Clark can move those new people and new ideas into position in by-elections.  It's a risky strategy … the governing Social Credit Party lost six by-elections in a row … same thing happened to the governing NDP in the 1990s … losing streaks reinforced public perceptions that those doomed governments had to go…

BC POLITICS --- this week in the news

With the resignation of former Attorney General Barry Penner, Christy Clark now has two by-elections to call in the next few months --- by-elections that John Cummins and the BC Conservatives say they will be in.  There’s news on that … plus much more ... so read on! Remember the full stories can be accessed by clicking the link in the story title.)

Future jobs need planning now

… global economy goes from being a media phrase to something that threatens our jobs … it’s suddenly very real and very personal … and when hope gets lost, fear takes hold. Fear that our future will be bleak. Fear that what we’ve worked for will be lost … leadership and action can trump fear, and cynicism … need to stand together, to work together, and make the changes required … need to face our future not with fear or retreat, but with confidence and advancement on our strengths…

CLBC admits it pushed too hard to get clients out of group homes

… Community Living BC expressed regret for the harm caused and promised that, except in certain circumstances, nobody will be moved against their will in the future … follow recent reversals by CLBC in which it canceled plans to close homes and move residents ... spoken to families and apologized for the agency’s tactics.  “We regret the stress that we caused in their lives and we’re doing what we can to make that a better situation for them,” he said …

Community care crisis demands a resolution

… the crisis in community living has stirred something significant in us, demanding immediate action and decisive leadership.  In many ways it has become the barometer of how we are doing in B.C., striking a fundamental cord chord of justice and fairness….

Elections B.C. wants to pre-register 16- and 17-year-olds for voting

…  elections agency wants to use high school classes to pre-register teens to vote when they turn 18 … presented by chief electoral officer Keith Archer to a committee of MLAs Thursday … attempt to increase voter participation among 18- to 25-year-olds, the age group that's the least likely to vote …