Meet Ed Fehr, BC Conservative Party candidate for Kamloops North Thompson

Kamloops North Thompson BC Conservative
Party candidate Ed Fehr

I was born in Beaver Lodge, Alberta. My family moved to a small community called Takysie near the Lakes District community of Burns Lake, BC.  At Takysie, my family bought and operated a small sawmill.

Three years later, we moved to Fraser Lake, BC, where my parents bought a 160 acre farm on which our family raised 200 head of sheep.  At an age of 12, this helped me learn the importance of being responsible, and knowing the value of hard work. 

Ed Fehr is; “A guy that’s willing to have boots on the ground, go door-to-door and talk to people and bring their issues back to Victoria."

Over the course of my life, I have worked in several industries including operational aspects mining; and  like our party leader John Cummins,  I have taken pride in being able to see the end results of hard work. 

I cut my teeth in politics with the Saskatchewan Party while living there between 1997 and 2004.  I held the role of Vice-President in Saskatoon Center, and then went on to become President of the Riding Association a year later. 

Ed Fehr sees increasing access to doctors as a major priority for the next provincial government; "We need to have more doctors, and the health-care system needs to be completely revamped.”

I returned to BC in 2007, and in March 2012, I was elected as president of the Kamloops-North Thompson Constituency Association for the BC Conservative Party.

I married my lovely wife Naomi in 1996. 

Throughout my life people like late Cyril Shelford (BC rancher and Social Credit MLA), have made a lasting impression on me, to be a voice for the people of British Columbia in the provincial legislature.

The Liberal Party have everything to fear by our growth (much as Social Credit did when the Liberal Party came back from the wilderness)

Today I am going to share with you, part of a letter, which was received by one of our Kamloops Constituency Association board members.  I think in reading it, you will find it echoes the response of some people you yourself may have spoken, or been in touch with: 

I am very conservative fiscally and probably small ‘c’ conservative socially, a strong believer in free enterprise but with a social conscience.

I was initially intrigued by the BC conservative movement, I was interested in its direction.  Had some high hopes that it could find a place in BC politics.

I must say I am presently disillusioned by many of the actions ... 

Sound familiar --- are you becoming disillusioned your self when you hear those words, or others similar.  

Well "Buck Up, because here is a response that MUST be delivered to those who believe in what we are trying to do, but are been swayed by outside influences.  And ... every word of what follows IS true!

Dear John Doe ...

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond, and let me say right off the bat that I appreciate your candor in the remarks you made.  If  I were to say, I was not discouraged, by the events that took place this past Summer, I would not be speaking the truth. 

That said, I attended the party AGM held in Langley, and what I saw and felt, was the heart and soul of the membership striving and working towards achieving approval of new policy that would be part of our platform next May.

I also saw our rank and file members listening intently to the words of those who were seeking the lead the party on the Executive and Board of Directors.  Given the overwhelming mandate those elected received, it is obvious that we have majority support for our party leader John Cummins.

Let me also say that he, like anyone one else, has his flaws, however our party is NOT the John Cummins Party.  It is the BC Conservative Party, and we the members (the grassroots) are the people that drive it ... unlike the Adrian Dix led NDP ... and Christy Clark led BC Liberals.

We have lost some of our members through-out the internal problems we had -- those however were NOT the people that stood behind the majority of our membership who are firmly behind a bottom up approach, rather than one led from the top down. 

Those individuals, who are now gone, were more concerned with having their own way, in creating their own little empires, rather than supporting the aspirations of our members. 

We have come out the other side --- we are stronger for the trials we went through -- and our members KNOW the party does, and will, stand behind the will and direction of its members.

I finally saw a political party that understood common sense trumps band-aid solutions every time

I have been VERY busy these past couple of weeks with work ... and with duties as a Regional Director for the BC Conservative Party .. which has meant only a few recent posts here.

Today is kind of a smorgasbord of thoughts , comments, and ideas ... but I think they all seem to come together in a positive way ...

Here is a comment that I must post anonymously:

... wanted to know when I decided to join the BCCP and what the reason was ... I told him it was after I'd met John at a luncheon ...and because he has a far clearer vision than Premier Clark, for the province, and a clear idea of what he'd do if he was in power ... and I still feel that way.

Today in a news story former Liberal MLA Bill Belsey stated that the BC Liberals are poised to "deal a devastating blow to the New Democrats."

Meantime BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins was quoted saying: “It is understandable that Christy Clark and the other Liberals want to put the best possible ‘spin’ on events as they gather for convention this weekend."

And then there's a story in today’s Kamloops Daily News which began with the following:

The exodus of high-ranking Liberals has done nothing to diminish the party's morale heading into the next provincial election, the candidate for Kamloops - South Thompson said Thursday.

Instead, the resignations of Kevin Falcon, George Abbott and others is a way to breathe new life into the party at a crucial political time, said Todd Stone (BC Liberal candidate for Kamloops South).

POLITICS 101 … the wacky world of British Columbia

In British Columbia we do things differently when it comes to politics.  Anywhere else, the topic of politics and politicians can come up, and a civil, even occasionally heated, discussion can take place.

NOT in British Columbia.

Mention the words ‘politics’, and / or ‘politicians’ and the fight is on.  Either that, or folks tune out entirely.

Thoughts that come to mind for many are money grubbing … power seekers … looking out for number one … unaccountable … unresponsive … and a host of other things that can’t be repeated.

That’s because, as I mentioned, we do things differently here in BC.

W.A.C. Bennett

We generally have one party that’s in power for a long period of time, with one sitting on the wings … waiting to take over when voters get sick and tired of the governing party.  We’ll say, “Well at least these guys can’t do any worse than those jerks”.

This really began in 1951 when W.A.C.  Bennett, “Wacky” as most people called him, took over what was then called the Social Credit League, and renamed it the Social Credit Party.  Social Credit really was a big tent party that keep both small ‘c’ Conservatives, and small ‘L” Liberals, all under one roof. 

Bennett reviled the NDP with a passion, calling them the Socialist Hordes, and so it must have been with a great deal of anguish and upset that he turned the reins of government over to Dave Barrett and the NDP following the election of 1972.

That government was short lived however, only staying in power for one term.  The ‘socialist hordes’ as Wacky called them, tried their social engineering much to fast -- overtaxed industry – raised debt dramatically -- and scared the hell out of the majority of people in BC once they realized what they had voted for.

Then Wacky’s son Bill Bennett took over the leadership of the Socred’s, winning the next election, and became Premier in in 1975.  The Socreds then remained in power again, for another 15 years.

What led to their downfall, and demise, after those 15 years? 

Most people would say it was due to a disconnect with the people … and an arrogance where they believed themselves to be the natural ruling party (much like the federal Liberals used to be).  Another issue was Bill Vander Zalm, who took over leadership of the party once Bill Bennett resigned.   With Bill Vander Zalm as leader, many also objected to what they considered to be his right wing, socially conservative, policies.

Bill Vander Zalm

Vander Zalm was ridiculed in the media … and he took a tongue lashing from voters in Letters to the Editor, and phone in talk shows.  He too was forced to resign, and Rita Johnson then took over the reins – not for long however.

Does any of this sound familiar?

In 1991 voters returned the NDP to office.  This time they governed a little more slowly with their social policies, and taxation, and managed to be re-elected several times.  Again however, a disconnect with voters, and a number of scandals (the financial debacle of the Fast Ferry’s, and Bingo-Gate, spring to mind) which saw the leadership of the party switch from Mike Harcourt, to Glen Clark, and finally to Ujjal  Dosanjh.  Changing leaders was no help however, and they were soundly trashed at the polls in 2001; retaining just 2 seats in the legislature.

Again, the ruling party was tossed from office by the voters who no longer believed anything they said, and who were tired with the scandals that surrounded them.

What also happened, in the time between 1991 and 1996, was the growth of a third party following the decline of the Socreds.  Just prior to the 1996 election, four Socred members, led by Jack Weisgerber, moved to the populist BC Reform Party.  In 1996 Reform duked it out with the BC Liberals, who had a much better organized and better financed machine, for dominance as the center right party.

As history shows, the Liberals won for dominance as BC Reform was reduced to just 2 seats, and British Columbia was once again back to a two party system; one big tent center right party (the Liberals) … and a center left party (the NDP).

Can the Liberal brand survive?





The voters of BC do not have a history of being kind to party’s they decide no longer need to be around the BC Legislature.

In 1952, the Liberals and Conservatives were all but wiped out when a new political force in the province, Social Credit, formed a minority government.  That was the beginning of a center right coalition led by WAC Bennett, that lasted until 1972, when they were defeated at the hands of the NDP.

One term under the NDP was enough however for BC voters, and with no other option on the horizon, the Social Credit Party, now under the leadership of WAC’s son, Bill Bennett returned to power.

The final end for the BC Social Credit party came about in the 1991 election however when only 7 members were elected, relegating them to third party status behind the BC Liberals … and the NDP who once again became the government of British Columbia.

I shouldn’t actually have said that 1991 was the end of the party --- in actual fact the nails were driven into the coffin in that election, but it really truly became dead and buried in 1996 when not one member was elected.

BC was finished with the Socreds … the BC Reform Party tried and failed to make inroads … and the BC Liberal Party led by Gordon Campbell became the new home of the centre right.

In this overview, I have neglected to so far mention the trials and tribulations of the Socred, the Liberals, and the NDP under a variety of leaders who ended up resigning from scandals … or being pushed out.  The names of Bill Vander Zalm, Glenn Clark, Mike Harcourt, Gordon Wilson, and others are likely still fresh in our minds however.

The recent departure of Gordon Campbell, leader of the BC Liberal Party is just the latest in this string of names … driven out controversy over BC Rail, the HST, and plummeting polling results not just for him, but the BC Liberal Party itself.

Early last year, members of the BC Liberal Party went into a leadership race that provided them with two clear options; Kevin Falcon… a fiscal and social conservative candidate … or a more left leaning, cut from the mold of the federal Liberal Party, Christy Clark.

Would you like to put that number into perspective?

Most rank and file Liberals in BC are probably wishing they didn’t have to watch, or read, news on BC politics.  It's not good; although looking at the smile pasted on Premier Christy Clark's face one would be hard pressed to see she's aware of problems in liberal-land.

CTV News at 6 ran one story after the other last night, which would lead people to wonder how much longer they can continue without running to the medicine cupboard for Extra-Extra-Strength Tylenol.

Let's see ... what kicked things off?   

Well a provincial court judge hammered the Liberal government after having to kick charges against a person who had tried to lure a young teen, for sex, through use of his computer.  This case has been in the system, since his arrest, which was two and a half years ago!

At the moment there are approximately twenty five hundred (2,500) cases in a similar position, of being thrown out for delays that have hit the 18 month mark.  

Would you like to put that number into perspective?  Plus or minus a hundred people or so, it would be the entire population of say a community the size of  Chetwynd ... or Chase ... Elkford ... Lillooet ... Logan Lake ... Pemberton ... Princeton ... Sicamous ... or Tumbler Ridge.

And what did the judge, who had to throw the case out, call the system? 

Abysmal!

Pedophiles --- drug pushers --- people accused of violent assaults.  People charged with these crimes are about to go free because the criminal system in BC is broken, and all the BC Liberal government can do is .......... study it some more.

Destiny is not a matter of chance … it is a thing to be achieved

Here’s the headline in the Vancouver Province newspaper story dated December 30, 2011 … “Liberals launch ‘RiskyDix’ attack ad, website”.  The story begins by saying that:

The BC Liberals have launched a second attack campaign against Opposition leader Adrian Dix, who recently passed Premier Christy Clark in public approval ratings.

Over the past several months, as they have fallen in the polls, the BC Liberals have attacked both BC Conservative leader John Cummins -- and NDP leader Adrian Dix with negative advertising.

The sad truth is Christy Clark and the BC Liberals have nothing of their own to stand on, and they are now beginning to wildly lash out in fear and desperation.

This must especially be sad for the rank and file members of the party, many of whom have probably given a lot, both in time and personal finances, to support a party that rose from the shambles of Social Credit to challenge, and then defeat the NDP.

HERE’S THE QUESTION … “WHO, put our province where it is now"?

On the weekend, Chantal Hebert had an op / ed in the Toronto Star entitled, “PM could use premiers like Christy Clark”.  That lead me to question her ‘opinion’ and to share some of my own (what a surprise eh?).  Part of that led to an exchange of comments between me, and a recent Facebook friend, who is a member of the BC Liberal party. 

ME … as an easterner (Chantal Hebert) you make no sense -- given the beginnings and rise of the reform movement in western Canada, and why the reform movement led by Preston Manning came about. And it shows you still have not learned, that the west doesn’t appreciate, being lectured and dictated to by the east ...

FB Friend: Isn't Preston Manning supporting the BC Liberals?

ME … unfortunately it appears he too has forgotten what he once believed was MOST important --- and a steadily declining number of BC voters, at all levels of government, also attests to a lack of belief that anyone running for office has anything in mind other than themselves. BC Reform tried to make inroads in bottom up grassroots democracy in the mid-90's. It wasn't successful then, but my hope is that people are now ready for truth in politics

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…

Can’t we just have less talk, and more action?

It’s day number three of the Christy Clark “Can You See Me Now”, province-wide, media extravaganza.  Today it touched down in Surrey with the promise of an additional $3 million dollars to be invested in the Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit program.

It’s not a lot of money, but apparently that $3 million infusion to the Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit program can eventually end up creating up to $10 million in additional equity capital for eligible new small businesses.

Here’s the question though, and please forgive me if it seem rather obvious, but is the current $30-million annual tax credit budget, for venture capital programs for small business, being tapped out?  Like I say it might seem obvious that it would be; however there has been no mention of it in today’s announcement, which causes me to wonder.  After all, this is a government prone to blowing their own horn.

If Clark loses, the results will be terminal for her, and the BC Liberals.

With the words, 'I don't think that British Columbian's want an unelected premier without a mandate,' Christy Clark set up the start for her return to the BC legislature – first though she'll actually need to win the by-election she's called for Vancouver Point Grey.

In calling the by-election for May 11, in the affluent riding of Vancouver Point Grey, which includes Kitsilano and UBC, Clark is challenging a 30-year tradition that has seen the party in government lose 17 straight by-elections. The last exception was in 1981 when Claude Richmond won in Kamloops for the Social Credit Party.

A few comments from former BC Premier Rita Johnston

Yesterday in Victoria, Liberal party leader Christy Clark was officially sworn in as the 35^th premier in British Columbia.

Yesterday, I also had a chance to talk to Rita Johnston, a member of the BC Conservative Party’s Tactical Advisory Group (TAG).  Many of you will remember that back in 1991, as leader of the Social Credit Party, she became BC’s first female premier, and in fact the first woman premier in Canada.

Defections from the BC Liberals may be on the horizon in the next few months

Yesterday I was delighted to have the opportunity to listen online to the Bill Good Show, and hear his interview with former Social Credit Premier Rita Johnston. 

For those of you who are not aware, in 1991 she became Canada's first female premier.  She is also a member of the BC Conservative Party's Tactical Advisory Group, which is headed up by former Reform MP Randy White.

While Bill’s interview with her was mainly focused on comparisons between then and now, as Christy Clark takes over the reins of the BC Liberal Party, she was able to comment and get in discussion of the BC Conservatives, and their upcoming leadership race.

I did stick around for the next segment on his show as well, because Bill Good mentioned that he would be having former Liberal, now independent MLA’s Bill Bennett (Kootenay East) and Blair Lekstrom (Peace River South) on with him.

About George Abbott ... about Mike de Jong …

George Abbott is a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He represents the riding of Shuswap, which he has held since 1996. He was re-elected three times in 2001, 2005, and most recently on May 12, 2009.

Since taking office in 1996, George Abbott has held five cabinet posts spanning a number of significant portfolios.  Most recently, he was appointed Minister of Education and Deputy House Leader on October 25, 2010.

What has George Abbott had to say:

·         The BC Liberal government is in the "ditch of public opinion" and needs time to regain the trust of voters before calling another election, leadership candidate George Abbott says.  "I frankly think that the B.C. Liberal party and the B.C. Liberal government is, at this point, at a pretty low point in the ditch of public opinion," he said.

We need a strong alternative to provide voters with a clear and identifiable choice

Why is it in British Columbia that we seem to have a penchant for one or the other; the left or the right??  There is a definite solid base of supporters for the NDP --- and a solid block for what is now the BC Liberal Party, former represented by Social Credit.  In the middle stands a huge block of voters who swing from one side of the pendulum to the other saying, “lets throw these bums out”. 

It seems that a growing number of people are beginning to see that a strong alternative would go a long ways to providing voters with clear and identifiable choices – and would go a long ways I believe to seeing an end of the swinging pendulum.

I have said this before, but I believe it is still as true as ever … NO political party can embody everything an individual would want.  I do believe however that those of us wishing to see a clear alternative to the Liberals vs. NDP option we have had for the past decade … can identify with the beliefs and values of the BC Conservative Party.

What seems to be at the top of the list in importance to the BC Conservative Party includes, but is not limited to: