What’s with Global TV comment, “It appears the election goal of the BC Conservative leader is to destroy the Liberals”?

Did you catch the Global TV piece last night (April 9, 2012), “It appears the election goal of the BC Conservative leader is to destroy the Liberals”.  If not, you can view it by CLICKING HERE.  

BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins

Jas Johal starts off his story, and interview with John Cummins, by stating, “For a man accused of destroying BC’s free enterprise coalition” … and then goes on to say that, “Critics say that John Cummins doesn’t care if the NDP are elected, he just wants to destroy the BC Liberals …”

It’s an interesting analysis, however the story, I believe, was off the mark.  I'm also wondering, 'who, are these critics'? 

The only ones I can think of, would be those in the executive backrooms of the BC Liberal Party who continue with their mantra of, “A vote for the BC Conservatives is a vote for the NDP”?

The growth of the BC Conservative Party has been a direct result of those in the Liberal backrooms leading the party to the left, and leaving no true center right party … hence the abandonment of the BC Liberal Party, by members and supporters, who are true small 'c' conservatives.

Are you alive because of this drug review of Vioxx?

On Tuesday, the National Post had a headline that screamed … “Health Canada not giving timely warnings about pharmaceutical drugs: Auditor General”

I tell you that certainly grabbed my attention as I, along with pretty much all of us have a need for prescription drugs at various times.  Here in part is what the story had to say:

“Health Canada is slow to act on potential issues that it identifies … time lag, outlined in an audit tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons and characterized as “serious,” means people sometimes have to wait more than two years before Health Canada completes a drug safety review of a product already on the market and provides updated information about their risks… the audit also found gaps in transparency that are keeping Canadians in the dark about Health Canada’s drug-safety work …”

VANCOUVER SUN: Recognizing the good politicians

“Those who take a stand based on the view of their constituents should not be punished by their party”

I’ve had that thought many times … but those words were not written by me.  They are part of the headline (or story lead) in an opinion / editorial piece written by Maxwell A. Cameron.  He is director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at UBC. 

I would encourage you to read his full comments … but if you only have a moment right now, here are a couple of comments that he made in his article:

… Parliament is a place for deliberation and legislation. It is the one branch of government whose supreme duty it is to make the general rules by which all citizens shall abide….

… sadly, parliamentarians increasingly do what party leaders tell them rather than what they think is right. Subordination to the party begins with the nomination process, a typically opaque and poorly regulated affair. Individual candidates often come out of the process more beholden to the party machine than to constituents.

… our system is built on the principle of parliamentary supremacy. In practice we have a partyarchy — the rule of political parties at the expense of our constitutional order. We need politicians with the moral skill and will to restore balance to our parliamentary system.