In my last blog I mentioned that as we are all well aware, the Liberals were pretty much decimated east of Ontario, that the party had received less than 20% of the popular vote, and that party leader Michael Ignatieff himself went down to defeat and will be leaving to take up a teacher career again.
Again I have to ask the question then … why do we need a Liberal party at all --- and what is it they stand for that people on the center right can’t find a comfortable home with the Conservatives … and those on the center left with the NDP (or a new hybrid called Liberal Democrats)?
In BC, according the CBC, 45.5% of the popular vote went to the Conservatives, which was higher than the national average of 39.6%. The NDP? … well they took 32.5%, which was just up from the national average of 30.6%. The telling story is with the Liberals however who continued their free-fall in the west receiving just 13.4% of the popular vote.
I mean no disrespect but again other than have a rather wide boundary of acceptance, and wide boundaries to political viewpoints, what does 'liberal' mean? When Canada and BC basically had two parties, voters did have a clear choice --- now with multiple parties where do the Liberals fit in??
In British Columbia the Liberal brand until recent history was held in disdain by the public – even during the time of Trudeaumania. The ONLY reason it came back was due to the complete and total collapse of the Social Credit Party.
Today’s BC Liberal party is a mish- mash of those on the political left (ie: Christy Clark) … and those on the right (ie: Kevin Falcon). Those who are on the center right of the political spectrum are ONLY there because a few years ago they felt they no longer had a home.
THEY STILL DON’T!! -- at least not in the Liberal party. And now there is basically no federal Liberal party to have allegiances with. Even former BC Liberal cabinet minister David Mitchell in an interview indicated that the defeat of the federal Liberals will prompt some serious soul-searching for the party in B.C. and across the country.
"There's gonna be calls for some sort of merger or accommodation with this NDP to create one centre-left party," he said. "This is going to take some time to unfold. This is going to be very painful for the Liberal Party of Canada."
I am of course biased, with allegiance in the BC Conservatives … but if the call nationally is to merge the parties – does it not make sense provincially.
Voters in British Columbia have clearly indicated where their support lies:
Conservatives … 45.5%
Conservatives … 45.5%
NDP … 32.5%
Liberals … 13.4%
There is NO longer any need for voters to have to support, or be part of, a political party that does not truly represent who they are. Conservative minded people can find a home within the BC Conservative Party – under the leadership of John Cummins.
And under John Cummins they will have a leader that not only has nearly 2 decades of political experience in Ottawa … they have someone that knew how to roll up his sleeves whether in the oil patch, working in the construction of hydro-electric dams … or in the classroom teaching the next generation of leaders.
The polls have clearly shown that BC is fertile conservative country – that means the time is now to build the party into a force that can go head to head against the NDP under the leadership of Adrian Dix.
I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, and those are the thoughts of one conservative.
3 comments:
Christy can read the polls as anyone, so you can be certain there is much concern in Caucus about delaying an election until the BC Conservatives have established a Beachhead and deployed the troops. As Premier, she is already making decisions for the people of BC, and that's without being elected by the populace. Gordon Campbell did everyone a favor by showing how bad government can get, so all we can do is work toward getting organized as quickly as possible. It can be done, and with the lust for power in our Premier's eyes,
BC Conservatives have no choice.
As a BC Liberal I feel Clark needs to put her stamp on government before rushing off to call an election this fall. A victory in the HST referendum could very well achieve that. I still don't like the prospect of a split vote on the right and, as someone who feels more comfortable in the center, I won't be voting for a BC. Conservative Party anytime soon.
Hello to my Anonymous Liberal friend :)
Hey first of all thanks for visiting -- and second thanks for taking the time to post a comment.
One of my purposes in starting this blog several months ago was that it might spur comment and discussion.
I prefer to think of the BC Conservatives as not being right, left, or center -- but rather a place where common sense rises above those kind of narrow constraints.
In the mid-90's in BC it nearly happened with Jack Weisgerber and the BC Reform Party.
Commnon sense DID get a toe hold in Western Canada with the Reform Party, then grew to opposition status, and finally now as the Conservative Party, and the government of our country.
Those who called that party radical in it's ideas are some of the very same people who say the same todsay of the BC Conservative Party -- they too will be found out to be wrong.
The desire and wish for accountability and responsibility to voters is not anleft or right wing political ideal ... it is one of common sense ... and one wished for and desired by the majority of people.
Come next election the BC Conservative Party will be on the ballot --- and they'll have candidates be on the ballot across the province.
Give us your consideration --- ask questions -- and see if our Contrcat with British Columbia resonates with you (http://bcconservative.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Contract_BCCA.pdf)
Post a Comment