All in all, it was a wonderful evening -- now the real work begins

Two dozen members of the BC Conservative Party, in the riding of Kamloops South Thompson, came together last night to enjoy a meal, and to take part in the Constituency Associations Annual General Meeting, which was chaired by riding President Ted Joslin.

Back Row (Left to Right): Nando Di Lorenzo, Richard Holmes,
Ted Joslin, and Peter Sharp
Front Row:  Alan Forseth and Jacquie Hilton
Missing:  Chris Kempling and Roy Bell

The election of the new board was overseen by Fred Bosman, and when voting concluded, members had elected eight men and women who will now be tasked with registering the Constituency Association with Elections BC, getting plans underway to begin a candidate nomination process, and preparing for the general election to be held next May.

Elected to the board were Fernando Di Lorenzo, Alan Forseth, Jacqueline Hilton, Richard Holmes, Roy Bell, Ted Joslin, Chris Kempling, and Peter Sharp.  The new board will meeting in the next week or two to decide on executive positions, and to set several committees in place.

Following the election of the Board, Regional Director Alan Forseth introduced the evenings Guest Speaker, Sacha Peter of Chilliwack.  While a large portion of his talk centred building a strong campaign team around the right candidate, he also spoke to a concern that some have raised; the issue of vote splitting.

"What I have … has depended on an enormous number of other people."

Scott Anderson, BC Conservative
member in Vernon Monashee

The other day I had a friend forward a piece that had been written by Scott Anderson, a member of the BC Conservative Party in the Vernon Monashee riding.  I thought what he’d had to say was great, and he agreed to let me share it with you today.  Here is what he had to say.

“Who here hates the poor?  This IS the BC Conservative party, isn't it?”

This stereotype is one we are going to be hearing more about as the election gets closer…how we conservatives hate the poor and love the rich. 

We'll hear about how if we win the election women will huddle on the street with hungry kids, the homeless will starve, and minorities will work in sweatshops run by our good buddies the ultra-rich, who will pay no taxes and cruise about town in limousines tossing bread crumbs to the hungry masses. 

It's complete nonsense, but some people actually believe it!

Now most of the arguments against expensive big government have to do with the cost of it - and it's true that we can't afford the socialism of 20th century Europe.  They can't afford it either, which is why Europe is in what amounts to a depression trying to pay for the mountain of debt they've built up over the last 60 years of socialism. 

But I want to talk about something else - something that we conservatives tend to let slide.  And that's the opposition's claim that in order to care about people, we need big government and big government programs.

BC Conservatives are growing -- we're hiring!

BC Conservatives seek Manager of Fundraising

Manager of Fundraising
Reporting to the Chair of the Finance Committee, and working with the Leader, President, Campaign Director and Director of Political Operations, this person will be responsible for the following functions:

• Development of tailored fundraising strategies for corporate and individual donors
• Maintain and update current and existing donor lists
• Write fundraising, letters and emails to solicit individual donations
• Organise fundraising events for the party
• Work with the finance committee to solicit donations
• Offer input and advice for Regional Directors and individual Constituency Associations in their fundraising activities

Salary will be based on experience.
Please send a cover letter and CV to applications@bcconservative.ca
Applications must be received by May 25^th, 2012

BC Conservative seek Manager of Communications

Manager of Communications
Reporting to the Leader and Campaign Director, this person will be responsible for the following functions:

• Develop and implement long and short term communications strategies
• Write news releases and speeches for the leader, and critics
• Work with candidates to write and approve their news releases
• Work closely with the media to ensure coverage of BC Conservative activities
• Manage media inquiries for the leader and candidates
• Serve as a spokesperson when appropriate
• Manage social media for the party and the leader

Salary will be based on experience.
Please send a cover letter and CV to applications@bcconservative.ca
Applications must be received by May 25^th, 2012

John Cummins on the "Voice of BC"

BC Conservative Party leader, John Cummins will be featured on the "Voice of BC".  The program airs at 8pm this Thursday (May 17th) at 8pm.

A number of topics, important to the people of BC, will be discussed on the program.  

For a preview of tomorrow nights show, several 30 second clips covering Aboriginal Title, People leaving BC, the race between the NDP and the BC Conservatives, and high taxation can be found at http://www.facebook.com/#!/shawtvvobc.

NOTE:

Voice of BC, Shaw TV’s weekly public affairs program, has been produced for the past 15 years. The program gives British Columbians the opportunity to hear from top politicians in B.C. and across Canada, as well as leaders in the academic and business communities, in a balanced and thoughtful forum.

Voice of BC is hosted by respected Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer. One of BC’s foremost political commentators, Palmer brings his unique style and perspective on B.C. politics to this series.

Their way of making change is through modification and control … social engineering … and social ownership

If the most recent poll by Angus Reid proves anything at all, it is that Christy Clark’s ‘unite the right’ mantra should finally be put to rest and buried.

It also shows that no matter what the BC Liberals decide to call themselves in the future, it will not make one bit of difference.  They will lose the next provincial election in one year from now … as sure as a dark evening sky will follow the sunshine I am enjoying here in Kamloops today.

Here in the Interior of the province, the Angus Reid poll indicates:

“… the New Democrats are first with 48 per cent, while the BC Conservatives are second with 26 per cent. Support for BC Liberals in the Interior has fallen to 18 per cent.”

Details of this survey also show that:

“The BC Liberals are only holding on to roughly half of their voters in the last provincial ballot (48%). Along with the 20 per cent of 2009 BC Liberal voters who are now saying they would vote for the Dix-led NDP, the governing party is losing 30 per cent of its past electors to the BC Conservatives.”

Are you familiar with the phrase, “The King is dead. Long live the King”?  According to Wikipedia, the phrase arose from … the law of le mort saisit le vif—that the transfer of sovereignty occurs instantaneously upon the moment of death of the previous monarch. "The King is dead" is the announcement of a monarch who has just died. "Long live the King!" refers to the heir who immediately succeeds to a throne upon the death of the preceding monarch.

In May 2013, there will be a transfer of power, and at the moment, it appears that this transfer may be going to the BC New Democrats.

BUT … do people know and realize what that transfer of power will mean – or are they simply going back to BC’s age old tradition of kicking out the guys that are in power.

Those swing voters, who are indicating they currently support the NDP, really need to read the following so they are fully aware of what a vote for the NDP will mean.

The “Preamble” in the Constitution of the New Democratic Party of British Columbia states:

The New Democratic Party believes that social, economic and political progress in Canada can only be assured by the application of democratic socialist principles to government and the administration of public affairs.