No wonder people say that politics in British Columbia is crazy!

Before I begin today's Conservative Thoughts blog post, I should reiterate that while I am a member and director of the BC Conservative Party, this blog is not officially or un-officially sanctioned by the BC Conservative Party.  Now ... on with today's post.

If you're confused by politics in BC, you're not alone

The NDP hold no differentiation between the Provincial and Federal wings of their party.  In fact they clearly state they are, "... proud to be associated with the democratic socialist parties of the world"

From the Preamble of the NDP Party constitution you can read for yourself the following:

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 ...

... the New Democratic Party is proud to be associated with the democratic socialist parties of the world and to share in the struggle for peace, international co-operation and the abolition of poverty.

ARTICLE III — Affiliated Membership and Donors

3.01.1 Affiliated organizations shall be those BC organizations affiliated to the NDP of Canada.

And exactly what countries define themselves to have a socialist government?  Well those would include China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea, Venezuela, and Syria.

I also sadly noted the following from the Conservative Party of Canada Constitution:

15. PROVINCIAL PARTIES

15.1 The Party shall not establish provincial political parties. The Party shall promote and maintain relationships with existing provincial conservative parties.

It seems to me that with the exception of a number of true small 'c' conservatives, it seems that Section 15.1 of the Conservative Party Constitution is ignored; at least here in British Columbia.

Now ... here is something else which is also a well known fact:
At the time of the BC Liberal leadership campaign, to replace Gordon Campbell, Christy Clark was a member of the Federal Liberal Party.  It also well know that in her youth she was also a member of the Young Liberals of Canada.

Here is what political commentator Bill Tieleman had to say back in March of 2011:

Well that didn't take long!  Premier-Designate Christy Clark has begun the process of Federal Liberalizing her new government at all levels.

Notwithstanding the use of arch-Conservative Gwyn Morgan on her Transition Team to premier for at least optics, Clark is already stacking the deck with federal Liberal operatives.

Her campaign featured a host of Paul Martin-ite and Stephane Dion-ite operatives, including  FD Element's Don Millar, federal Liberal Party spokesman Brad Zubyk, an ex-Harcourt NDP government aide, and of course Campaign Manager and now Chief of Staff Mike McDonald, who backed ex-NDP Ontario Premier Bob Rae in the 2006 federal Liberal leadership race.

And of course hidden in the backroom was her brother Bruce Clark - a longtime federal Liberal bagman and LPC BC executive member best known for the December 2003 police search of his home to find confidential BC government documents on BC Rail given to him by convicted fraudsters David Basi and Bob Virk.  That would be the BC Legislature Raid case of course.

But now the more serious work begins - transforming government into a more palatable federal Liberal look - call it LP-osuction - removing the undesirable BC Liberal & federal Conservative love handles and replacing them with more attractive Grits.

 

So it seems what we have in BC, are New Democrats, who support both federal and provincial wings of the Party.

We have what used to be called the Christy Clark BC Liberals -- who in recent days  have removed Christy Clark's name from the title header of the party website -- and given her past (and possible present) affiliation with the Federal Liberal Party that should come as no surprise.

Then we of course have the Conservative Party of Canada who say, at least according to their constitution that they will, "... promote and maintain relationships with existing provincial conservative parties."

So lets see if I have this straight. 

We have the BC Liberal Party who say they are not federal Liberals but who have a leader with deep roots in the Liberal Party of Canada.

We have the provincial New Democratic Party (NDP) which supports socialist governments abroad such as those in Venezuela, China, and North Korea.

And we have a federal Conservative Party that says they support provincial conservative parties, but who in fact are strangely quiet here in BC.

No wonder people say that politics in British Columbia is crazy!

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops ... with the confused thoughts of one conservative.