It’s sick. It’s a sick culture ... it’s really unhealthy. I was talking about the legislature

This is one of those blog posts where I will let the words of others do the talking ... including Christy Clark.  She, and others, have already said it so well. 

 

 

CBC (June 5th / 2013):
"We say names like WAC Bennett and Bill Bennett and we think of leadership — two great leaders who shaped our province," said Clark. 

 

National Post (Apr 13 / 2013):
It’s no secret that Christy Clark’s government has a credibility problem ... Ms. Clark continues to misinform, mislead and just make up stuff. 

 

Doug Morrison of Garibaldi Highlands (Vancouver Sun June 11 / 2013):
Today’s government policies on private power are in the process of bankrupting W.A.C. Bennett’s greatest contribution to the growth of the B.C. economy, BC Hydro, the “powerhouse of British Columbia.”.  Christy Clark has no right at all to be channeling the spirit of the great W.A.C. Bennett. 

 

 

Chilliwack Progress (Apr 22 / 13):
Clark said on Thursday that Strahl is an example of a retired federal politician who is "very actively helping us on this campaign and I'm really proud of the contribution (he's) making." 

 

Strahl confirmed that he has "no involvement" in Clark's or anyone else's campaign 

 

Vancouver Sun (June 11th)

...  Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government has significantly increased the maximum salaries it can pay to its top political staff ... boosts the maximum salary that can be handed to Clark’s Chief of Staff ... can now also make up to $230,000, representing a boost of almost 60 per cent from the position’s previous cap of $144,000. 

 

CKNW 980 on the Bill Good Show with Mike Smyth June 12th):
Finance Minister Mike de Jong is defending surprise Liberal pay increases for political staff, even as his government preaches austerity.  

 

CBC News (June 7th / 2013):
Delta South Independent MLA Vicki Huntington says she is dismayed over the $25 monthly fee charged for wheelchairs or wheelchair cushions. 

Did the BC Liberals win a majority government because they had Christy Clark as their leader? We'll find out soon enough, once the by-election is actually called.

Yes a 'Win For The Ages' for the BC Liberal
Party -- but was it a win for her leadership?

Does Christy Clark deserve a free-pass, in Westside-Kelowna, to get in to the legislature?

I certainly don't think so ... and regardless, two teams are in place who will indeed challenge her ability to be in the legislature as an elected Premier.  And, perhaps even one or two strong independent candidate will also step forward in the days ahead.  

Lots has been written in the news media over the past week and a half ... here is just a snapshot. 

MacLeans (June 5th)
Clark was defeated in her Vancouver-Point Grey riding, where she spent little time as she toured the province. The Liberals were widely expected to get badly pummelled in the vote and the party’s come-from-behind win to increase its number of seats in the legislature is largely attributed to Clark’s campaign skills. 

The Liberals said on election night she sacrificed her own riding to do it, making a byelection necessary. 

Vancouver Province (June 5th)
... said ... that she felt that Kelowna “is a natural political home for me and the values I believe in.”

“This is the cradle of free enterprise,” Clark said, noting that premiers WAC Bennett and his son Bill Bennett represented the people of Kelowna during their long reigns. “Among all the offers that I received from MLAs, this one felt the most natural.”  

BC NDP (June 5th)
We are looking forward to running a strong campaign with an Okanagan candidate against the Premier in Westside-Kelowna. 

The BC NDP will run a candidate with local roots who can offer the people of Kelowna and West Kelowna a strong, local voice in the legislature. 

The local constituency association will choose our candidate and we will be in a position to announce who that is in due course. 

The Armchair Mayor (June 6th)
I’m not one of those who gets all sentimental about Christy Clark “deserving” a seat in the B.C. Legislature ... 

Westside-Kelowna is a strange choice for Clark. She’s from the Coast, after all.

... according to Clark, though, Kelowna is her “natural political home.” Apparently, she’s had an epiphany after all these years. Clark, who lives in Vancouver-Fairview, lost in Vancouver-Point Grey. She is a Lower Mainlander through and through, but suddenly her political heart is in the Interior. 

... this being a democracy, the people should have a say, and she should have to earn her seat. 

Chris Delaney just can’t give up on his fight with the BC Conservatives

Stephen Hui is the Web and Technology editor at the Georgia Straight.  Earlier today he posted an article, “Why vote for the B.C. Conservatives in Chilliwack-Hope by-election?”, from Chilliwack Hope BC Conservative Party by-election candidate John Martin, which I made note of on my Facebook page. 

Chris Delaney (L) and political commentator Bill Tieleman (R)

Many of you are aware of Chris Delaney, former leader of the BC Conservative Party.  He is however likely better known as co-leader (along with former Social Credit Premier Bill Vander Zalm) of the Fight HST movement to kill the HST in BC.

Chris quit the party on September 28^th, 2010 saying in part;

I am announcing my resignation today from the BC Conservative Party effective immediately.  The Fight HST campaign has brought out the best in people, but also the worst. While I have spent this past year working to get rid of the HST, the BC Conservative Party has spent its time trying to find ways to keep it.

For reasons I could never understand, and despite the BC Conservative Party having a clear position against the HST, he left as leader.  He then went on to become a member, and spokesperson, of BC First (he has since left the province and moved to Florida to work for EA Sports Tiburon - EA's studio in Orlando).

Sorry for any meandering, however I wanted to be clear Chris Delaney was opposed to the HST, and left the BC Conservative Party because he believed they were changing their position on it.   

This was NOT true.

In fact – he still believes the party has somehow cozied up to the idea that the HST is a good idea – despite the fact that time and time again the BC Conservatives have released statements, and made comments to the media, to the contrary.

Chris Delaney just can’t give up on his fight with the BC Conservatives, and I don’t understand why, as the following exchange he and I had earlier on Facebook shows:

That will be the finish, and end, of this tired and worn out government

Today, in the Vancouver Sun, newspaper Vaughn Palmer had an opinion piece entitled, “Liberals unlikely to win seats in newly called by-elections”.  Here’s the Coles Notes from that piece:

… The two seats in the legislature had been vacant for weeks … candidates were already nominated and running.

… Clark had visited both ridings on multiple occasions, making announcements, reaping media cover-age

… all that remained was for her to call the by-elections and make it official.

Still she hesitated. Her answers to questions about timing went from "soon" to "very soon" to "every day we're closer."  … "because I haven't called them yet."

… as to the chances of either one of those seats being re-occupied by a B.C. Liberal, the premier's hesitation provides the strongest evidence of the government's reading of the public mood …

The story goes on to say that;

… in Chilliwack, the Liberals cast about for "name" candidates to replace the departed MLA Barry Penner, before finally settling on Laurie Throness, a long-time political aide with strong connections to one of the evangelical churches.

There, too, they were upstaged in the battle of the political names, when the B.C. Conservatives nominated John Martin, a newspaper columnist (Chilliwack Times, the Province) and outspoken criminologist who takes special delight in baiting his academic colleagues for what he regards as an overwhelmingly small-l "liberal" bias.

Some of you may not know much about John Martin, if you do not live in the Fraser Valley.  If that’s the case, I’d encourage you to drop by his website.  You’ll find a number of media releases regarding various policies and ideas from the BC Conservative Party … and along with his thoughts on policies and plans of the current BC Liberal government. 

By-Election Update

BC Liberal Premier Christy Clark has now officially called by-elections for April 19^th; so that voters in Port Moody-Coquitlam, and in Chilliwack-Hope, can have MLA’s to represent them in the legislature.

The BC Conservative candidate, in Chilliwack – Hope, is John Martin, who has been a criminology professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.   He will be running against Liberal Laurie Throness, and NDP candidate Gwen O’Mahony.

In Port Moody-Coquitlam, Christine Clarke is running for the BC Conservative Party.   Running against her, for the BC Liberals, will be Dennis Marsden, while the NDP candidate is Joe Trasolini.

Twitterverse lights up for Clarks not a throne speech, throne speech, on the Bill Good Show

BC Premier Christy Clark

Today Christy Clark paid a visit to the Bill Good show on CKNW 980, to outline upcoming plans for the BC Liberal Government.   

As expected the #bcpoli Twitter feed lit up with the comments of news people, and political pundits alike, commenting on what she had to say.

The following is a small snapshot of what I thought were the “Best Of” those comments – of which there were literally hundreds and hundreds:

CHILDCARE:

We need a childcare plan in BC. The cost of childcare in BC is too high for families

BC LIBERALS and the BC NDP:

Both of those parties are the same old and they need to be replaced

CALLERS ARE BC LIBERAL PLANTS:

Anyone else feel like they're listening to @billgood980's private lobbying session with @christyclarkbc as the #fauxthrone speech?

Oh BC Liberals, your plants to @CKNW call-in line are SOOOO obvious. The pat talking points kinda give you away..

Sounds like call-ins so stacked @BillGood980 has 2 pose most questions

RECENT POLLS:

Amusing to listen to the premier dance around recent polls. Earth to Christy: your party is way behind right now.

She should call the by-elections and lets see what those 2 polls look like

Premier Christy Clark says you cannot judge these things by polls that go up and down....when was the last 'up' poll?

THIS WEEK … BC political news

Cost savings measures for BC Ferries … a new political poll … unemployment … balancing the budget … John Martin nominated for the BC Conservatives … the garbage wars … Christy Clark trying to change political stripes … negotiations on the teachers’ contract. 

All this and more took center stage this week in BC political news.  Here’s a round-up of some of the stories in case you missed them …

BC Liberals Going Right? Riiiight.

... the remarkable thing about the steady decline of the BC Liberals is that the party remains stubbornly unable to distinguish a branding problem from a content problem ... the province's ruling party has been steadily hemorrhaging center-right votes ... to the long-dormant provincial Tories ... the response from Premier Christy Clark and her supporters has simply been to double-down on superficial right-wing marketing gimmicks while remaining blissfully oblivious to the idea that conservative voters might actually be motivated by anything more substantial ...

EDITORIAL: Latest poll confirms the obvious

… we need yet another poll to state the obvious?  From the moment former premier Gordon Campbell signed his political death warrant by foisting the hated HST upon voters mere weeks after winning an election, the BC Liberals have been bound for the afterlife now inhabited by the Social Credit, Progressive Conservative and Progressive Democratic Alliance parties … does not appear anything will change the party’s fate in time to avoid an unpleasant reckoning when voters go to the polls  …

Martin acclaimed, comes out swinging

… it didn’t take long for John Martin to be assigned duties in the BC Conservative’s shadow cabinet …the party’s candidate in the upcoming Chilliwack-Hope by-election, was named justice critic … “This Liberal government has failed British Columbians on the justice file. They have starved the justice system and now thousands of criminal prosecutions could be thrown out.”

He was afraid of “splitting the vote” ... last night he signed a membership in the BC Conservative Party

Well I made comment for a couple of days, with regards to an article by Chantal Hebert, intimating it would be best if the west stuck with the BC Liberals.  That kind of rubbed me the wrong way, as most of you who read my Conservative Thoughts blog are well aware.

Others within the BC Liberals ranks however, have also been suggesting (?) that BC voters better not vote for any one other than them either.   What I find regrettable is that they have no real reason that we should “support” them … only that they will keep the NDP out of power.

WHAT KIND OF REASON IS THAT TO SUPPORT ANYONE?   Why would they not instead promote the positive things they have done to make BC a better place to live … work … and raise a family?

In the Fraser Valley media over the weekend was a story that former Chilliwack city councilor, and failed (third place) federal Liberal candidate, Diane Janzen  had decided she was now NOT going to seek the BC Liberal  nomination for the riding of Chilliwack-Hope.  She is the latest now to tell us how we should vote.

Janzen said: "A vote for the BC Conservatives is a vote for the NDP. Period. The right-of-centre vote has been firmly in the BC Liberal camp and it needs to stay there. . . . Whoever is chosen will have to make sure that person appeals to the right end of the spectrum."

So I ask again … WHAT KIND OF REASON IS THAT TO SUPPORT ANYONE?  

Former MP Jim Hart (standing), with now BC Conservative
Party leader John Cummins (R) and Paul Forseth (L)

Obviously I am not the only one this is rubbing the wrong way.  My friend, former MP Jim Hart, also thought of that statement as being negative as well.  He sent the following to me … and also gave me permission to share it with you:

Dear Alan … here is an exchange that I had with the Chilliwack Times. They want to print the rant that I wrote below. I thought you might like it. … Jim 

First name announced for run as BC Conservative in the Chilliwack Hope riding

John Martin to seek BC
Conservative nomination

Down in the Fraser Valley the first name has surfaced as a potential candidate for the BC Conservative Party in the Chilliwack Hope riding recently vacated by Liberal Barry Penner. 
A story in today’s Chilliwack Times says that, “Times columnist and UFV criminology professor John Martin seeking Conservative nomination”.  Martin is also a criminology professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.

He is quoted in the story saying … "The BC Liberals absolutely don't deserve a fourth term to be re-elected.  I'm a small 'c' conservative and the Liberals don't represent me anymore. And I can't vote NDP.  The by-election in Chilliwack-Hope is the first opportunity for the BC Conservatives to get on the map and get a seat in the legislature. That's why I'm doing this, I want to help make that happen."

Meantime … I am not sure what is happening, but I am finding media stories like the following being posted by members of the BC Liberal Party???