Dan Brooks leadership campaign to focus on three core issues

Yesterday in Kamloops, as many of you know, the former BC Conservative candidate for Nechako Lake, Dan Brooks, officially announced he will be seeking the support of members across the province, to become the parties next leader.  Some of the news media stories regarding his announcement can be found at:

Kamloops TV7 News: http://www.cfjctv.com/story.php?id=15999

The Province: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Northern+candidate+Conservative+leadership/8904816/story.html
Kamloops Daily News:
http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/article/20130912/KAMLOOPS0101/130919947/-1/kamloops/first-bc-conservative-tosses-name-into-leadership-race
The Tyee: http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/2013/09/12/BCConsLeader/

Just to be clear, as I have already been asked this, I have not yet made any decision on who I will be supporting for the leadership of the party.  Right now, one person has declared, one more is expected, and there are rumors afloat that others are considering letting their names stand.

I, like many others BC Conservatives, will be looking foreword to hearing the visions of the various candidates, for the future of "our" party. 

In keeping with that, today I would like to present a background document from Dan Brooks, on what he considers the three core issues that he will be presenting.  As others step forward in announcing their candidacy, I will present their thoughts here as well.

Here then, are the three core issues or principles Dan Brooks will be presenting during his campaign for the leadership of the BC Conservative Party; fiscal responsibility and accountability ... rebuilding the economy of rural British Columbia ... and decentralizing decision-making by empowering grassroots British Columbians.

1. Fiscal responsibility and accountability

In 2001, British Columbia's total debt was $33.8 billion. That was too high, said the newly-elected BC Liberals, and so they introduced a balanced budget law that outlawed future deficits.

By the end of the latest fiscal year, 2012/13 - after a dozen years of BC Liberal governments - the provincial debt has climbed to an historic high of $55.8 billion. That's an increase of more than $22.0 billion in just twelve years.

And instead of making fiscal shortfalls illegal, the BC Liberals actually amended their balanced budget statute - twice - to allow for successive deficits. Over the last dozen years, the BC Liberal record is seven deficits and only five surpluses.

The province's independent Auditor General, moreover, repeatedly has issued qualifying statements on the annual Public Accounts, saying they do not conform with generally accepted accounting principles.

On top of that, the province's 'Contractual Obligations' - that is, future payments owed to contracted suppliers such as Independent Power Producers - have exploded to $99.8 billion. Together, British Columbia's debt and contractual obligations add up to an almost-unbelievable $155.8 billion.

The BC Conservative Party is dedicated to bringing the province's finances under control. As party Leader, Dan Brooks will introduce measures to ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability.

2. Rebuilding rural British Columbia

British Columbia's rural population has shrunk over the last several decades and now stands - as a proportion of the total population - as the smallest in the country. As recently as 1966, one-quarter - 25 per cent - of all B.C. residents were classified as living in "rural" parts of the province; by 2011 that number had plunged to just 14 per cent. (The comparable number for Canada as a whole was 19 per cent.)

Looked at another way, over the last half-century, the proportion of British Columbians living in an 'urban' setting has increased from 75 to 86 per cent.

The trend is persistent. In total numbers, the province's rural population peaked in 1996 at 667,000. By 2011, that number had collapsed to just 609,000.

Over a 15-year period, therefore, British Columbia's rural communities have lost almost 58,000 residents.

It must be said that some cities and regions outside the Lower Mainland are doing well. For example, between 1996 and 2012, the Thompson/Okanagan Development Region saw its population grow from 468,000 to 541,000.

That's an increase of 73,000 - or more than 15.6 per cent - over the last 16 years. Most of that growth, however, has taken place in the central Okanagan, in and around Kelowna. Other cities and towns in the region have not grown nearly so fast.

In the Kootenay Development Region, the population between 1996 and 2012 grew by less than 500 people. The situation was much worse for most of northern B.C., where three of the four development regions actually lost population between 1996 and 2012.

The Cariboo saw its population fall by 9,600, while the North Coast lost more than 12,000 souls. The number of residents in the Nechako region fell by almost 4,900.

Only the Northeast Development Region - home to the province's booming natural gas industry - experienced a population increase, gaining 7,700 residents from 1996 to 2012.

Unfortunately, the provincial government has done little to acknowledge the on-going challenges that face rural British Columbia. Indeed, in many instances Victoria actually has exacerbated the situation, closing dozens of schools, forest offices, courthouses and other public facilities located in rural and remote parts of the province.

Dan Brooks and the BC Conservatives believe that the province's wilful neglect of rural British Columbia must be reversed. It is long past time to re-invest in our rural economy, to build up transportation and social infrastructure, to improve the quality of life for rural residents, and to reverse the decline in population.

As Leader of the BC Conservatives, Dan Brooks will bring a renewed focus to rebuilding and restoring the province's rural regions.

3. Empowering grassroots British Columbians by decentralizing decision-making

The fact they are not clear, as to the biases they have, only speaks to the level of credence they should be accorded – ZERO!

John Cummins, BC Conservative Party Leader

“I’m not going anywhere,” declares BC Conservative leader John Cummins … to which the overwhelming majority of party members have clearly said … “We support you”

Over the weekend the BC Conservative Party issued a media release saying that party dissidents had two days to either get in line or resign their membership in the BC Conservative Party.

It quoted John Cummins saying; “I am unwavering in my dedication to the BC Conservatives, and fully intend to lead my party into the next general election.  Those few but vocal party members who are critical of my leadership and do not support me have until 12:00 noon, Wednesday, to either get on-side or quit our party and join another.”

BC Conservative Party President Al Siebring

Al Siebring, newly elected President of the BC Conservatives said that … the party encouraged open discussion and a diversity of opinion … however he also indicated that … the leadership issue had been settled by party members at the annual general meeting.

Party President Al Siebring went on to take a firm stand saying, “I simply will not allow our party to be distracted by a handful of dissidents who will not abide by the majority’s decision, and personally will take all appropriate measures after noon Wednesday to ensure that we are united behind our leader.”

Rather than smacking of desperation, as suggested in a CBC NEWS story, it showed party leadership is continuing to take measured steps to the situation.   

The CBC news story included the comments of Political Scientist Hamish Telford:

"What really struck me is the authoritarian tone … this is a North Korea kind of thing right, you know Kim Jong Il and demanding personal loyalty to the leader. This is very unusual.  Subversion of the democratic process.”

I have to say that I for one am greatly puzzled by that statement, and comparison.   

I wish I could have been there, but our Salmon Arm fair was hosting Adrian Dix, and I needed to warn him that we were at his heels

It's in the news -- it must be true (NOT)

Some folks subscribe to the theory that if you post something that isn’t true, or that is misleading, enough times … people will believe its true.  There was a lot of that happening this past week … and on social media as well.

Now, I am NOT prepared to call anyone a liar, however many were happy to post about “fireworks” and a “bloodbath” they seemed to have some special knowledge would be happening … happening at the BC Conservative Party Special General Meeting which took place on Saturday.  Here’s just one example:

Bernard Von Schulmann (Yesterday at 8:07pm via Twitter )

Looks like I will have an inside source texting me the blow by blow of the #BCCP blood bath in Victoria tomorrow.  They have a special general meeting on Saturday in Victoria to sort out the shit going on

Al Forseth

Actually ... the meeting is to approve a new party constitution that was put together by a committee of party members. It was reviewed and approved at a full face to face party Board Meeting in Richmond a couple of months ago ... and this is the final step now with membership to approve it.

QUOTE:

The purpose of the Special General Meeting is to consider the passing of a Special Resolution providing for the repeal of the current By-laws of the Party and the adoption of the By-laws set forth in the Proposed Special Resolution a copy of which together with Draft no 9 of the By-laws dated the 16 of July 2012. 

This information is available to members and non-members directly on the party website.

Bernard Von Schulmann:
So I should be getting texts tomorrow about infighting and such?

Al Forseth
I don't see why --- pretty basic stuff. The meeting as I said is only to approve the constitution. You can read for yourself from the link. Nothing earth shattering that I saw previously when we went over it at the face to face provincial board meeting we had in Richmond earlier this Summer

Well folks ... CONTRARY to the tweets of BC Liberals, social media folks, and some media commentators, today was a great day for the BC Conservative Party!

Can the word ‘progressive’ be used in context with being a conservative?

Yesterday, a friend messaged me to say, “I wish people of our political stripe would quit using the term "progressive" because in political parlance it means ultra-left wing.”

He then went on to provide the following description of “progressive” as:

… (of taxation or a tax) increasing as a proportion of the sum taxed as that sum increases : steeply progressive income taxes.

… (of a card game or dance) involving a series of sections for which participants successively change place or relative position.

… archaic engaging in or constituting forward motion.

… (of a group, person, or idea) favoring or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas : a relatively progressive governor.

Leadership means putting the best ideas to work

YES … putting the word ‘progressive’ together WITH ‘conservative’ generally is NOT a good plan, and in fact one could end up with an "Oxymoron" … and as he said, heavy emphasis on ‘moron’.

That said however, in context, and with a comma after the word ‘progressive’, and before ‘conservative’, it can also mean being open-minded (that's good), as well as making use of (or interested in) new ideas, findings, or opportunities.