What political party said "The sacrifices made to get our financial house in order must not be sabotaged by future increases in government spending"

Today I invite you to take a trip with me in the history of BC politics.  I invite you to guess which BC Provincial political party, waiting to become the next government, said the following:

- we believe that government is making life tougher instead of better for the average BC family

- while households scrimp, save, and cut back on essentials, the one expense they cannot control or escaper is government taxes.  The main reason British Columbians are working harder and falling behind is the constant and rapid rise in taxes

- while everyone is paying higher taxes, the return to taxpayers on the things that matter most is declining

- the major problems facing this province all have one key element in common   -- they are being created by our government

- British Columbians need a government that will base its decisions on common-sense principles and live within its means

- the sacrifices made to get our financial house in order must not be sabotaged by future increases in government spending

- by shifting funds on and off the books, the _??? __ government has shown how the existing system can be manipulated

-  __ ??? ___ believes that governments closest to the people serve them best.   __ ??? __ will return resources and responsibilities to local government, advancing our spirit of community and raising our quality of life

- the best way to change government is to open it up and bring its many functions closer to the people it servers.  __ ??? __ believes that the closer decision-making is to the people, the more likely it is that good ideas will be put to work.

While these statements of belief go back nearly two decades I ask you ... "Is life any different for you now, than it was then?"

Is government still making life tougher?  Are they continuing to raise fees and taxes that we are obligated to pay?  Are they doing any better with government spending?

Are we getting more services ... seeing more front-line workers ... seeing less wait times for Emergency Room services?

Why are our seniors, that helped build this province, paying a higher and higher percentage, from their meager retirement funds, for shelter, health needs, and other necessities?

How about returning government closer to the people it serves?  For example, government fired the local 'elected' Boards that ran our hospitals ... are they still being overseen by government appointed individuals?  Where is the decision making process for local health care in Kamloops made?

Is government any more open?  Are the front line services and function closer to the people they serve ... hospitals ... courthouses ... schools in rural communities?

The words noted above in italics, were spoken by the BC Liberals prior to the election of 1996.  They were words of chastising the NDP government which was in power -- they were words that offered new hope.

Nearly two decades later, rather seeing things better for ourselves -- our parents -- our children -- and our grandchildren, we still have less and less services ... a Liberal government that has run budget deficits for more times that not ... and that has just like the NDP before them, doubled the debt.

YES ... perhaps taxes have gone down, however government has more than made up for it by nickel and diming us with increased fee for everything the possibly can -- including health care cost through increased Medical Service Plan (MSP) rates.

 

AND ... and a Pphoney green carbon tax that hit those who live in the interior and north for not just fuel to run our vehicles ... but also basic necessities like home heating fuel, our groceries, and even the clothes we wear!  A carbon tax that also took valuable resources away from schools and hospitals, and did NOTHING to protect the environment!

Government has pillaged BC Hydro and ICBC for billions of dollars, which have disappeared into a bottomless spending pit.  Meantime we continue to be hit with large increases to ICBC rates, and Hydro costs.

An environment of entitlement has been allowed to come in to being -- one where the heads of government crown corporations, and agencies, feel they are able to give them selves huge increases in pay and benefits.

My friends ... WE ARE NOT better off than we were twenty years ago -- we continue to be worse off!

The BC Liberal Party under Christy Clark now seems to be relaxed when it comes to the BC Conservative Party nipping at there heels.  Take heed -- and take warning -- we as BC Conservatives will rebuild under new leadership.

AND ... we will challenge YOU to an accounting for why you have left us, our children, and our grandchildren on the hook for debt that has continued to skyrocket at a completely unsustainable rate.

You won election by default this year; be forwarned ... it's NOT going to happen again.

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

"There is no shortage of low-paid jobs. It's the well-paying sectors like natural resources, agricultural products, and manufacturing that are declining"

I hope you won't mind the change, in fact I am sure you won't.  In the coming months leading up to the provincial general election next May, I am opening up the Conservative Thoughts blog to my friends who like me are small 'c' conservatives with a social conscience.

 

Scott Anderson, BC Conservative
candidate for Vernon - Monashee

Today I am delighted to present the talk given by Vernon - Monashee BC Conservative candidate Scott Anderson -- this was to party members in Kamloops at a function they held a week and a half ago.

Will Rogers once said that if even 10% of what politicians promised came true, none of us would want to go to Heaven because it would be too much fun here.  What he meant of course is that politicians have a reputation for telling people what they want to hear instead of telling them the truth.

Looking at British Columbian politics today we can see why politicians have such a bad reputations. 

I'm going to use the Northern Gateway pipeline as an example, but I'd like each of you to think of it as representative of something much bigger - the way we do business in this province. 

Christy Clark has been blowing hot and cold about the pipeline depending on which group is making the most noise, and Liberal MLAs have been running around like headless chickens trying to figure out what direction Clark is going in each day.  The latest news is that Clark is refusing to even meet with pipeline officials, but tomorrow she may be having tea with them! 

The NDP, for its part, is against the pipeline but won't come out and say it - instead they are going to bury it in red tape with yet another redundant  "environmental review." As you know, the federal government is conducting a months-long, multimillion dollar environmental review.  But the NDP's second review will ask the same questions, get the same answers, cost millions of our dollars, and it's all just for show because they've already said they're against the pipeline.

What the two parties have in common is that neither one is being upfront with us. 

The BC Conservatives aim to change that way of doing business.  We WILL tell you where we stand.  If everything we know so far holds true, we ARE for the pipeline.  If there truly are 4,100 person-years of direct on-site work, and a total of 35,000 person-years of work throughout the province, then - with the proper environmental controls in place - we would be fools NOT to go ahead with the pipeline. 

Let's talk about economic realities in Canada for a moment.  The Canadian Energy Research Institute estimates that there the oil sands will generate $2.1 trillion in economic benefits over the next 25 years and about 905,000 jobs by 2035.

Here's what Marc Joiner, a partner at Deloitte has to say about the oil sands:

 “The oil sands are going to be the economic engine for the country for the foreseeable future, for the next 25 to 30 years, and it is akin to the impact of building the national railway in the 1880s."

What does this have to do with BC?  Well, there's a catch.  The International Energy Agency recently estimated that the United States would be the world's biggest oil producer by 2017.  Even right now there's an oil supply glut in the US, which is one reason Canadian oil is getting almost $30 less per barrel than world prices for its oil in the US.

That means we need new markets for our oil.  Those new markets are in Asia.  That's reality. 

So let's not kid ourselves - after all is said and done, there will be a pipeline.  If it's not in BC, it'll be in the Yukon, where the Premier has already said he'll support it, or in the northern US.  We can either say yes to the economic benefits or we can let someone else benefit.

I want those benefits to come to BC.

We have to stop saying no to economic growth and start saying yes to carefully managed projects that will bring highly paid, highly skilled jobs back to BC. 

Now what about environmental concerns?  To hear some people talk about it, the Northern Gateway Pipeline is like a giant garden hose just waiting to spew bitumen all over the landscape. 

There are over 700,000 thousand kilometers of pipeline in Canada today, and of them all, the Northern Gateway pipeline has the distinction of being the most modern, most scrutinized, most environmentally regulated pipeline in the history of this nation. 

It has layers of fail-safes built in, including pressure monitoring, isolation valves that shut automatically, and even permanent human monitoring.  The initial application to the National Energy Board is 20,000 pages long and involves over a decade of detailed and exhaustive study covering engineering, and environmental assessments.  There is nothing slipshod or unstudied about this pipeline. 

But as a party that holds the environment as one of its top priorities, even that's not enough.  We will insist on extremely stringent environmental guidelines, and strictly enforce them.

So will the pipeline destroy northern BC?  Is it a disaster just waiting to happen?  Of course not.  If I had a wall map of BC here on the wall, and I took a human hair and stretched it across the map from left to right, that's the physical footprint we're talking about.  That doesn't mean we can thread it between the trees and leave no footprint of any kind, but with careful stewardship we can minimize the damage we cause.

And it's important to understand something else.  All talk of so-called "green jobs" aside, Asia is going to get its oil from somewhere.  If not from here, it will get it from Africa or the Middle East where there are no environmental controls at all.  So people who are concerned about the earth's environment should thank their lucky stars that Canada - with our strict environmental controls - is destined to become one of the world's leading producers of energy.

But just because the Northern Gateway pipeline isn't going to destroy the north, does that mean it's a good idea?

After all, the pipeline is not going to solve all of BC's economic problems by itself.  While it will bring hundreds of jobs to BC, by itself it's no cure for our jobs problem.

But it is a start.  It's a start to the kind of economic develop we need in this province. 

A recent report - Hungercount 2012 by Food Banks Canada, points out that food bank use in BC is up over 23% since 2008.  Much more worrying is the fact that most of that increase is by middle class families - not just the homeless and drug users.

That's not just a jobs problem - that's a social problem.

I was talking to a restaurant owner in Vernon a few days ago and he told me that many of his regular customers would live here and work in Alberta.  He said that started changing about 6 months ago when they began to pick up and move to Alberta. Now he says that about one family a week is moving away.  They're gone and they won't be back.

That was in Vernon, but I know you have the same issues here.  How many here know of people who have moved to Alberta or are planning to in the near future?  And this is not just an abstract to me either.  My own 25 year old son is moving to Alberta after seven years of trying desperately to find a decent paying job here. 

Take a walk around the downtown core and count the empty storefronts.  We have a serious problem here in the Interior.  This province is being hollowed out.  When Premier Clark announced her Jobs Plan last fall unemployment was at 6.7%, but in May it hit 7.4%, and now it's worse.  The lion's share of that unemployment is right here in the Interior.

Food Banks Canada identified the problem:

"There is no shortage of low-paid jobs. It's the well-paying sectors like natural resources, agricultural products, and manufacturing that are declining."

Now, what are the other parties solutions?  Vague references to green jobs and more skills training.  Recently Carol James of the NDP said in an editorial that the NDP's poverty reduction plan involves affordable housing, education, and skills training.  Skills training is important, of course, but it's only part of the answer.

My local Liberal MLA pointed at increasing the minimum wage as a step toward solving the problem. 

Those solutions are not poverty reduction at all - They simply make poverty slightly more bearable. 

That's not the answer.

What's missing from these plans?  Actual high paying jobs.  You can have all the training in the world, but without a job, what good is it?  My daughter wants to be an astronaut.  She's got the grades and the drive and the ambition to do it too.  But she can go to school for 400 years and earn 50 doctorates, but without an astronaut job available, it won't do her a whit of good.

Yes we need education.  Yes we need skills training.  Yes we need to help the poor.  But let's not build our vision around poverty. 

Let's build it around a strong economy and high paying jobs.

The Northern Gateway Project won't save our economy single-handedly, but represent a change in the way we've been looking at our economy.

We have the potential of a great economic future for our kids.  The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development recently pegged Canada among the world’s leading economic lights over the next 50 years - in large part because of our natural resources.

I believe we have to stop looking at resource development as a bad thing and start looking at it as a necessary thing.  Yes there are challenges, but we should start looking at them as challenges to be solved rather than reasons not to try.    That's something we always tell our kids when they say "I can't."  There's a difference between something that's hard to do and something that's impossible.  Let's start to adopt that

It's time to stop saying no to economic growth and start saying yes to carefully managed projects that will bring highly paid, highly skilled jobs back to BC.

We have to stop dreaming of magical jobs conjured up by tax-and-spend parties because they sound great at election time but never seem to appear.  We have to stop strangling development in red tape and alarmist rhetoric.  We have to start thinking outside the box and start moving forward into the 21st century. 

The British Columbia Conservatives are the party of realistic change.  We'll bring integrity back into politics, we'll bring common sense back into politics, and we'll bring economic growth back to BC so our kids don't have to leave the province to find work.  We need to move forward, not backwards, we need to embrace change, not hide from it.

With your help, that's exactly what we're going to do.

Again ... the words of Vernon - Monashee BC Conservative party candidate Scott Anderson.  As always now, the floor is open to you.

As Peter Pan said, “All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.”

An opinion piece ran in the Tuesday November 20th edition of 24hrs Vancouver entitled, "Liberals could win next provincial election"

It read in part:
... Premier Christy Clark gave what was, by all accounts, a rousing speech .. a clarion call to arms leading up to the election next spring. Indeed, there wasn’t a defeatist tone in the speech or mood in the house...

Soon to be BC Liberal candidate John Martin sharing his
thoughts of Premier Christy Clark on CKNW (03 / 28 / 12)

"Not even the most devoted Liberal supporter could

argue with a straight face that this government has

earned a fourth mandate. Theirs is a legacy of deceit,

incompetence, and financial mismanagement."

... recent polling has the governing Liberals deader than the proverbial doornail that would seem to be more than a little strange. But the premier is nothing if not a fighter ... it seems likely at this point that Adrian Dix and the New Democratic Party will form the next government, it is by no means a fait accompli.

... BC  politics has been about big government and unions versus free enterprise ... when the NDP got into power in 1973 and 1991, it was because the free enterprise party was in tatters. I’m not sure that can be said now — especially with an energized and feisty premier.

... if Clark can frame this election in the traditional left-right terms of free enterprise versus big government and big labour, plus play down the battered Liberal brand, she might just have a chance.

Seriously.

My response?  Well I certainly had one, and so I wrote:
Sorry but you are writing off the BC Conservative Party wayyyyyy to soon -- and yes I am a member of the party.

I think you, and many others, are going to be surprised at who ends up going to the legislature in Victoria next May. Seriously!

That led to Collin Rogers taking a moment to suggest:

POLITICS 101 … the wacky world of British Columbia

In British Columbia we do things differently when it comes to politics.  Anywhere else, the topic of politics and politicians can come up, and a civil, even occasionally heated, discussion can take place.

NOT in British Columbia.

Mention the words ‘politics’, and / or ‘politicians’ and the fight is on.  Either that, or folks tune out entirely.

Thoughts that come to mind for many are money grubbing … power seekers … looking out for number one … unaccountable … unresponsive … and a host of other things that can’t be repeated.

That’s because, as I mentioned, we do things differently here in BC.

W.A.C. Bennett

We generally have one party that’s in power for a long period of time, with one sitting on the wings … waiting to take over when voters get sick and tired of the governing party.  We’ll say, “Well at least these guys can’t do any worse than those jerks”.

This really began in 1951 when W.A.C.  Bennett, “Wacky” as most people called him, took over what was then called the Social Credit League, and renamed it the Social Credit Party.  Social Credit really was a big tent party that keep both small ‘c’ Conservatives, and small ‘L” Liberals, all under one roof. 

Bennett reviled the NDP with a passion, calling them the Socialist Hordes, and so it must have been with a great deal of anguish and upset that he turned the reins of government over to Dave Barrett and the NDP following the election of 1972.

That government was short lived however, only staying in power for one term.  The ‘socialist hordes’ as Wacky called them, tried their social engineering much to fast -- overtaxed industry – raised debt dramatically -- and scared the hell out of the majority of people in BC once they realized what they had voted for.

Then Wacky’s son Bill Bennett took over the leadership of the Socred’s, winning the next election, and became Premier in in 1975.  The Socreds then remained in power again, for another 15 years.

What led to their downfall, and demise, after those 15 years? 

Most people would say it was due to a disconnect with the people … and an arrogance where they believed themselves to be the natural ruling party (much like the federal Liberals used to be).  Another issue was Bill Vander Zalm, who took over leadership of the party once Bill Bennett resigned.   With Bill Vander Zalm as leader, many also objected to what they considered to be his right wing, socially conservative, policies.

Bill Vander Zalm

Vander Zalm was ridiculed in the media … and he took a tongue lashing from voters in Letters to the Editor, and phone in talk shows.  He too was forced to resign, and Rita Johnson then took over the reins – not for long however.

Does any of this sound familiar?

In 1991 voters returned the NDP to office.  This time they governed a little more slowly with their social policies, and taxation, and managed to be re-elected several times.  Again however, a disconnect with voters, and a number of scandals (the financial debacle of the Fast Ferry’s, and Bingo-Gate, spring to mind) which saw the leadership of the party switch from Mike Harcourt, to Glen Clark, and finally to Ujjal  Dosanjh.  Changing leaders was no help however, and they were soundly trashed at the polls in 2001; retaining just 2 seats in the legislature.

Again, the ruling party was tossed from office by the voters who no longer believed anything they said, and who were tired with the scandals that surrounded them.

What also happened, in the time between 1991 and 1996, was the growth of a third party following the decline of the Socreds.  Just prior to the 1996 election, four Socred members, led by Jack Weisgerber, moved to the populist BC Reform Party.  In 1996 Reform duked it out with the BC Liberals, who had a much better organized and better financed machine, for dominance as the center right party.

As history shows, the Liberals won for dominance as BC Reform was reduced to just 2 seats, and British Columbia was once again back to a two party system; one big tent center right party (the Liberals) … and a center left party (the NDP).

Saul Bellow, “Open discussion of many major public questions has for some time now been taboo”

On Monday the Kamloops News ran a story, “Liberal-turned-Conservative beats drum in Kamloops” about BC Conservative MLA John Van Dongen dropping by for a visit with members and guest at a get-together and Bar-B-Que.

It certainly generated a lot of comments, many of which were the poisoned kind.  It led me to Google quotes on character assassination.  Here is one I found:

"Open discussion of many major public questions has for some time now been taboo.  We can’t open our mouths without being denounced as racists, misogynists, supremacists, imperialists or fascists.  As for the media, they stand ready to trash anyone so designated."

~~ Saul Bellow (1915-2005) Canadian author and Nobel Prize winner for Literature

Sadly it seems, some would rather attempt to shout down those who have a differing opinion; some are closed minded, and others simply have no interest in a civil discussion of ideas.

Here are just a few of the exchanges I had regarding this story

Petosa:
The Liberal Crime Family is the same stripe as the Conservative Crime Family. They should all be in Jail stripes.

ME:
Petosa ... I tend to let most comments slide of my back, this however is not one that will go unanswered.

The BC Conservative Party is NOTHING LIKE the Liberals, which is why it continues to grow and gain new members.  We are people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and all ages, that are working to provide a real alternative to the government we have had during the past decade.

Your comment, which tars all BC Conservative members, is disrespectful and uncalled for.  IF you would care to have a serious discussion, and talk about the realities of our party, I would have no problem meeting with you over a coffee.

Nothing else can, or will, save them before defeat in 2013 … even with a Leadership change

Steve Forseth, former BC Liberal
Policy Chair / Riding Secretary
for the Cariboo - Chilcotin

My nephew Steve, has been a blogger for several years now, and has been active in support of the BC Liberal Party – it makes for some interesting discussion on politics for sure. 

The other day I asked if he would be interested in providing a Guest Opinion for the Conservative Thoughts blog, which after consideration, he agreed to do.  Here then, is that guest editorial.

Over the last year or so, much has been made about the so-called vote split for the ‘Conservative’ voter in BC. 

In times past, most conservative voters (small-c, ‘Blue’ and ‘Red’ Tories) provincially have aligned themselves behind the ‘BC Liberal’ brand,  Recently however, small-c conservatives have become rapidly disillusioned with the Christy Clark BC Liberals’, and a fair number of them have decided to back the John Cummins BC Conservatives’. 

It should be noted that the split of small ‘c’ conservatives in Alberta has led to the formation of two conservative political parties in Alberta consisting of the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta

Political history in BC during the 1952, 1972, 1991, and 1996 BC General Elections shows that a split on the centre-right in BC generally elects a NDP government

Much has been made recently of the two by-elections in Port Moody and Chilliwack, including what would have occurred if the centre-right vote had been behind one party. 

Let’s be clear – one conservative party in the Port Moody – Coquitlam by-election would have made no difference, given the strength of the NDP candidate, former Port Moody Mayor Joe Trasolini ... but it could have prevented the election of an NDP MLA in Chilliwack – Hope.

So what does the future of conservatives in BC hold?

By-Election coverage in the news today

It’s Election Day in two riding's in British Columbia, as the polls opened at 8am in Port Moody Coquitlam … and Chilliwack Hope.  Here’s a quick snapshot of stories that have been in the papers this morning:

BC byelections under way: Conservatives say they're in the mix with Liberals, NDP

If Conservative candidate John Martin wins, it will bring John Cummins's party one step closer to official status in the legislature and could tempt more dissatisfied Liberal MLAs to join John van Dongen on the other side of the floor with the Tories.

A Liberal win, meantime, would provide some much-needed good news for Premier Christy Clark, who has had to face a string of public-opinion polls that suggest her party and leadership are in real trouble.

Clark braces for by-election results

Premier Christy Clark plans an election-day visit to Port Moody today, but she won't be attending victory parties there or in Chilliwack tonight.

With the surging B.C. Conservative Party making a close three-way race in Chilliwack-Hope, Clark continued to stress keeping the "free-enterprise coalition" together. And she allowed that she is aware of merger discussions going on at the constituency level.   "I will certainly be leading this free-enterprise party," Clark said

These are desperate days for the BC Liberals

BC Liberals about to be swept away?

Three interesting stories came out yesterday on politics in BC.  I don’t know if you have seen all three, but they were in the Huffington Post … the Now Newspaper … and the National Post.

All three contained very bad news for the governing BC Liberal Party.  While the NDP continued to maintain little more than there normal hold on their voter block, the three stories acknowledged why there has been a swing to the John Cummins led BC Conservative Party.

Here’s some of the details from the story found in the Huffington Post (Christy Clark: B.C. Premier Poised To Be Swept From Office By Adrian Dix's NDP, According To New Polls)

… Liberals did not have to worry about the Conservatives when voters last went to the polls in 2009 … Clark’s party is a coalition of British Columbia’s centre and right-wing, but its identity is becoming murkier. Clark herself comes from the federal Liberal camp, though she has been trying to prove her true-blue tendencies of late. Nevertheless, 20 per cent of B.C. Liberal voters think the party is closer to the federal Liberals, while 39 per cent think it is closer to Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, according to Forum.

Placing the B.C. Liberals on the political spectrum is in the eye of the beholder: more supporters of the B.C. Conservatives think the governing party is closer to the federal Liberals than the federal Tories, while a large majority of B.C. NDP voters identify the Christy Clark's party with the Harper Conservatives.

This is just further proof that no one, not on the right or the left, can really identify with what the BC Liberal Party is … and what it stands for.  Simply saying, 'we are not the NDP so vote for us' just does NOT cut it anymore.

What is government?

What is government? 

That is a good question, and in light of rising discontent with our current provincial government in British Columbia, I found it interesting that some one sent the following to me the other day. They are the quotes of some very wise people, some from long in the past, and some from our own time.

All have spoken truth as to what government should be, but often times is not.

Government can be dictatorial – even in a democracy ... but above all else government, one that is based on democratic principles, should be accountable to the people who elect it.

Given the decline in support for Christy Clark, and the BC Liberal government she heads, I'll leave it to you to decide how many of the following are fitting for the government we currently have.

I have added one quote to those I received, and it is one I begin with it. 

It is a quote from (W.A.C.) William Andrew Cecil Bennett.  Bennett was the premier of our great province from 1952 to 1972, and a man who many people either loved and admired – or passionately hated. He was usually referred to as W.A.C. Bennett, others called him "Wacky" Bennett.

While this first quote is in reference to Canada ... I believe it is just as fitting a thought for our own province.

We are a young country; we must build on the solid rock of sound economic policies and balanced budgets. But, we must be prepared, as a nation, to step from the solid rock onto new ground. The path of ease, the path of tradition alone, is not the path of a greater Canada ~~ W.A.C. Bennett

Many of them are among the creative ways MPs have found to accuse their opponents of lying

Apparently there are 106 things that MP’s cannot say in our Canadian Parliament … that information from iPolitics, by way of my nephew Steve. 

According to the Speaker’s office, Beauchesne’s Rules & Forms of the House of Commons of Canada, 6th edition (1989) contains the most recent summary of insults, insinuations, epithets and allegations that have been made in Parliament over the years and ruled to be “unparliamentarily language” – a list that runs more than four pages.

Many of them, such as “deliberately misstated the truth” or “intentional deceit” are among the creative ways MPs have found to accuse their opponents of lying. Others, such as “inspired by forty-rod whiskey” or “dim-witted saboteur” are rather biting observations on the character of other MPs.

In the end, though, it is up to the Speaker to decide whether language used in the House is “temperate and worthy of the place in which it is spoken” so a word that is acceptable in one context may not be in another.

Well by now you are probably wondering what those words are.  Wonder no more as they follow below.  As you read them, note the ones I have highlighted with italics --- those are one that I believe may be applicable to ‘some’ who hold elected office here in British Columbia.

In that definition I do not see the words ‘Business” … “Unions” … or “Political Parties”

Have we handicapped ourselves?

Have we handicapped ourselves?? Have we ourselves allowed the door to begin closing on government that is open and accountable to each of us?

The most common definition of “Democracy” is … government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

In that definition I do not see the words ‘Business” … “Unions” … or “Political Parties”

I recent years however I think I can safely say that the majority of people in this province do not feel that we as a collective group of people, or as individuals, have “power vested in us” … nor do we feel that the power of government is being “directed by us”.

So if indeed that is true, then who are the people we elect and send to the legislature in Victoria accountable, or responsible, to?  Let’s take a quick little pop quiz to see who you think who the “supreme power” is vested in:

Who do you feel that BC’s MLA’s are accountable to:
(__) Business (__) Unions    (__) the political party they represent   (__) You

Who do you feel that BC’s MLA’s should be accountable to:

(__) Business (__) Unions    (__) the political party they represent   (__) You

Who do you feel that BC’s MLA’s are responsible to:

(__) Business (__) Unions    (__) the political party they represent   (__) You

Who do you feel that BC’s MLA’s should be responsible to:

(__) Business (__) Unions    (__) the political party they represent   (__) You

Who do you feel individual MLA’s represent:
(__) Business (__) Unions    (__) the political party they represent   (__) You

Who do you feel individual MLA’s should represent:

(__) Business (__) Unions    (__) the political party they represent   (__) You

Given the definition of “Democracy” that I began this with, all six of these questions should have been answered with “YOU” – I’m guessing however that only every second one was.  That is wrong – plain and simple – and it is one of the biggest reasons for voter apathy that continues to rise in election after election.

That however is NOT the only problem.

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 

This week in BC Political News

Another week has passed … and along with it came many stories regarding, and around, politics in British Columbia.   Among them has been the on-going saga of problems with Community Living BC … last week’s Angus Reed poll … questions about what is and will be acceptable in BC’s off-share tourism marketing … the impact of the federal crime bill on BC … and much more.

Here are some of the stories that made the news this past week.

No home for man, in jail 7 months -- Community Living unable to find place for 19-year-old with developmental disabilities       Victoria Times Colonist

… said jail is becoming the default home for disabled young people when there is no support in the community. "Basically we're using jail as the services for him," she said. "CLBC has not been able to find a placement for him."  …  said she fears for the safety of the young man, who has the developmental age of a six-year-old child and is vulnerable to abuse in the criminal justice system … said the government is paying far more to keep the man behind bars than it would cost to care for him in the community, and officials could be at risk if he comes to harm …

Poll delivers bad news to Clark and Liberals   BC Local News

... people often say they support parties with limited chances of success between elections, before returning to the fold … several things might make this different ... Cummins the main one.  He’s an experienced, skilled campaigner, as shown by his six successful campaigns to be an MP … attracted others with experience and knows how to do the basic stuff that other fledgling political efforts tend to mess up … been quick off the mark and effective in issuing news releases critiquing the Clark government … Cummins has a chance, with some credible candidates, to make a pitch to voters who aren’t happy with either of the two main parties, a significant group these days..

De Patie killer violates parole – again  BC Local News
… Doug De Patie, whose 24-year-old son Grant was killed by Pratt in 2005, did not expect Pratt to last long outside prison.  "He is not ready for the outside world," said De Patie, who was informed that Pratt missed his 8 p.m. curfew Saturday.  "He is making a mockery of the parole system. He is not showing any remorse. He is not showing any respect for the loss of Grant."

Good government is important to us all ... especially for the future of our own kids and grandkids

Recently, a classmate from my school days in Williams Lake said to me:

“Facebook is supposed to be a pleasant social networking site to share your daily life, keep track of old friends and family. It is not a political forum to share all of your beliefs with the world. I'm sure you have a nice life besides politics but no one would ever know that”

I thought about that for a while, and then responded by saying,

I appreciate your comments.  There is a lot that makes up my social life ... music I love ... family ... daily things like the paint job currently underway ... getting out on my bike … and ... politics which is bred into me cause it goes back 3 or 4 generations. Politics is a big part of what I talk about ... but it is important to me and that's why I talk about it. Until a year ago I had become part of the 50% that had pretty much given up --- BUT when we end up with those kind of numbers that keep growing, eventually we will end up with anarchy or a government we are surprised to have and that dictates everything we can or cannot do. I hope you can humour me in my passion ... good government is important to us all ... especially for the future of our own kids and grandkids :)

I have been thinking about this brief conversation since then, and I know why.  When it comes to having a social conscience, a lot of what this government is doing is wrong, and I believe it is important that people know about it.

And it’s not just me thinking and saying that what they are doing is wrong; the following are just a few of the voices that are trying to get that news out to each of us.  I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read on …

If you are looking for a bit of serious Summer reading, here are a few books some may wish to consider

Beginning this Conservative Thoughts blog, and continuing to write it, has been an interesting, and at times frustrating, endeavor since I began late last year.

Those who know me would tend to say I go into new ventures with a full head of steam.  On this project I did ... and I have.

Since then it has on occasion been a challenge finding the time to write --- but rarely has it ever been a challenge to find things to write about.

Along the way some of you have also taken the time to write and encourage me … to have a comment pro or con … or to offer a fresh point of view.  Thank you to all who have done that as it has been appreciated.

Today one of these folks, a medical doctor I have had an ongoing email dialogue with over the past several months, gets to have the floor.  Wally is a strong believer in the democratic process – and obviously a strong reader on concepts and ideas around democracy and its application.