BC Conservative Party option.

[sooperphreek]

(write us another 700 word, single sentence paragraph soops)

you keep asking and i keep doing it. i think i have 25 credits left in that game. what i need is a press secretary that can write my sentences for me. and then i can seem grammerically correct for all the teachers union bashing - overeducated elitists out there.

[steven lloyd]

what i need is a press secretary that can write my sentences for me. and then i can seem grammerically correct for all the teachers union bashing - overeducated elitists out there.

I have yet to read anything posted by Scott that he needs to feel embarrassed about.

[ScottSA]

BC Conservative leader backs pipeline
by Adam Proskiw - Story: 86758
Feb 1, 2013 / 5:00 am

Photo: Adam Proskiw
John Cummins, leader of the BC Conservatives, confirms his party's support for Enbridge Inc.'s Northern Gateway Pipeline project in Kelowna Thursday night.

John Cummins, leader of the BC Conservatives, spoke in Kelowna Thursday night to local business leaders and confirmed his party's support for Enbridge Inc.'s Northern Gateway Pipeline project.

"The BC Conservatives, alone among our province's four major political parties, support the economic development and high-wage job opportunities that will come with construction of the Northern Gateway pipelines," said Cummins.

Conservative candidate Mike McLoughlin (Kelowna-Mission) introduces John Cummins in the Vineyard Room of Coast Capri Hotel Thursday night.

"Of course, the project must adhere to our nation's stringent environmental laws and regulations.”

“A fair and objective analysis will conclude that the economic benefits to Canada and British Columbia are real and tangible."

The reasons behind the support for the pipeline centers on job-creation and resource management.

“If we don’t do something with these resources,” he said, “someone else will”.

Kelowna resident Daniel Engel asked why British Columbians should trust a company that admits it has lost an estimated 130,000 barrels of oil to spills or leaks in the last decade.

“We’re talking about old pipelines,” answered Cummins. “The technology has improved a great deal since then.”

He also pointed out that all development represents a threat to the environment, but believes the potential benefits outweigh the risks in this case.

“No matter what you do there is some risk,” he added.

“But we need wealth to protect the environment.”

http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/86 ... s-pipeline

[NAB]

(Cummins) .... also pointed out that all development represents a threat to the environment, but believes the potential benefits outweigh the risks in this case.

“No matter what you do there is some risk,” he added.

“But we need wealth to protect the environment.”

I couldn't disagree more with that fundamental philosophy for BC, and for that reason alone could never be enticed to vote for a BC Conservative candidate. But considering the political trends as we approach the budget and election that are probably irreversible now, it's a moot point anyway.

Nab

[NAB]

Looks like we have a horse race or three here on the island :-) It's nice to think we have more than one viable local option now as an alternative choice to the Liberal candidate : -) Makes it a whole new ball game for me ; - )
Nab

B.C. Conservatives, in disarray just months ago, set to field a surprisingly strong slate
By Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun columnist April 3, 2013

B.C. Conservative Leader John Cummins, photographed in Stanley Park on March 28, says his party will not run candidates against Independent MLAs John van Dongen in Abbotsford South or Vicki Huntington in Delta South.
Photograph by: Ward Perrin Ward Perrin , Vancouver Sun
VICTORIA — After a season or two of discontent, the B.C. Conservatives find themselves in the position of having at least a hope in you-know-what of winning seats in the coming provincial election.

The most recent opinion poll had the party at 11 points among decided voters, which is potentially seat-winning territory providing the support were concentrated in a handful of key ridings.

The party has also scored favourable news coverage for its policy proposals, most notably the populist gesture of promising tax credits for frequent ferry riders and for toll-burdened commuters in Metro Vancouver.

As for party leader John Cummins, having survived the worst the fractious party could throw at him — internal revolt, public embarrassment, multiple calls for resignation — he has emerged both relaxed and confident.

During last fall’s assault on his leadership, his supporters blamed a put-up job by Liberal moles. Today, he brushes aside such speculations.

“There’s all sorts of conspiracy theories out there,” he told me during a recent interview on Shaw TV’s Voice of B.C. “ I don’t think that was the case — and it’s not worth worrying about, in a sense.”

The dissidents? “Dead and done, as far as we’re concerned. “

He even has a good word to say about John van Dongen, the ex-Liberal MLA who briefly declared himself a Conservative last year, only to exit the party after noisily disparaging Cummins.

All is forgiven apparently, for Cummins now says the party will not run a candidate against van Dongen in Abbotsford South, where he is seeking re-election as an independent.

“We think that he’s doing a pretty darn good job on the BC Rail fiasco, and we think that he’s worthy of our support,” said Cummins, citing the MLA’s tireless and self-financed legal battle to uncover hidden aspects of the notorious case.

The Conservatives were sufficiently impressed with the cause that their pre-election platform included a pledge of $8.5 million in funding to get started on a public inquiry into the B.C. Rail case.

Cummins is also proposing to “give a pass” to Vicki Huntington, running for re-election in Delta South, where she was narrowly elected as an independent in 2009.

“She’s certainly a very bright and capable woman,” he said. “She’s very interested in environmental issues — taken strong stands on those — and I think most importantly, she stands up for constituents.” Then, too, her father, former federal MP Ron Huntington, “was a great mentor of mine, and Vicki used to work for me. I’m very much supportive of Vicki.”

Otherwise the Conservatives have set themselves a goal of fielding a close-to-full slate of candidates in the province’s 85 constituencies. The party is well short of the goal and, moreover, has managed to nominate an overwhelmingly male cast of candidates.

“I’m not sure of the exact number of women that are running for the party,” said Cummins. “It’s not very many, but we’ve done the best we can to get as many as we can.”

Not many is putting it mildly. To date, 31 of the 32 candidates named to run for the Conservatives are men. The lone woman in the field is Enid Mary Sangster-Kelly, who owns and operates a landscaping business and is running in Alberni-Pacific Rim.

However, the party was scheduled to name another dozen candidates today, which may mean an opening to at least partly redress the gender balance.

Looking over the resumes of those who have stepped forward to run for the Conservatives, I was struck by a number of them — from forest products manager Tom Birch in Shuswap to medical clinic operator Mike McLoughlin in Kelowna-Mission to software entrepreneur Duane Nickull in Vancouver-Point Grey to guide-outfitter Dan Brooks in Nechako Lakes.

One of the most impressive is medical doctor David Coupland, a radiologist and co-owner of a diagnostic imaging clinic in Nanaimo.

Coupland provided a clue as to why the Conservatives have been able to attract good candidates despite last year’s troubles and lingering suspicions about the party being dominated by hard-right and socially conservative interests.

When I asked him if he was concerned that Conservatives might promise a crackdown on access to abortion, gay marriage and the like, he said party policy is clear on such matters.

“Well, actually what it does state in our policy is that we respect the individual rights as spelled out in the Constitution, the Charter of Rights, and laws as interpreted by the courts. So we obey the law.”

From page 18 of the pre-election platform: “The B.C. Conservatives do not support discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, family circumstance, political opinion, religion, disability or other distinctions.”

Coupland is running for the Conservatives in Parksville-Qualicum, where the Liberals have nominated Paralympic medal winner Michelle Stilwell to replace retiring government member Ron Cantelon.

She’s an impressive candidate herself and the party won handily last time. But if the Liberals continue to disappoint their own supporters as they have done through much of the year, Parksville-Qualicum would be high on the list of seats where defectors from the governing party could deliver an upset win to the Conservatives.

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/col ... story.html

[NAB]

Forgot to mention, the BC Conservatives Pre Election Platform can be found at

http://www.bcconservative.ca/what-we-st ... -platform/

The NDP approach is referred to here...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/bri ... e10599788/

....and I have yet to find anything consistent or solid regarding the Liberal's platform - looks more like a "fly by the seat of your pants" approach to the election.

Nab

[Donald G]

To Captain Awesome ...

After reading pages of comments reflecting nothing but B.C.'s own brand of political panhandling it was good to run across your comment that sort of summed up everything I had read. Another NDP supporter version of the BC Conservative Option ... completely fairly balanced of course.

[Glacier]

And in your case, I hope you do win in Vernon and area - because it would make me and a number of other people very happy to see Foster turfed ....and it appears no one else has even a remote chance.

Nab

Are you ya sure about that? It is true that Eric was only able to foster up 40.6% of the votes, which was the second smallest percentage of any victorious Liberal last time around (only John Slater's 37.5% voter support was lower), but a weakened green vote combined with stronger BC Conservative support means it's quite conceivable that the NDP could come up the middle here - especially since Scott sounds a lot nicer than the pompous *bleep* his party had running in 2009.

[Donald G]

*off-topic/Jo*

[George+]

A boogey man under every bed.

There isn't an Okanagan Discussion forum.

[Donald G]

To George+ ...

You did not answer any one of my questions George+ ... Does that mean that my concerns are accurate?

What does the white writing on the dark blue banner toward the top of the CASTANET page say?

The Okanagan's Discussion Forum

[flamingfingers]

CASTANET is in the Okanagan.

[Donald G]

*off-topic/Jo*

[NAB]

Might I suggest that if you are going to quote someone Donald, that you do so accurately.

Nab

[Donald G]

I think one of the BC Conservative Party options would be to reclaim it from the obvious NDP supporters who opened it and have become the most vociferous at posting to it. I wonder if the Provincial Conservatives even know it has, in my opinion, been hijacked by four of five NDP supporters. In fact I would be interested if the NDP Party itself knows of the tactic being used in their name.The same goes for the Liberal Party in whose name the NDP have also opened a string.

Clarification is needed.