BC Conservative Leader Says His Party Could Keep the NDP In Opposition
Thursday, June 21, 2012 @ 3:59 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The leader of the BC Conservatives, John Cummins, says his party has the potential to take 20 seats in next May’s provincial election, with the potential of, ”another bunch”.In an interview with Opinion250, Cummins says "20 seats look really good, but our goal is to obtain a majority".
Cummins is touring the area meeting people and talking to potential candidates. "We are asking potential candidates to fill in a 40 page questionnaire. We must be mindful of what happened to the Wild Rose Party in Alberta and so we are screening our candidates very closely."
While the party hasn’t nominated any candidates as yet, Cummins says that should change in just a few months "We expect to pick up steam following our convention this fall." Cummins is very optimistic about his party’s ability to win votes "The Liberal party in BC is discredited, the people of BC don’t trust their ability to govern. Only the Conservatives have the ability at this time to keep the NDP to a minority government."
Comments
I don’t think he understands. Its not the liberal party in BC that is discredited so much as its the entire party system that is discredited.
40 page questionnaire… is that so much about vetting potential candidates as it is about ensuring that potential candidates will tow the party line?
This guy supports the Alberta-Chinese Gateway project in BC and the increased tanker traffic off our coast, so I think he just splits the vote with the other pro Gateway ‘party’.
He has also been convicted and charged for commercial fishing during a closed season (poaching)….should we really consider someone who doesn’t respect Canadian laws as a potential Premier for BC?
What I find really frustrating is that both the BC conservatives and the BC liberals are both competing to call themselves the BC free enterprise option… Christy Clark is going so far as to propose the BC liberals change their name so they can run under that in the next election. Its all about running under a sell-able label for the BC liberals more than it would be about principals.
What a horror of horror if the BC liberals pull it off and assume the banner of free enterprise. The BC liberals are pro monopoly capitalism in all their policies and are essentially as strange to free enterprise principals as the ndp would be.
IMO we need a BC Free Enterprise League. An organization that validates nominations to carry the free enterprise label based on adherence to real free enterprise principals. That would mean first and foremost not nominating candidates that are tied to party allegiances. Party insiders have far too much control and don’t respect the values of democracy much less free enterprise… party insiders and their lobbyists are the problem. A Free Enterprise League should have candidates nominated that bring their own ideas and their constituents concerns to the fore and be free to debate as independents.
IMO it should be easy for voters to strip a free enterprise candidate of its right to use that label for an election cycle if they are petitioned for not bring policy in line with basic free enterprise values… this would ensure a system that has accountability and generates more options for voters.
I think it should be more important for voters to have politicians that adhere to guiding principals, rather than have politicians that are captive shrills to implement party policy designed in back rooms by unelected hidden hands outside of proper investigative debate… such as Harpers recent omnibus Bill making legislation outside of parliament forced through with party partisanship.
Voters need politicians with guiding principals and not party control… voters need a free enterprise league and the not pseudo hidden man behind the free enterprise curtain party option.
IMHO
“doesn’t respect Canadian laws as a potential Premier for BC?”
I guess that rules Dix out too, guilty of forging documents in the bingogate affair and is above buying a ticket to the skytrain.
… and let’s not forget Campbell, convicted of driving under the influence. Now he is the HIGH commissioner to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. What a joke.
I’m beginning to think that politics draws a certain type of individual (psychopaths). Which makes sense, who else could lie with such aplomb and never betray even a hint of conscience.
Who is this guy, really?
Has he done anything to display his leadership qualities while holding a seat in the Parliament of Canada? Not that I am aware of.
Anyone out there who would care to give me some examples?
It seems he said this on the air at CFAX: “I am not a scientist … some of the research tells me that thereâs more of an indication that (homosexuality is) a choice issue”.
Apparently he issued a correction a couple days later, saying: âMy comments on CFAX radio this past Wednesday may have been misinterpreted and may have offended some. I apologize for that”
He apologized he MAY have offended people.
Good Lord!! Where is this fellow’s brain at?
Eagleones’ afore stated idea is IMHO ideal as it would provide a level financial field thus a Canadian work force that is motivated to work. I will be reasured that my tax dollars will be spent where they are most needed. Currently the federal, provincial and municipal governments use our tax dollars for their frivelous wims and our take home pay is dwindling.
“Its all about running under a sell-able label for the BC liberals more than it would be about principals.”
I would support any change in the name of the BCLiberal Party. The name “Liberal”, with respect to political parties, is associated with different roots and a different philosophy than many who make up the BCLiberal party.
The same goes with the current Federal Conservatives and no doubt the BC Conservatives.
I do not think that one can say the same for the Federal and Provincial NDP parties.
All in the interest of getting as close to being the PEOPLE in power, never mind the PARTY in power.
As the saying goes: “You can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but not all the people all of the time.”
In my opinion the following should be considered 12 guiding principals of a real free enterprise option:
1- Does not belong to monopoly capitalist, nor monopoly socialist partisan paradigms or parties. Rather represents the middle class and small business entrepreneurs.
2- Net neutrality should be considered free enterprise in its truest form as it enables entrepreneurial possibilities with an infrastructure backbone that enables equal opportunity.
3- Essential monopolistic infrastructure should be publicly controlled and enabled so business can focus on its core competency enabling opportunity for new entrants and fairness for all involved. (ie public water, roads, sewer systems, electrical grid, health care, education ect)
4- Free Enterprise should respect freedom of religion and speech, because without one you can’t have the other.
5- Free Trade and Free Markets are not the same as Free Enterprise and in some cases undercut and cheat the Free Enterprise ideal. (ie cheep foreign labor and environmental standards, or monopolistic market manipulation through derivative schemes)
6- Free Enterprise builds success through a diversified economy with horizontal integration and strong competition, and is undermined through monopolistic policies that enable economic silos of power.
7- Free Enterprise can only survive if the currency is public currency and financial markets are tightly regulated (ie derivatives and hedge funds). In a capitalist free enterprise system the right to succeed should also be the responsibility for failure. Banks should never be bailed out with public dollars. Monetary inflation is a savings tax that undermines the responsible middle class and those on fixed incomes.
8- Free Enterprise should represent higher standards in the work place and environment. A secure work place ensures competition where it counts and responsible stewardship of the environment levels the playing field.
9- Success for a Free Enterprise economy should be measured in the quality and diversity of opportunity for all to join and participate through merit in the middle class lifestyle. It should not be measured in GDP, which is heavily weighted on financial sectors, and not the main street of the economy.
10- Isonomia or equality of opportunity based on personal merit is a free enterprise foundation.
11- Corporations are not people, but rather simple tools for managing capital. Only citizens directly should be allowed to contribute to the political election process.
12- Energy exports should be taxed at point of export to protect the productivity of the domestic economy from Dutch Disease. Dutch disease rots and undermines a free enterprise economy.
IMO 12 guiding free enterprise principals that you will not find congruent with either of the two ‘parties’ that are fighting to claim the free enterprise label.
Cummins says “20 seats look really good, but our goal is to obtain a majority”.
So all your GOAL is to obtain a majority, don’t you have any other goals like maybe what do the people of Prince George would like to have happen in our Province, Country? What are you good for us?
Only the Conservatives have the ability at this time to keep the NDP to a minority government.”
Your so confident to come here and say we are going to keep NDP at a minority? Every government needs opposition to keep people like you questioned about your majority ruling. Maybe we don’t want to be ruled by an all master and commander. I hope the NDP get enough votes to keep this CON questioned about his motives.
A real free enterprise option?
Vote Libertarian!
Of course, the chances of winning are about as remote as the Cummings Party … LOL
They talk about Free enterprise,what a bloody joke,what it really means is Free access to taxpayer dollers.
Free enterprise is too expensive for me.
Just wait until socialism comes to town.
Can’t vote libertarian for free enterprise because they are not the same. Free enterprise requires regulations on finance for example to ensure finance doesn’t dominate the economy feeding monopolized policies and using tax payer dollars to bail themselves out. Libertarian is in fact free markets and anything goes with no regulation. There is a time and place for appropriate regulation to ensure open competition and that is part of a free enterprise market.
Only free enterprise principals build up the middle class and small business environment and build up standards that increase the quality of life for those who display merit. Its a small price to pay to ensure freedom and prosperity. Its worth protecting those principals from those that would make a claim to represent so as to gain power.
I guess the current liberals should be flocking to help Mr mummings get 20 seats.
But lets not forget pg is flooded with PC’s .Wouildnt it be great if we had two PC members of Parliament and one more or even two MLA’s.
All us NDP’ers would probably end up in jail.
Cheers
This guy is too old and comes full of old ideas. Not what the people need at all. WE need leaders who are not afraid to ask the people what they want and persue the majoritys wishes. I don’t ever expect to see anything like that in our political system. We are slowly becoming a police state and we can do nothing to alter that. Shut up and pay–drink beer, gamble and rat out all those who on’t pay their share of taxes (exclude the rich).
wait until we hear from the religious nuts that will be running under the conservative banner. i wonder how long Cummins can keep them quiet.
“He has also been convicted and charged for commercial fishing during a closed season (poaching)….should we really consider someone who doesn’t respect Canadian laws as a potential Premier for BC?”
Not that I would vote for him, but he was arrested for being the only politician at the time willing to stand up against the DFO and their mismanagement of our Pacific fisheries.
“Just wait until socialism comes to town.”
In BC that means the day when the taxpayer stops paying through the nose for handouts to business from the Liberals.
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