Apr 26 2005
Woe to Provincial conservatives in BC!
I said I would write this as an ongoing blather about my opinions and observations, irrespective of current events. In fact, this is relevant to current events as we head into a provincial election.
Why woe? Not because they have done anything wrong, but because it is a woeful lot to be a conservative in provincial politics here. Since the Social Credit Party imploded (which by many accounts was centrist anyway, not truly right wing, but definitely right wing compared to their opposition, the NDP), a number of upstarts have tried to become the new right wing. Their names have varied from the Progressive Conservatives, to the Reform Party, to the BC Party, to the BC Reform Party, the Unity Party and on and on. Various things inevitably bring them down. The media has told wonderful yarns about their intercene bickerings, their inability to “unite the right” and fom a coherent opposition, and so on.
Whatever the cause, whether they are simply unable to get along or get organized, the media have now seemingly given up on reporting their existence. Now, as far as the media is concerned, there are only three parties running in this election: the Left, the REALLY far Left and the One-Issue Left.
The truth is they still do exist. In my riding, Surrey-Whalley, I have discovered a plethora of signage for Elayne Brenzinger, running on a “Democratic Reform” Party ticket. I had never heard of the DR Party before… a quick google on the party revealed to me www.drbc.ca. Turns out she is the incumbent (I thought I had heard of her before), and the only representative of this party currently in the house.
Not a peep about this party, with 50% as many seats in the Legislature as the NDP who seem to be front and center everywhere in the media. They have an uphill battle ahead of them, as it seems from their website they haven’t even been invited to the “Leader’s Debate” while the likes of the Green Party with their zero sitting MLAs are already in. Strange…
But I digress. What I am trying to say is that as a conservative campaigning in BC’s provincial election, you are in a really uphill battle, even to be taken seriously, let alone voted for. It’s too bad too… because there are a LOT of conservatives in this province just dying for someone to vote for without gritting their teeth.
