Once upon a time, the B.C. Liberals were a true conservative party. In 2001, for example, they beat the NDP in the Vernon-Monashee riding by 10,000 votes.
But over the last decade, the Liberals have drifted left, and during the last election, they barely squeaked out a win with only 1,500 votes over the NDP. And that was before the carbon tax, Christy Clark and the HST.
As someone whose political teeth were cut in the federal Reform Party, I see all of the signs of a building wave once again. In the federal election of 1993, it was anger with the ruling party and a fear of the federal Liberals that swept the Reform Party into power in the west.
Here we are two decades later in B.C. provincial politics, and a combination of disgust at the B.C. Liberals and fear of the havoc the NDP wrought on this province not so long ago are driving people into the arms of the B.C. Conservatives – a grassroots party with a popular, solid philosophy that reflects British Columbians’ values of liberty and self-sufficiency.
I was at the town hall held by the B.C. Conservatives Vernon-Monashee constituency association Feb. 16.
Given the fact that it was snowing heavily that night, turnout was extraordinarily high. But that’s not entirely surprising.
Until now, folks have had to hold their noses and vote Liberal just to keep the NDP out. These days, there’s a true conservative party out there that people can vote for with a clear conscience. And it’s telling that the Liberals only platform seems to be, “Don’t vote for the B.C. Conservatives.”
Scott Anderson, Vernon
