BC Conservative Party rocked by executive resignation and allegations it will support HST

The BC Conservative Party has been rocked by the resignation of a key longtime executive member and his allegations that the Party will accept the hated Harmonized Sales Tax because of the influence of federal Conservative party supporters.

Below is the complete letter of resignation from the executive and party of Blake MacKenzie, a 12-year member of the BC Conservatives.

Ironically, because they are increasingly seen as an anti-HST right of centre alternative to the unpopular BC Liberal Party that imposed the new tax, the BC Conservatives have been rising in the polls.

A July poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion put the BC Conservatives at 8% province wide, compared to the BC Liberals at just 23%, the BC NDP at 46% and the Green Party at 14%.

More astonishingly if MacKenzie's predictions prove true, 75% of British Columbians want the HST abolished and 67% of voters in BC Liberal ridings would sign a recall petition to remove their MLA.

But a news release dated August 22 from BC Conservative Party President Wayne McGrath seems to validate MacKenzie's charges, as it states in part that:

"British Columbians need relief now in the form of increased exemptions from the HST. The government needs to lessen the load for British Columbians now by removing more items from the tax," McGrath said.

Here is MacKenzie's letter, which I obtained. I welcome a response from the BC Conservatives.

* * * * *

August 23, 2010

Dear BC Conservative Party Members, the president, and Board,

It is with deep regret that I wish to inform you that I am resigning effective immediately from the Provincial Board of Directors as Director at Large, and cancelling my membership in the party.

I have lost confidence in the leadership of the party and the direction it has chosen to follow.

I have been deeply concerned by the backroom dealings and the amount of power that has transferred into the hands of an unelected group of self ordained political brokers to guide the party. Those of us who were actually elected back in September are being trampled and moved out of the way in favour of appointed, unelected people who are now controlling the party.

I would have thought the party would have learned its lesson from 2004 where operatives working for both the BC Liberals and the federal Conservatives came in and caused maximum disruption and prevented BC Unity from merging with the BC Conservative Party.

The Party is now dominated with mostly political appointments by the TAG group and their leader Randy White. The Provincial board has been taken over by those closely allied to the federal Conservative Party and their members currently involved in the BC Liberal Party.

I cannot and will not support this type of activity in the party. Some of our finest talent in the party is being marginalized because of their opposition to the HST.

Chris Delaney is the most public figure in our party and the leadership regards him as though he is a liability to the party. His treatment by the TAG leader Randy White, President Wayne McGrath, and Conservative MP John Cummins can only be described as disrespectful and disingenuous.

The one person who could point thousands of people to our party and has, with his involvement as a leader in the Fight HST organization, helped to demolish the BC Liberals, is considered by these unelected newcomers as not good enough to side with or mention his name in conjunction with the BC Conservative Party name. Shame!

I can no longer support a party that sides with the BC Liberals and the federal Conservative Party over the HST and over the people of BC. The people of BC have spoken and the party leadership in the BC Conservative Party will not listen. Pretending to listen is not listening.

We all know where the HST policy is going to come from; it will be developed by federal Conservatives as a watered down version that still accepts the HST to make sure their political masters in Ottawa are satisfied. I know the people of BC will not approve.

The party is now in the hands of outside, unelected interests which contradicts one of our most important constitutional philosophies - representing the interests of British Columbians first above all others.

The party leadership considers working with failed BC Liberal politicians and federal Conservatives who supported the HST, over attracting the hundreds of thousands of people in BC who oppose the HST, and oppose those who gave it to us. I for one will not be part of watching the party be taken over by a group of people, only to see them bring forth the same type of top down, backroom, undemocratic politics we were trying to replace in the BC Liberal Party.

I believe the choices made by the leadership of the party, including the TAG leader Randy White and the Fed Cons will fail, and the BC Conservative Party will collapse into obscurity.

I will continue to work together with all others of good faith for the betterment of British Columbia to ensure BC stays in the hands of the people of BC, and out of the clutches of those who would use her for their own ends.

Regrettably,


Blake MacKenzie
Former elected Director at Large and member of the BC Conservative Party since 1998.

.