Top photo - Conservative MP John Cummins; bottom photo - former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford & former BC premier Rita Johnston at BC Conservative Party AGM Saturday - Bill Tieleman photosThe mood at the BC Conservative Party's annual general meeting Saturday in Vancouver could only be described as "ebullient," with close to 200 delegates in attendance, including two former premiers, one sitting Member of Parliament and several more former MPs.
Keynote speaker John Cummins, the federal Conservative MP from Delta-Richmond East gave an election campaign style speech in which he declared the growing party will be "the one to beat" in the 2013 provincial election.
With former BC premier Rita Johnston and former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford looking on, Cummins told the crowd that by the next election it will be the BC Liberals splitting the centre-right vote, not the Conservatives.
I will have a full report on Cummins speech - which contained warnings for both the BC Liberals and the New Democratic Party - and more in my column in 24 hours, The Tyee and this blog on Tuesday.
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9 comments:
John Cummings may be a conservative but his papers on Aboriginal Affairs are worth reading. When I was chasing treaty stuff He provided me with his papers on the subject , and as mentioned worth reading. Too bad more people have not taken the information he spent so much time and effort to provide coverage on a subject that affects us all. I'm no conservative . Mel Smith wrote about how the changes were slipped into the Charter, sadly his papers were not released till after his death. I found them on of all places the Frazer institute site. People of all political stripe do have some good ideas. Maybe a extra party might enliven the political positions of the other two parties. I exclude the greens as they don't really seem to be going anywhere soon.
The BC Conservative Party board was claiming there would be 500 people out for this AGM. Only 60 more delegates from last year and the meeting is in the heart of Vancouver. Since the BC Conservative Party is supporting the HST (veiled support) the people of BC aren't buying that this is a new party. The BC Conservative Party has been taken over by ex-BC Liberals and everyone can see that this is nothing more than a re-branding of the same cast of characters.
After listening to John Cummings on CKNW the other day I have zero time for the guy. A huge dissapointment.
BTW...10:32 pm sounds like the idiot Delaney....
Regarding HST: if the writer trying to perpetuate the rumor that the BC Conservatives are in favor of the HST had been in attendance at the AGM, he would have heard that part of the policy of the BC Conservatives is anti-HST, its repeal,(IF the people of BC vote to repeal it in the upcoming referendum on HST) and for further tax reform following its repeal.
Bill just heard you with Sean Leslie on the station I seldom listen to. And as usual they say where will we get the money if the HST is cancelled . This as you know is not true the hst is a money deficit not a money maker.
Exactly right Anon 3:30 pm - I didn't get a chance to correct the last caller but the HST is a $2 billion tax shift from business onto consumers. The new money raised by the additional 7% tax on hundreds of items goes back to business in the form of Input Tax Credits.
If the HST were eliminated, returning to the Provincial Sales Tax would restore the same funding as before July 1 - those who say otherwise are desperate fear-mongers.
And in fact, the budget line item for this fiscal year shows the HST actually costing the BC government $113 million - brilliant.
It's certainly costing me and other consumers a bundle.
Does anyone have a link to video of Gordo being booed at the We Day Rally?
If the BC Conservatives are going to be the "new boat" that most MLA's from the BC Liberals run to when their Captain heads off to Fantasy Island.....then it is no different then the BC Liberals. In fact,many former disgruntled BC Liberals, like Mark Thompson and Joe Cardoso,havealready staked their grounds in the BCCP. Be aware of the BCCP masking the failed Liberal MLA's, that had no courage to stand up to a bully leader because they wanted to protect their pensions!
If the HST were eliminated, returning to the Provincial Sales Tax would restore the same funding as before July 1 - those who say otherwise are desperate fear-mongers."
Partially correct. If the HST is eliminated, the PST returns, and there would have to be revision legislation to remove the PST that is charged on items which weren't before HST.
Missing from the equation is the GST portion (the other 5%). Rather than that 5% being kept in BC, it would go back to Ottawa as GST collected tax, not a for BC collected tax, so BC would be out that 5% of tax revenue.
On top of that, if there is an early removal of the HST before the time when it is scheduled for renewal in 2015, there are penalties payable to Ottawa that must be paid out.
On top of that there is the added cost to businesses that cover the cost of converting point of purchase systems from HST to a split PST/GST regimen.
It's hardly a simple suddenly end it and everything goes back to the way it was last year.
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