Monday, December 20, 2010

Recall campaign against BC Liberal cabinet minister Ida Chong gains 4,151 signatures in just 2 weeks


The Recall campaign against BC Liberal cabinet minister Ida Chong has obtained 4,151 confirmed signatures in just two weeks.

Fight HST launched the campaign Tuesday December 7 in Chong's Oak Bay-Gordon Head riding in Victoria.

Local Recall proponent Michael Hayes tells the Victoria Times-Colonist newspaper tonight that the campaign is on track to meet its target to remove Chong from office and force a byelection.
 
"We've got eight weeks for the campaign, and 2,000 signatures a week gives us 16,000 signatures and we only need 15,368," Hayes said.


Chong's anti-recall campaign manager Lynne Henderson says the MLA will launch a new set of ads.

Chong is being supported by additional advertising from the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association - ICBA - which has led Fight HST to call for a consumer boycott of ICBA members.

“It is unbelievable that the members of the ICBA would see fit to attack the citizens of BC by funding a massive advertising campaign to stop Recall and to try to save the HST,” said Fight HST leader and former BC Premier Bill Vander Zalm.

“Especially when many of their contractors, roofers, new home builders, renovators and trades people who sell directly to the public have been hurt by the HST and our efforts are actually helping them.”


“You’d think they would be cheering us on, but instead they are spending mega dollars to attack the democratic process with misleading ads and deliberate smears designed to scare people,” Vander Zalm said.

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25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ick, that picture alone is enough to recall Ms. Chong. She does not work for her constituents but rather her Liberal party, under the firm control of Mr. Campbell.

Recall is about the lack of democracy in BC.

Anonymous said...

Look at that handshake! Looks like he is bending it his way. A bloody control freak. LOL Watch out gordo, we coming after you. RECALL THEM ALL!

Kam Lee

Anonymous said...

So does FightHST pick up the tab for the cost of the by-election?

And in refernece to Anon. at 12:10 AM, the same "not working for the constitutents but rather her party" also held true for NDP MLAs when the NDP was in government, and will be repeated once again once the NDP returns to power.

Anonymous said...

That is excellent news. A huge thanks, to all of the people working their butts off, for the people and our province. The canvassers, have to brave being followed, as they go door to door. A canvasser was screamed at by, people coming out of a pub, and Ida Chong was seen across the street watching. Ida Chong's own riding, wants to be rid of her. Even Campbell's riding wants to be rid of him as well. All Campbell and the BC Liberals have done, is bring more anger and contempt for them. Campbell has, not one saving grace. He is totally responsible, for the ruin of the BC Liberal party. The Liberal ministers and mla's, political careers are damaged, for their blind support, for a madman.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:35.

There are other party's out there, and independents. And, did not the tax payers get ripped off, paying for two criminals, involved with, Campbell's fraudulent sale of the BCR? Do you know....? The tax payers, were ripped off to pay Campbell's personal trip, to the Bilderberg meeting in Spain? That cost us over $16,000. How in the hell, do you spend that much money, for a two day trip? And, Ida Chong, eating her way through, $6,000 for her fine dining? That is more than a family has to spend on groceries, for an entire year. How about the over $121,000 children living in poverty? Teachers are saying, the children are so hungry, they can't do their lessons. What about, Campbell's pride in his minimum wage, starting at $6.00 per hour. Anon 10:35, your mouth is probably big enough, for both of your feet.

Anonymous said...

There are other party's out there, and independents. And, did not the tax payers get ripped off, paying for two criminals, involved with, Campbell's fraudulent sale of the BCR? Do you know....? The tax payers, were ripped off to pay Campbell's personal trip, to the Bilderberg meeting in Spain? That cost us over $16,000. How in the hell, do you spend that much money, for a two day trip? And, Ida Chong, eating her way through, $6,000 for her fine dining? That is more than a family has to spend on groceries, for an entire year. How about the over $121,000 children living in poverty? Teachers are saying, the children are so hungry, they can't do their lessons. What about, Campbell's pride in his minimum wage, starting at $6.00 per hour. Anon 10:35, your mouth is probably big enough, for both of your feet.

Speak for yourself. One can also go back to the "trade trips" made by Harcourt in November of 1991 to Japan where he spent little useful time other than wearing a kamakaze head scarf and clapping his hands in reverence. Then of course there was the Commonwealth Holding Society and the Fastcats.

The there were huge expensive trips done by the federal Conservatives and federal Liberals.

As far as Bilderberg goes, it's the subject de jour of conspiracy theorists who have since moved on from 9/11.

Independents cannot get much done in a partisan system like we have, and the other parties are rampant with wing nuts.

One can go locally here in Vancouver and see some of the left wing councillors taking junkets to Europe on the taxpayer's dime when they could have just as easily done research at home on their topics of choice.

Anonymous said...

Ida Chong was a David Anderson lap-dog and handout chaser as far back as 1993, and Lynn Henderson was a complete failure as an Anderson patronage appointment after 1996 ... so really this anti-recall campaign is being run by David Anderson and his league of aging failed Oak Bay Martinites.

The GREAT SATAN

Anonymous said...

Keeping politicians of all stripes accountable - for those who govern and those who have yet to govern - this is a message delivered by the people. Never forget the will of the people reigns supreme no matter how great your effort to marginalize us.

Anonymous said...

Ida Chong wants to pick and choose when to support her constituents. When referring to the HST, well she chose to support the party and Campbell thinking that her people were just to stupid to understand what was good for them.

Democracy means representing them all of the time, no matter what issue, no matter what party.

Anonymous said...

Democracy means representing them all of the time, no matter what issue, no matter what party.

Does that include the NDP?

nurleymon said...

In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
-George Orwell.

Adrian said...

So does FightHST pick up the tab for the cost of the by-election?

Of course not, nor should they. Just like no one serious believes that Falcon should have paid for any potential by-elections from Total Recall, or that Campbell should personally pay the bill for a by-election in Vancouver Point-Grey if he steps down after February.

But not to worry, if Fight HST succeeds in rescinding the HST they'll be saving taxpayers like yourself 30 million on a potential referendum, and consumers 2 billion a year.

Anonymous said...

This isn't about Liberal versus NDP. It's about keeping them all honest and turfing them if they're not. We turfed the NDP and now we'll turf the Liberals. Who ever leads next better learn from this example of democracy in action!

Anonymous said...

But not to worry, if Fight HST succeeds in rescinding the HST they'll be saving taxpayers like yourself 30 million on a potential referendum, and consumers 2 billion a year.

Sure. COnsider that Deleany called for a boycott of Elections BC when the first attempt at getting their submission for the recall failed, and that the BC Conservatives originally for an HST regime.

Don't like the tax myself, but people have dependend too much on goverment to pay for things such as ESL classes and funds for buying neighbourhood league team baseball uniforms.

Anonymous said...

"This isn't about Liberal versus NDP. It's about keeping them all honest and turfing them if they're not. We turfed the NDP and now we'll turf the Liberals. Who ever leads next better learn from this example of democracy in action!"

So who is "we"? The bloggers here? They turfed the NDP? Would be strange since this blog did not exist in 2001, and even if it did, would Bill, a devout NDPer lead the charge to defeat his own party?

I doubt that.

Anonymous said...

Ick, that picture alone is enough to recall Ms. Chong. She does not work for her constituents but rather her Liberal party, under the firm control of Mr. Campbell.

Recall is about the lack of democracy in BC.

Would people say the same thing about an NDP government? Would this blogger and other whiners work to recall NDP MLAs? Would Bill assist?

Anonymous said...

Campbell has over a 121.000 children living in poverty. He lied to be re-elected, when he said, the BCR wasn't for sale. He thieved our rivers, our hydro, will be going up 55%. He and Hansen lied about the deficit. They lied about the HST, it wasn't on their radar. Hansen finally admitted, the HST radar papers, were on his desk before the election. During Campbell's time in office, he shut down 51 mills. He cost our mill workers 36,000 jobs. Our mill jobs went to China, along with our raw logs. There are still not enough jobs. We are right out of money, savings and all. What does the idiot do? He forces the HST, on to the very people, who can't afford it. The provincials budget hikes, were bad enough. However, big businesses lined up at the trough, and squealed for the HST too. We are hoping, to persuade Van Der Zalm, to do a blanket recall after x-mas, and rid ourselves of this, corrupt and evil BC Liberal Party, never, never to be seen again.

Anonymous said...

Look at that handshake! Looks like he is bending it his way. A bloody control freak. LOL Watch out gordo, we coming after you. RECALL THEM ALL!

Ick, that picture alone is enough to recall Ms. Chong. She does not work for her constituents but rather her Liberal party, under the firm control of Mr. Campbell.

Is it really nesseary to get into silly levels of personal attacks??

Look at the pictures of Bill and a few of the NDPers here. They aren't exactly GQ or Cosmo material either.

Anonymous said...

"Campbell has over a 121.000 children living in poverty."

Children living in poverty existed when the NDP was in power and it won't magically disappear when the NDP returns to power in 2013 or earlier. Mayor Moonbeam in Vancouver wanted to reduce poverty in Vancouver and hasn't done much of a good job on that.


" He lied to be re-elected, when he said, the BCR wasn't for sale. He thieved our rivers, our hydro, will be going up 55%. He and Hansen lied about the deficit. They lied about the HST, it wasn't on their radar. Hansen finally admitted, the HST radar papers, were on his desk before the election. During Campbell's time in office, he shut down 51 mills. He cost our mill workers 36,000 jobs. Our mill jobs went to China, along with our raw logs. There are still not enough jobs. We are right out of money, savings and all."

Might be a bright future for this poster in the NDP's Public Affairs Bureau.



What does the idiot do? He forces the HST, on to the very people, who can't afford it. The provincials budget hikes, were bad enough. However, big businesses lined up at the trough, and squealed for the HST too. We are hoping, to persuade Van Der Zalm, to do a blanket recall after x-mas, and rid ourselves of this, corrupt and evil BC Liberal Party, never, never to be seen again."

The BC Liberals will still exist, and anyone hoping that VanderZalm actually accomplishes anything good is nuts.

Remember it was VanderZalm that brought in the Property Transfer Tax without taxpayer consultations

istvan said...

remember folks this HST is a tax SHIFT.

Anonymous said...

"But not to worry, if Fight HST succeeds in rescinding the HST they'll be saving taxpayers like yourself 30 million on a potential referendum, and consumers 2 billion a year."

That's a good statement. Repeatedly from Delaney and VanderZalm, the Fight HST was calling for a provincial referendum on the issue, (the major reason why the initiative was started), and got one. Not satistifed, they started going on about recall. They missed the requirements on setting recall, and decided to yell "boycott Elections BC!" in protest. But they themselves did not and went ahead with the second attempt at starting recall, which they got.

So what happens next? They want to deny the people's voice by vote on the issue by recalling as many MLAs as they can (which technically would not stop the referendum). But still haven't accounted for the fact that if the HST is rescinded, things go back to the old PSt/GST regime and that means hiring more bookkeepers at taxpayer expense to keep tabs on everything.

Go figure.

Adrian B. said...

That's a good statement. Repeatedly from Delaney and VanderZalm, the Fight HST was calling for a provincial referendum on the issue, (the major reason why the initiative was started),

Would you care to back that up? I don't recall them saying that, but merely stating that a successful initiative petition would lead to either a vote in the Legislature on the Extinguishment Act or a non-binding referendum. To the contrary, during the petition drive Delaney was quite explicitly opposed to a referendum:

"There is nothing more to wait for. There is no need for a referendum, no need for more delays and wasting of taxpayers’ time and money. The petition has become a referendum. And the result of that referendum is clear. British Columbians do not want the HST."

http://fighthst.com/press-release-fight-hst-petition-meets-10-threshold-in-83-of-85-ridings/

They missed the requirements on setting recall, and decided to yell "boycott Elections BC!"

James completely discredited himself with this incident and obviously has no integrity whatsoever to serve as even temporary CEO. By James' ridiculous metric, the 1997 recall petition statement against Helmut Giesbrecht that was approved by Elections BC would be over 200 words, if "MLA" is somehow 5 words:

We, as voters of Skeena riding, choose to recall Helmut Giesbrecht as our representative in the provincial legislature, for the following reasons: Mr. Giesbrecht was elected to represent all the people of Skeena riding. His job as an MLA is to listen to the issues, concerns and problems of his constituents that fall under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. He is then to work on their behalf to insure that their issues are heard in Victoria. He is paid very well by the people
to work for the people. However, Mr. Giesbrecht has repeatedly, throughout both his terms in office, refused to listen to, or represent, the people of Skeena riding on numerous critical issues.
On many of these issues he has even publicly ridiculed and verbally attacked the very people who brought their requests to him. He has demonstrated by his decisions
and actions that he does not work for the people - he works for the government. This has left the people of Skeena riding without a voice in Victoria. Because of his unwillingness to do the job he was elected to do, he should not hold the office of MLA

Anonymous said...

"Would you care to back that up? I don't recall them saying that, but merely stating that a successful initiative petition would lead to either a vote in the Legislature on the Extinguishment Act or a non-binding referendum. "

Which the second outcome happened, but the Liberal government (and NDP) have said they would adbide by the outcome of the referendum. The Extinguishment Act was not the sole primary reason for the initiative, and was secondary.



To the contrary, during the petition drive Delaney was quite explicitly opposed to a referendum:

"There is nothing more to wait for. There is no need for a referendum, no need for more delays and wasting of taxpayers’ time and money. The petition has become a referendum. And the result of that referendum is clear. British Columbians do not want the HST."

He's wrong. The petition was not a referendum, since the petition is not a binding vote. It is only a mechancism to (if approved) to set a referdum. As per usual, Delaney twists his facts.


They missed the requirements on setting recall, and decided to yell "boycott Elections BC!"

"James completely discredited himself with this incident and obviously has no integrity whatsoever to serve as even temporary CEO."

Actually he did not. He did invoke a deliberate letter of the rule on it, but that doesn't remove the fact that Delaney cried out for a boycott of Elections BC, and yet shortly afterwards his group decides to try again. Hypocrisy.

" By James' ridiculous metric, the 1997 recall petition statement against Helmut Giesbrecht that was approved by Elections BC would be over 200 words, if "MLA" is somehow 5 words:"

Same thing could have been written in 140 words. You're comparing old apples to a new apple. Big difference.

By the same token, Dan Miller if he was Premier at the time would have never approved construction of the Fastcats like Glen Clark did.

Adrian B. said...

He's wrong. The petition was not a referendum,

Well, even if your claim here is correct, it doesn't change the fact that Delaney and Vander Zalm weren't calling for a literal referendum, but for sending the Extinguishment Act to Legislature. You made a factual claim that they were calling for a referendum. They weren't. You haven't demonstrated that they ever did.

Same thing could have been written in 140 words.

Of course, but that's not the point. The point is that Fight HST's recall petition statement was within the 200 words, and James had unconscionably made up a rule to throw it out. Elections BC had never considered MLA as 5 words, as the Giesbrecht statement proves.

Anonymous said...

"Well, even if your claim here is correct, it doesn't change the fact that Delaney and Vander Zalm weren't calling for a literal referendum, but for sending the Extinguishment Act to Legislature."

Wrong again. The Extinguishment Act was an option, not the sole reason. They knew of the outcome of the petition (the Legislature Committee vote on it, OR send the Extinguishment Act as a private bill to the House). Most people out there were going for referendum rather than the Act.



You made a factual claim that they were calling for a referendum. They weren't. You haven't demonstrated that they ever did.

Read the facts again. The petition can only do one of two things. First, have the Committee request the Elections BC organisation to set a referendum, OR send the Extinguishment Act as a private bill to the Legislaure. Those are the only two outcomes. There isn't one, but two.

Same thing could have been written in 140 words.

"Of course, but that's not the point. The point is that Fight HST's recall petition statement was within the 200 words, and James had unconscionably made up a rule to throw it out."

In that instance, Delaney and Th Zalm should have anticipated that could happen and further edited the submission to 150 to 130 words.
Politics is about covering all parts of the play area, and The Zalm and Delaney got boarded.

"Elections BC had never considered MLA as 5 words, as the Giesbrecht statement proves."

So what? The main aspect on that part of the story is that Delaney was screeching about boycotting Elections BC yet soon after the Fight HST people decided for another go at it and passed.

But they'll have to move it if they want to make it. They ahve only 4 and a half weeks left to get the remaining 10,000 signatures they need.

If they fail, don't blame Elections BC. Blame those who set the legislation in the first place, and if you want to squeal about the current CEO of Elections BC, complain and cry to Sue Hammell, and Bruce Ralston. they were on the selection committee to select a Chief Electoral Officer.