Don'tNeedHimVille
Mr. Scrimshaw.
Writing on the Lotuslandian political scene:
...He’s strengthened the Cons at his own expense, Mainstreet has them in third, and there have been reports of 2 other private polls with the BC Conns above 20%. He’s had 3 answers on the “Million” march this week, and has managed to come to an answer on parental rights that has pleased nobody, and now the BC Cons have to be taken seriously, since they have two MLAs and official party status now...
Gosh.
Who is this 'He' that Mr. Scrimshaw speaks of?
Why, it's the Kevinator:
Who is this 'He' that Mr. Scrimshaw speaks of?
Why, it's the Kevinator:
...(Kevin) Falcon has to do what he’s been avoiding for months and take a decision about the future of the party. Is it going to be a party for young professionals, social liberals, and the reasonably affluent, f*ck their right flank? Or are they going to become a party of their right flank, make them indistinguishable from the BC Cons, and smother Rustad? Because doing neither ends one way - with the BC Liberals relegated to history, just like the SoCreds before them...
But here's the thing that, perhaps, particularly given that he's an outsider, Mr. Scrimshaw may not know...
Mr. Falcon is not 'like' the SoCreds before them.
He is the SoCreds.
Always was and always will be.
From Frances Bula, writing in 2009 in Business in Vancouver:
...Kevin Falcon sounds slightly awestruck, almost gushing, when he talks about his most memorable encounter with one of the major political inspirations of his life, former premier Bill Bennett.It was at the Hotel Vancouver during the height of the union-organized Solidarity protests against the premier’s restraint plans in the fall of 1983. On October 15, 60,000 protesters surrounded the hotel, where the Social Credit party was holding its annual convention, one of the largest political protests this province has ever seen. But inside the hotel’s convention rooms, amid the carpets and chandeliers, Socreds of all descriptions were networking as usual.The 20-year-old Falcon, an insurance broker and Junior Chamber of Commerce vice-president active in the Young Socreds, walked past the premier as he was talking with Peter Brown and Murray Pezim, two major power brokers.“I was standing there hoping that maybe when their discussion was finished, I might get a chance to introduce him to my friends. And the premier saw me, said, ‘Excuse me,’ to these very important people and came over and said, ‘Hello, Kevin, How are you? Good to see you.’"...
Imagine that!
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8 comments:
"A perfect woman, nobly planned, To warn, to comfort and command."
William Wordsworth
From Steve MacNaull - 'BC Report' magazine'
"Whether May Bennett, wife of 52 years of the great "W.A.C. Bennett" and mother of Premier Bill Vander Zalm, in fact fulfilled Wordsworth's ideal, or was instead the graciously self-effacing workhorse of the Social Credit movement that she publicly affected, one who "always left the politics to my husband," was a secret she carried last week to the grave. She was 92 years old."
However, according to the B.C. Report author, May Bennett had TWO secrets'. She was the Mother of TWO British Columbian Premiers
William R. Bennett (1975-1986) and William Vander Zalm (1986-1991)
https://blogborgcollective.blogspot.com/2015/12/bc-premiers-bill-bennett-and-bill.html
omg how the time flies. was at the marches, the rally at Empire Stadium. Knew most of the Union players and worked with some. Yes, Jack Munro had a way with words and he didn't hold back.
I recall the meeting in Kelowna. Some Union people were not keen on the "community people". they wanted a "general strike", but the union people felt, they would be paying for it, while the "community people" had nothing to loose and weren't paying for any of it. As one person said to me at the time, the "community people" want a general strike, but most of them don't have jobs so they have nothing to loose. the Union members would loose to much money.
"Operation Solidarity" was not cheap to run and it was the Unions which were paying the freight. The one thing Unions understand is, when push comes to shove, when you're fighting with the government, they can send Union members to jail. The community people" didn't seem to grasp that concept.
More than one Union leader weent to jail. As I recall the head of the Postal Workers Union did time, Jean Claude Parrot, 1980. He was the guest speaker at our Union convention the following year. Pleasant man.
1981, Grace Hartman, President of CUPE was sent to jail for conselling members to go on strike, even though hospital workers were not permitted to strike.
Kevin Falcon is still a "Socred". They may have changed the name to B.C. Lieberals and then B.C. United, but it doesn't matter what they call themselves, they're still "Socreds". Falcon is a long way from being a young man any more, regardless of how he combs his hair. There is still Shirley Bond hanging in there. Falcon was elected first when Campbell became Premier. Of course Falcon was "playing" in the Surrey political sandbox and he and his were able to dethrone the NDP "affiliated" local political organization. Falcon was elected as MLA when el gordo became Premier in B.C. One could say Falcon is a Socred and always has been and as Mom used to say, "a leapord doesn't change its spots'
Given the Conservatives in B.C. are now an "official party" once again, Falcon may be in for the fight of his life or he could take early retirement which is most unlikely. the boy has been working to become Premier for a very long time and isn't going to give up, just like that.
B.C. has changed since the 1980. We have more Albertans in B.C. then we did then. Did it have an impact on voting. I think so. A few years ago, Nanaimo had to hold a bi election. The riding went from NDP to Green. what was of interest to me was Consservatives came in second and NDP third. Fortunately when the "regular' election came the NDP regained the riding, but if the Conservative Party gives it a real old school try, who knows. I would not count them out. Falcon and Bond are frequently up on their pins railing against the NDP or just Eby, but all they do is complain. Not much in the way of alternative methods are brought forward. My take on Falcon is, he just isn't "bright and shiny" enough. Ms. Stolko comes across much better. Falcon doesn't seem to understand much about life in the province. He went to private Catholic school, Then got a university degree, played politics and then went back and got a degree in political science. When he re-ebtered politics, he had the "young" guy look but really, Kevin, it hasn't worked. You're too old for that now. There are new generations which vote and they have different ideas than the aging baby boomers and the next generation.
The Socreds, B.C. Lieberals and B.C. United are a party which has been cobbled together to defeat the NDP and keep the socialist hords out of office. Things which are cobbled together, usally unravel.
Falcon is part of the old Carlot Coalition. Hardly what society needs now is more Socred type politics.
NVG--
I remember that post of yours!
That was some Freudian slip of a Byfieldian-type BC Report typo.
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e.a.f.--
When I was a teenaged kid my Dad, the union guy, tried to explain the nuance in Bill Munro's deal with Bennett that ended the movement..
I didn't get it then, but I think I'm a little more sympathetic now - your missive helped. Thanks.
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Chuck--
You had me for a minute there...I thought that the Kevinator, perhaps when he was a member of that same undergrad club at SFU with the good Ms. Clark, had made engaged in some sort of bizarre alliance, real or imagined, with the former president of the South Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu.
Then I smartened up and realized you were talking nothing more than those who got together to make sure that received every possible advantage when it came to putting together very nicely fenced fields and fields and fields, paved and otherwise, of...
Used Cars.
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The BC Liberal party made a bad mistake by electing Kevin Falcon as leader. "Have you had enough" Falcon is a yesterday's man, fighting yesterday's battles. The best he can do is want a 10 lane bridge instead of a 8 lane tunnel, demonstrates how out of touch he is.
The Liberals should have elected Jas Johol as leader, far more current and knowledgeable.
As for the BC United party it ain't united and with the NDP being not just toxic, but radio active in my book, I will put an X by the Green candidate.
Simply both mainstream parties are so out of touch with reality, it is like they are from a different planet.
Re,
Simply both mainstream parties are so out of touch with reality, it is like they are from a different planet.
That doesn't say much for the Greens!
As much as I wish for more Green representatives I shudder at the quality of candidates they put forward.
A potters wheel in the front porch and a dry toilet at the bottom of the garden is not a recipe for political success.
We need pragmatic Greens such as they have in Germany.
TB
EE and TB--
You all are making it very tough for a slightly dispossessed voterish old guy like me...
As for the real politick of the thing, it would appear that Mr. Falcon's true problem at this point just might be vote splitting capabilities of John Rusted et. al.
Given this, it will be most interesting to see if the Carlotteers go full Segretti on the provincial Con party and its current leader like they've done in the past.
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If I read the news correctly Eby and the NDP are at 48%, B.C.Liberals/Unity--20% and Conservatives 19%. Guess people are happier with the NDP than what he have been led to believe by media, commenters, etc. Of course a lot can happem in a year or so, but if no one does anything stupid and delivers on some of the promises, they should be good for another 4 years.
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