So scary that Conservative Party friends in BC support them whole-heartedly... So scary that Harper supported one back when he was in Opposition (with the Bloc, nonetheless).
Some of BC's top political Conservatives back a "coalition" to keep a conservative influence in BC's Liberal Party. Harper friends - Gurmant and Nina Grewal - have been noted working for Kevin Falcon and signing up memberships in the Surrey area.
Here is an email from the Falcon crew today - once again endorsing the politics of coaltions:
Colin’s support emphasizes an important point. Losing as little as 4 or 5 percentage points to another free enterprise party in BC would put the NDP back into power, just like 1972, 1991, and 1996. We need to hold our BC Liberal coalition together, and the support I have from 19 MLAs, 11 Ministers, 4 Senators, and thousands of British Columbians from across the political spectrum proves I can hold and lead this coalition.
Recently, Ministers Rich Coleman and Shirley Bond co-wrote an open letter to BC Liberal Party members on this point. I have included it below for your reference.
Take care,
Kevin Falcon
Coalition Key to Winning Government
By Rich Coleman (MLA for Fort Langley-Aldergrove and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General) and Shirley Bond (MLA for Prince George-Valemount and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure)
The membership drive is over, and now approximately 90,000 BC Liberal Party members will make a decision February 26 on who should lead their Party and, by extension, the Province of British Columbia.
It is a significant responsibility, one that must be carried out carefully and thoughtfully.
Over the past several weeks, we have heard from thousands of BC Liberal members on many different concerns. One question many are grappling with is winnability in 2013. Who can best lead the BC Liberals to election victory? Who can restore the faith of British Columbians in our free enterprise leadership?
Between the two of us, we have won ten elections for various levels of government, and many more helping other candidates. We have been Cabinet Ministers since 2001, and we know what it takes to win a Provincial election.
First, we should note that 2013 is still two years away. The BC Liberal Party is less than halfway through our current mandate and much will change before them. Both major parties will have new leaders. The HST question will be settled, once and for all, through a referendum. BC will continue to emerge from the global economic storm, with eyes set firmly on a bright future.
Winnability isn’t about charisma or public opinion polls two years out. It’s about building and keeping together a coalition of free enterprise voters from across BC and offering the public a real vision for the Province.
In modern BC history, the NDP has only formed government when the centre-right has split their votes among more than one political party (1972, and 1991, 1996). All three times they won with roughly 40% of the total votes—because free enterprisers fractured among multiple parties.
Building and keeping together a coalition of federal Liberals and Conservatives is the only way to defeat the NDP at the polls. If winning the next election factors into your decision on February 26, you must vote for who best can protect the coalition.
Kevin Falcon is the candidate best positioned to hold that coalition together. He has the support of both Liberals and Conservatives. Senator Larry Campbell, a Liberal, and Senator Gerry St. Germain, a Conservative, have joined forces to endorse Kevin. Across British Columbia, we have seen a groundswell of support from both sides of our coalition for Kevin. That’s why 19 MLAs, including 11 cabinet ministers, have endorsed him. He is the candidate with the best chance to win in 2013.
Kevin is also the candidate who can best unite the different regions of this Province. He has the support of MLAs from all over BC (including ourselves, representing ridings in Prince George and the Lower Mainland), and has shown throughout his political life that he hears, understands, and responds to regional issues. His strong support of the Party’s weighted vote system was important and well-received by Northern, Interior and rural voters. He can hold this Province together.
Vision is the other key to victory, and Kevin again stands head and shoulders above the other five candidates in this race. His Northern Prosperity Agenda, public safety plan, community grants pledge, economic strategy, and other policy planks are rock-solid, doable, and will make BC a better place to live, work and play.
As British Columbians learn more about Kevin, his style of leadership, and his vision for BC, we are confident they will embrace him as a Premier they can be proud of. And the BC Liberals, under Premier Falcon, will win re-election in 2013.
So... Coalitions have a lot of support among Harper's minions. Makes you wonder why Harper is so allergic to coalitions? Or, is he? Could it be that he only supports them when they support him becoming PM?
4 comments:
Ask Canadians what they think of Coalitions. You know what they said last time. This isn't about Conservatives or Liberals. It's about which party has the majority of seats after an election.
^ exactly what that commenter said.
It is not about coalitions in general, it is about coalitions between the federal Lib, NDP and Bloc parties, RIGHT after an election.
Your over-simplification here isn't fooling anyone except the most ignorant vicious anti-Harperite.
No problem what so ever, if Liberals and Dippers win enough seats to form a majority coalition after the next election.
Then the win is theirs.
Problem,
(2008 configuration)
Dippers + Bloc = 53% of Lib led coalition. Liberals would be following, not leading with less than half the MPs in the c/g.
Problem,
(2008 configuration) Separatists win 9% of Canadian votes and are 'given' 30% representation in a coalition government.
Problem,
further, 64 out of 75 Quebec MPs would sit in a c/g.
That represented 40% of the MPs in a coalition government, were from Quebec, a single province, with 25% of the population.
West has 31% of Cdn pop, and only 15% rep in c/govt.
Anyone who does not think that was a scary proposition, is just not thinking.
Stephen Harper also didn't "support" a coalition when he was in Opposition...he merely signed a letter to the GG reminding her that a coalition was possible. It was a pressure tactic designed to force an election, and it worked. Stephen Harper is now our Prime Minister, isn't he?
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