Re-birth in the Okanagan for BC Conservative Party

Kootenay News Sep 12 2007

The BC Conservatives experienced a re-birth last weekend as 60 delegates from across the province descended on the central Okanagan to debate policy and elect a new Board of Directors at the party’s AGM.Several prominent British Columbians attended the convention as guest speakers, including former Okanagan- Shuswap MP, Darrel Stinson; current Okanagan-Shuswap Conservative MP, Colin Mayes; former BC Unity Leader, Chris Delaney; and the current Mayor of Vernon, Wayne Lippert.

Party Leader, Wilf Hanni of Cranbrook, expressed his pleasure at the strong showing. “Our party got a real boost this weekend. The strong interest shows there is a desire for a free enterprise alternative to the Liberals and the NDP. As British Columbians become more and more disillusioned with the direction of the BC Liberals, they are looking for an alternative other than the socialist NDP. Especially rural British Columbians, who are feeling the impact of failing health care services, and who have little to gain from the impending Whistler Olympics, but know they will end up having to pay the bill. This weekend, they got a voice with the re-birth of this proud party.”

A full slate of twenty-one candidates for the Board of Directors was elected, with former three term mayor of Vernon, Wayne McGrath, elected as party President, “We have representation throughout the province now, with strong Regional Directors who will help us build the party in the north, the interior, the coast and the Island. I am very excited about our prospects.”
The party adopted several policies, with emphasis on the concerns of British Columbians from the interior of BC. A plan to overhaul the Agricultural Land Commission by giving decision making power to local boards rather than remote Victoria bureaucrats was passed. As well, a resolution calling for a system of accountability that would see hospitals and health care workers rewarded for increasing productivity and efficiency in the delivery of health care services, with plans for the elimination of wait times for surgery, was adopted.

A new logo, styled on the federal Conservative Party logo to illustrate the ties between the federal party and the provincial party, was unveiled. “We are planning to run a full slate of candidates in the next election, with the hope of electing as many MLA’s as possible,” said Hanni. “Within the next two elections, we hope to grow large enough to challenge for government.”