In politics … and comedy … timing is critical! But no one in the BC Conservative Party should be laughing at how the vote results/announcement of their new Leader were rolled out Saturday.
The Conservatives, although Official Opposition in the BC Legislature, are barely known by most British Columbians … I’d bet most could not name the past Leader, the new contenders for the job, the party’s critic or more than one or two of their MLAs, if that!
Saturday, the Conservatives were given a FREE gift by Global BC, my old alma mater, when the province-wide station pre-empted its entire 6 p.m. Newshour to broadcast LIVE from the Conservatives’ Convention where the ballot results of their Leadership Election would be announced.
Trust me: given current budget and staffing restraints, that was a real public service to dedicate to the event a full one-hour broadcast (microwave or satellite equipment/technicians; on-site camera, lighting, audio crews; master control staff; on-location host Sophie Lui, Legislative Reporter Ben O’Hara-Byrne, three guest panelists and, in Victoria, Legislative Bureau Chief Keith Baldrey). No other TV broadcaster did that.
And then the Conservatives blew it!
The party’s new Leader had been chosen by members voting on-line over several days, with the ranked-balloting ending at 8 p.m. Friday.
Let’s keep it real: the results of the computerized vote could have been collated and announced within minutes.
But the Conservatives brass decided, quite understandably, to hold a large public event of supporters Saturday in the hall of the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station in Vancouver to announce the results and crown their new Leader … TELEVISED LIVE by Global BC in its top-rated 6 p.m Newshour slot.
What a coup!
Until the Conservatives shot themselves in the foot.
The Newshour went on air as scheduled; Lui and her panel suitably announced to the viewing audience what was happening; and, then filled airtime waiting for the results; and waited, and waited; and waited.
The First Ballot results were not announced until 6:35 p.m!
I can tell you I really doubt, in today’s 150-channel universe, many of the Newshour’s 100,000 (?) weekend viewers who tuned in a 6 p.m. were still watching at 6:15 p.m. … still waiting for FIRST BALLOT results.
Click! Probably by 6:10! Click! Click! Click!
And it got worse!
The Second Ballot results weren’t announced until 6:45 p.m.; the Third Ballot results at 6:52 p.m. … and the final, Fourth Ballot results at 7:01 p.m.
But The Newshour had gone OFF the air at 6:59 p.m. to return to regular programming.
LOL!!!
So the party, that wants to convince British Columbians it can run the province, couldn’t even announce its new Leader … Kerry-Lynne Findlay … and make sure her speech got carried province-wide before the NEWSHOUR went off the air!
Newshour viewers … any who stayed for the full hour … missed her entire speech! When the party could have collated the results shortly after 8 p.m Friday and surely have announced it all and given their new leader province-wide Newshour LIVE airtime before 7 p.m. Saturday.
The” past-7 p.m” coverage did continue on Global’s BC-1 24-hour news station, but I doubt, apart from political and news junkies, the audience there was anything like that of the Newshour on Global BC.
Not an auspicious beginning for the new Conservative Leader!
As for Findlay herself, she’s carrying lots of baggage and may seem too far right for most British Columbians; but David Eby is also burdened down these days , so should be an interesting battle.
And DRIPA could end up being Findlay’s most powerful weapon!
Harv Oberfeld
🇨🇦🇨🇦More than ever, Buy Canadian🇨🇦🇨🇦
(Follow @harveyoberfeld.ca on “X” for FREE First Alerts to new postings on the Blog.)
Tough on crime should be a big theme and this review board process needs overhauling. Who and what are these people and the courts that let’s out child killers on even conditional disharges as they did with Allan Shoenbourne for just one recent example. It’s been all over the news. It’s absolutely sick. And the Cons if they get their act together could really pummel the NDP on Dripa. But it’s not just Dripa, it’s the sheer hundreds of millions of tax and revenue dollars from Ninety Five % of British Columbians being siphoned off to the reconciliation pit which is not reconciliation anymore. I’m certainly fed up with it all and if that turns into the vast percentage of voters along with the abominations of our disgusting justice and review board system then the Cons could have something. And this stuff has nothing to do with any of that MAGA and far right rascist crap that the anti democratic free speech activist extreme people seem so eager to use against any rightful opposition. The Ndp could get their act together also and stop this madness of handouts and giveaways and get tough on crime, but they won’t because their to deep and lost in their self loathing and hatred of themselves that they think all British Coumbians are on board and should sit in their little cult circle of self haters, hold hands, and hum together for forgiveness for all past sins of our forefathers and mothers and open our revenue bank account to pillage and blackmail for all past mistakes and sins in history past.
(Response: Canadians are too naive. Most don’t realize that the people who allegedly hired the Toronto “guns-for-hire” or fund/organize violent attacks/arsons against synagogues (in other countries, churches too) have NO respect for their own people’s human rights, let alone ours, and their ultimate goal is an Islamic caliphate, under which Sharia Law would prevail. The shooting of Const. Pinizzoto shows they are now HERE!! And I have no doubt that, where one “cell” has been exposed, there are no doubt lots more still working to undermine Canadian values, Canadian principles of tolerance and Canadian love for democracy. Ho)
Yup reconciliation has been turned into a huge legalized scam operation all set up behind closed doors. This pack of selfish activist nut jobs in government now is in no way a for the people of BC government. They are just not a legitimate government in my view. A legitimate government doesn’t do this kind of shit to the vast majority of the provinces people, or at least it shouldn’t at all if it has any ounce of respect of what a governments duties are. I do love the self hating monologue line that describes these Eby shiesters and scanmmers to a tee. The only way this craziness will have a chance stop is for the people to stop it at the polls, and it surely won’t happen from the couch on that day either. I wished it could happen sooner, but that’s democracy. Or is it.
The only action is for more people to speak up and change the government instead of so many sitting on their complacent butts on election day and complaining about who else do we vote for, or theres no use because their all the same, or better the devil we know. Well the devil I know is ripping off 95 percent of the population of BC and handing our revenue treasure over to 5 percent and calling it reconciliation and scaring away business. I just dont think this Supreme Court ruling on these land ownership issues are going to Bo enough to stop the anxiety and qeull peoples and investors doubts and concern. This messed up Eby bunch is going go all in with more troubling policies if he’s given the green light from voters again. It blows my mind that the we don’t want this Eby wrecking ball continues to swing and destroy but people a small portion of people who are registered to vote actually vote. The only way to stop any of this and see what can be changed, and yes hopefully to the better is to vote these scammers out. How do we know unless we try. Complacency and bitching from our comfy couches on voting day won’t do it, and as Harvey stated the only way this ripoff will stop is to stop this Dripa insanity. A change in government who wants to throw it out is the only way because they make the leglilisltion and laws, and the courts only interpret them for judgement in the court. I feel these troubles will continue and get worse if something doesn’t break like kicking out these bums and seeing what the next but different party might do. It may all be one big lie but how do we know if we don’t try. Enough of this keeping the devil we know attitude, that so many people go on about. I used to be of that thinking and complacent and didn’t know much about this stuff, but no more after what I see going on with our money that is being supposed to be for all of us.
Campbell and Clark are toxic, and with Falcon, he is radio active due to the fiances or lack there of, from the former BC United/BC Liberal Party.
Why, oh why can’t the Conservative party smell the coffee and picked a middle of the road sort of person which would attract the middle ground.
As it stands, Eby is a sitting duck, with Dirpa and the compounding scam with deferred taxes, which is tantamount to elder abuse.
The joker in the deck is the FIFA games and the huge costs involved. If i were a civic, provincial or federal politician, I would not be seen dead at these games, as they are fast becoming a fast ferry sort of thing and just may become a FastFerry “Albatross” around a politicians neck!
Again, I have not heard one positive thing about the the FIFA games at the local coffee bean, where sports tends to be the main topic, with DRIPA a close second.
Keeps life interesting, doesn’t it!
(Response: You wonder why parties just can’t pick middle of road leaders? It’s because people who join parties, become active, attend conventions etc are often active ideologues, pushing ideas, philosophies, agendas … not just bread and butter concerns of ordinary voters. That’s how you end up with leaders like Singh, Avi Lewis to make a point but who I’m sure the delegates knew perfectly well had no hope of ever becoming PM. Findlay sure does not seem to be middle of the road either … but maybe not too far right that she would have no hope of winning, especially given the sinking popularity of Eby/NDP. Ho)
And when people do stand up and speak up and be critical or disagree with what’s going on then they’re called rascist, bigots and what ever else can be leveled at them. Its such a sick and disgusting chaotic society we’ve become. It’s politicians like Eby and the extremist troublemakers that have filled the ranks who have caused these things by way of their selfish shameful ways in governance. But no matter what more people must stand up and speak up and not let the blind cancel culture nuts control the room.
But now, back to the casino revenue issue if I may. I even happen to be of the opinion that Eby and his lead troops in the financial and gaming side of government are deliberately in complicity, allowing and turning a blind eye to the addiction peddling to our young people and especially our younger people, to on line gambling now. I am of the opinion the Eby government, and the dirty BCLC and greedy owner operators are all apart of it. I realize I have spoken of the Casino revenue issue but I just don’t think it gets enough traction and maybe possibly many people just dont want to hear these unpleasant things about their gaming fun. No ,no not that. I dont want to hear that. But this is much worse than was the money laundering issues under the BC Liberals because its a direct intentional and personal attack on people themselves to try to addict them by way of the gaming systems really quite smart and remarkable way how they market all of it, and that’s exactly what I pick up on whats happening in gaming now. Bigger revenues generated now to be able to share to Ebys special interest groups and communities. Well, there is our BCNDP government for the working class and hard at work for the people of BC. This cabal of rotten apples governing now make the BC Liberals look like minor offenders when they reigned.
I was away when this aired but from the sounds of it, yikes!
I admit I didn’t know too much about Kerry-Lynne Findlay so I did some research. It does sound like she comes with some baggage. A 51% to 49% win is not exactly a ringing endorsement.
I always wonder why so many lawyers turn to politics?
Personally I would have liked to see someone younger win. ( I am in my 70’s, so…) Maybe someone with some fresher, newer ideas, energy or outlook?
(Response: Well, the NDP chose somebody younger who had fresher newer ideas, and look where they have ended up! I personally thought Black would’ve been a better choice… and I bet the NDP were happy that Findlay won.But there is so much unhappiness with Eby and the NDP, she could just pull this off… unless Eby goes or another more centrist alternative emerges between now and election day. Ho)