Ex-B.C. Conservatives back NDP Leader Adrian Dix for MLA

by Carlito Pablo on Oct 17, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Comments
MLA John van Dongen, Milan Kljajic, John Cummins, and former B.C. Conservative member John Crocock in happier times.

Some Vancouver-Kingsway residents have resigned from the B.C. Conservative Party and are endorsing B.C. NDP Leader Adrian Dix as their choice for MLA in next year’s election.

That may strike B.C. Conservative Leader John Cummins as extremely ironic. After all, when he was a federal Conservative MP, Cummins voted for the B.C. NDP candidate for Delta North in the 2009 election.

“With our board falling apart and everybody resigning, we believe that Adrian Dix is probably the best candidate,” Milan Kljajic told the Straight in a phone interview.

Until he cancelled his party membership following Cummins’s refusal to step down as leader, Kljajic was the president of the Vancouver-Kingsway constituency association of the B.C. Conservative Party. He said that other community members have resigned from the party as well.

“We had a barbecue on the weekend for our members from our Vancouver-Kingsway constituency, and for this election coming up, we are going to endorse Adrian Dix,” Kljajic said.

But that’s as far as it goes. “We’re not saying that we’re endorsing him as the next premier. We’re just endorsing him as the MLA to represent Vancouver-Kingsway.”

Kljajic also claimed that more trouble is headed the way of the B.C. Conservative Party. According to him, more constituency association presidents could desert the party, taking a number of members along with them. “I heard 25 or 26 CA presidents are to the point where they are considering cancelling their memberships and walking away from the party,” he said.

Poll results released by Angus Reid on October 12 show that the B.C. Conservatives are losing steam. However, the other party on the right, the B.C. Liberal Party, is not gaining much in the polls despite the mutiny that has rocked the B.C. Conservatives.

B.C. Conservative president Al Siebring acknowledged that there has been a “deceleration” in his party’s momentum.

“As a party, we want to focus on the kinds of things that we want to put forward to British Columbians in the next election campaign: fiscal accountability, common sense, rules on government spending,” Siebring told the Straight by phone.

A broadcaster, Siebring said he doesn’t blame the media for focusing on the party’s internal strife. “But I mean, we have been taken off message by some of this other stuff going on,” he said. “It’s not our intent to be taken off message.”

Comments (23) Add New Comment
dave19
Oct 17, 2012 at 4:52 pm
The phoney Liberals and Socialists on the left have always worked with the fake Conservitives on the right to bring us the illusion of choice. David Emerson had your vote with out even rigging it you voting fools.
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Frank D
Oct 17, 2012 at 8:02 pm
There is no free enterprise Party in BC. The NDP is the only choice. Cummins has failed as a leader losing two by elections. The liberals brick wall is falling apart. A little funny the The ex Conservatives endorse him as an MLA and not a leader
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Alan Forseth
Oct 17, 2012 at 10:13 pm
This whole story of over two dozen CA presidents resigning is horsemanure -- and Milan knows it!

I find it sad that Milan has decided to be so missleading in his comments :(
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Collin
Oct 17, 2012 at 10:50 pm
How can they call themselves conservative and endorse a socialist?
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Karl G
Oct 18, 2012 at 6:15 am
The only credible choice is the NDP this time around. The Liberal Ship is sinking and the BC Conservatives have had their ship sunk with John van Dongen turning into an independant, John Martin jumping ship to the Liberals and Ben Besler jumping ship to the Liberals. At least Milan chose a Party that has a credible candidate to lead the Province
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JimB
Oct 18, 2012 at 8:51 am
These so called Conservatives are a joke. Voting for the socialist Dix just proves what most people have thought all along, they exist only to get the NDP elected. Just like no one takes Cummin's seriously no one will ever take rag tag crew of misfits seriously. They're delusional if they think they will ever have a sniff of power. On the bright side at least they're now admitting they're true goal all along was to get the NDP elected. Hopefully people will now see them for what they truly are.


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Albert Charles
Oct 18, 2012 at 9:06 am
So much for the conspiracy of Liberals miles destroying the BC Conservative Party. Cummins leadership is destroying the party as they lose another key resource to one of their constituency associations.
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Jess
Oct 18, 2012 at 9:24 am
Petulant children.
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Peter Jamers
Oct 18, 2012 at 10:01 am
BC Conservatives were always a "Fringe" Party with no organization from a board that calls themselves "A-Team". As far as I know, the TV show A Team were criminals that escaped jail to help citizens. This "A Team" is destroying the ship as it loses another major player. John Cummins is now all alone in the picture.
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Mike K
Oct 18, 2012 at 10:52 am
Cummins had a chance to step down as leader at the AGM. Only a 71% approval rating. 1100 out of 3800 members voted. Pathetic for a leader.
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Ryan W
Oct 18, 2012 at 11:31 am
It deeply saddens me that both the Liberals and BC Conservatives don't have a leader for a free enterprise Party. The only choices left are Adrian Dix or an independent. Anyways, good luck to all that have abandoned both Party's. good men and women trying to better the community leaving due to the lack of respect.
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Aileen P
Oct 18, 2012 at 11:56 am
At least 3 of the 4 men in the picture have stopped drinking the Kool Aid that made them dillusional and believe that the BC Cons were an alternative free enterprise Party.
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Lukas
Oct 18, 2012 at 12:19 pm
BC Conservatives will not win one seat in the next election. NDP 80 Green 3 Liberal 1 Independant 1 (John Van Dongen)
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Alex T
Oct 18, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Rick Peterson steps down as candidate for Quilchena, Hamish Marshall the whiz kid quits Party, John Martin seeks nomination as Liberal, John Van Dongen quits to be an Independant, HST fighter Ben Besler joins Martin, founding CA developer John Crocock gets the boot, life time member Arriane Eckartd and Doctor Patten shown the door, 20+ Prez asking for Cummins resignation and CA President Milan Kljajic endorses only candidate in their Kingsway Riding. Is John Cummins dillusional and thinks he has support. John, quit and let the BC Cons be an alternative choice unless you are there to collapse the Party. No Free Enterprise Party equals NDP landslide win.
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Johnny Calamari
Oct 18, 2012 at 1:35 pm
John Cummins is the laughing stock of BC. This all started when they lost their brightest star. Hamish Marshall. Then to be replaced by wing nut Randy White, retired Peckford and NDPer Will McMartin. Maybe Will came to the party to cause dissenstion within the party and have the NDP to an easy victory.
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Amber Tilbury
Oct 18, 2012 at 2:14 pm
NDP will win the election in May 2013. The Vancouver Kingsway board should be congratulated for coming to reality and endorsing the next Premier. Hopefully there is a follow up article. I would love to have the opinion of this high profile Ex BC Conservative President and his experience with the Fringe Party and the lack of leadership from John Cummins and the current board.
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M Walker
Oct 18, 2012 at 3:52 pm
I am appalled by the nonsense that has been happening in the Conservative Party this last month. Can someone please tell me what John Cummins has done that is so wrong? Why is it that all the furor is coming from the lower mainland, what about the CAs that are in the interior? Has anyone asked us how we feel? The Okanagan, Shuswap, Kamloops?
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lolz
Oct 18, 2012 at 4:28 pm
BC Conservatives are a total joke as usual. If they had any sense of self preservation they would dissolve their party completely and start something new and leave Cummins by himself. If it's old school 'fiscal restraint' type conservatives and not Conservative-Reform-Alliance-Party (CRAP) where BS morals are dictated and ridiculous children manipulate democracy to satisfy their insane ideology then people may actually vote for them, though I still wouldn't.

I'll vote for any 21st century peer to peer type organization like the pirate party who are non idealogues and pro actual representitive democracy.

Time to throw out the failed 20th century top-down vertical power structures we still cling to. We don't need a fearless leader with heroic speeches we need democracy

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Christy Clark
Oct 18, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Why are you going to the NDP when you can join the Liberals. We are happy over hear.
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Brad T
Oct 18, 2012 at 7:38 pm
A powerful endorsement for the next premier. Cummins is too old. He's out of touch with the younger generations and the non voters. Cummins can't even keep his own party together. A new leader would put pressure on Dix but a little too late. The ship has sunk since losing their only MLA.
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