B.C. First Party demands postponement of B.C. Liberal leadership vote over “potential voter fraud”
The B.C. First Party is calling for the postponement of the B.C. Liberal leadership vote after 6,000 of the governing party’s would-be new members were reportedly found to be ineligible.
Chris Delaney, spokesperson for B.C. First, is demanding Elections B.C. conduct an investigation in order to ensure that the province’s next premier is elected through a legitimate process.
On Wednesday (February 23), CBC News reported that the estimated 6,000 disqualified memberships come from sign-ups by the leadership campaigns that could total as many as 60,000.
In a press release today (February 24), Delaney noted that means 10 percent of B.C. Liberal membership sign-ups could be “potentially fraudulent”.
“We need a postponement of the BC Liberal Leadership vote, and an immediate investigation by Elections BC to assure all British Columbians that the vote for the next premier of BC is legitimate,” Delaney said. “Anything less calls into question the entire results of that vote.”
According to Delaney, B.C. First sent acting chief electoral officer Craig James on Monday (February 21) a request for an investigation into “potential voter fraud”, but the fledging party hasn’t yet received a response.
“Here we have 10% of potentially fraudulent memberships in a contest that will choose the next all powerful leader of our province – and Elections BC won’t act?” Delaney stated.
The B.C. Liberals are scheduled to pick their new leader in a phone and online vote on Saturday (February 26).
Four candidates—George Abbott, Christy Clark, Mike de Jong, and Kevin Falcon—are running to succeed outgoing premier Gordon Campbell.
You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.
Comments
11 Comments
borguy
Feb 24, 2011 at 12:13pm
How long is it going take for Chris Delaney to realize that no one cares what parties he starts (and then die) or what he says?
NDB
Feb 24, 2011 at 1:41pm
Its clear election BC works for the Liberals. Why else would Gordon Campbell fire the past elections BC leader right before the HST campaign and replace him with a hand picked friend?
More lies from the liberal government.
voice of reason
Feb 24, 2011 at 1:50pm
Wait...i want to make sure I get this straight. The Liberal Party is doing lying and cheating to benefit only themselves with no regard for democracy or British Columbians?
Shocker...
Dont vote Liberal.
Rick Lundin
Feb 24, 2011 at 7:14pm
Nay sayers are always against what is good for B.C. Cristy Clark is going to make a difference in this province, wait and see.
RonS
Feb 24, 2011 at 10:39pm
What else is new! He won't investigate LIbERal election fraud but he'll send letters to elderly people who mistakenly signed the HST petition. He knows who butters his bread. Make no mistake, unless your a LIbERal of course!
politics101
Feb 25, 2011 at 8:22am
Slow news day - Chris Delaney will do anything for some press coverage or a sound bite
Regular voter
Feb 25, 2011 at 11:10am
Can you imagine what the mainstream media would be saying right now if the BCNDP had rejected 6,000 memberships? There would be screams of fraud, sleaziness, underhandedness and a complete lack of ethical morals from which to govern this province.
These arrogant BCLiberals whose only focus is power do not deserve our votes let alone our trust.
Shame on the mainstream and any other media for once again looking the other way while this corrupt bunch of crooks lie, cheat and steal their way to puttin in our new Premier. A Premier who will not have a mandate from the citizens of this province to rule as anything other than a stop gap measure. The MEDIA if they are doing their job properly needs to start calling foul on the BCLiberal Leadership vote - NOW!
glen p robbins
Feb 25, 2011 at 11:30am
Actually Delaney's point is vastly important. If 10% is true then it is more likely 30-40%. Voters don't have pins - vote line is busy. There is talk of an Online (cheaper) voter on HST and municipal votes.
Christy Clark does not possess an MLA's seat - she has no home yet and is thinking of calling an immediate election.
If Delaney's point isn't relevant imo we have some real problems - or some of these bloggers are BC Liberal - PAB.
Dave L
Feb 26, 2011 at 9:37am
To me, having "temporary foreign (to the process) voters" determine the leadership of any political party is plain dumb. Mass signups don't result in engaged memberships. It's been proven that the drop off of signups for nomination races and leadership races is vast. Yet those people committed to whatever political party they belong to, who work hard to support their party and caucuses are the vast minority in the leadership vote process.
Particularly when it comes to mass signups of special interest groups or ethnic groups. At the end of the day, after all the fanfare and confetti has fallen, its left up to the true members of the party to work with the leader that may or may not have been the best choice for the party.
People say, how to fix this problem. The answer is simple. The criteria to be able to vote for the leader of the party (no matter what party we're talking about, Fiberal, NDP, BC last, Green, Pot... whatever needs to change.
For example the BCNDP has a 90 day window for eligibility. In my mind that's too short. I think that the window should be extended to between 6 months to 1 year prior to a nomination meeting. 1 year for new members, 9 mnths for lapsed members. That way the voting pool you're drawing from is current, engaged (hopefully) and is valued as being true party members, not temporary signups, to disappear back into the fog the day after the vote. This would also take the issue of mass signups and the controversies that seem to always surround these right out of the picture.
Wetcoaster
Feb 26, 2011 at 10:00am
File this one under the "Chris Delaney is more of a moron that I thought" (and I thought he was an almost complete moron). He should stick to being the plucky uninformed sidekick of the Zalm.
Delaney wants Elections BC to get involved because he claim the BC Liberals are not running their leadership race fairly. :blink:
UHHHHHHHHH Chris your ignorant ****, Elections BC administers the PUBLIC electoral process in B.C. including provincial general elections and by-elections, provincial referendums, and recall and initiative petitions and votes. Elections BC has nothing to do with internal political party matters. :blink: What a maroon as my grand niece would say.
Hey Delaney just keep trying to find a party, any party, that will have you and stay out of other parties' internal affairs.