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

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      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 Comments

      dave19

      Oct 17, 2012 at 4:52pm

      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.

      Frank D

      Oct 17, 2012 at 8:02pm

      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

      Alan Forseth

      Oct 17, 2012 at 10:13pm

      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 :(

      Collin

      Oct 17, 2012 at 10:50pm

      How can they call themselves conservative and endorse a socialist?

      Karl G

      Oct 18, 2012 at 6:15am

      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

      JimB

      Oct 18, 2012 at 8:51am

      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.

      Albert Charles

      Oct 18, 2012 at 9:06am

      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.

      Jess

      Oct 18, 2012 at 9:24am

      Petulant children.

      Peter Jamers

      Oct 18, 2012 at 10:01am

      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.

      Mike K

      Oct 18, 2012 at 10:52am

      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.