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Open letter to the B.C. Liberals

You lost this recent election for many reasons. Primarily because you offered no meaningful choice; instead, you just dug through the NDP and Green goodie bag and tossed a few tidbits to the voters. The gambit failed, as it should have.
Trudy Klassen sept 2020

You lost this recent election for many reasons. Primarily because you offered no meaningful choice; instead, you just dug through the NDP and Green goodie bag and tossed a few tidbits to the voters. The gambit failed, as it should have. 

Here is a ten-point plan for rebuilding:

1.   Respect the electorate by acknowledging you have much work to do. Shirley Bond’s work ethic sets the bar high, and was an excellent choice for interim leader. That’s a good start.

2.   Build the grassroots. Focus on building the $5 and $10/month donor base by engaging with ordinary people who need to know they matter to you. 

3.   Modernize riding associations. Expect them to develop at least two viable nominees for candidates in each election cycle. Expect them to sponsor free-enterprise and right-of-centre educational initiatives in their communities. Expect them to develop an engaging online presence.

4.   Be the freedom and free-enterprise party. Resist the paternalism of the left.

5.   Leave federal politics at the door. Make it clear that the party is concerned with provincial matters and has no ties to any federal party.  

6.   Commit to developing right-of-centre solutions to housing affordability, issues in agriculture, meat processing, the environment, childcare, decriminalization of drugs, etc. Focus on the value of human life by working toward excellent rehab and mental health services.

7.   Be the party that makes it easier to be “the little guy or gal.” Small business accounts for about 70 per cent of all jobs, but face increasing pressure trying to comply with rules and regulations meant for large companies. Develop a plan to make B.C. the most small-business-friendly jurisdiction in Canada. It fits with our ethos, our lifestyle, our values, and our care for our environment.

8.   Be the party that values and respects community. Focus on policy that make it easier for people to improve their communities. Make it easier for small non-profits like community associations, clubs, and sports groups, to find places to meet and get more affordable liability insurance. 

9.   Reject identity politics, which is a zero-sum-game. Instead, build unity on things we can all agree on and allow people to be diverse. 

10.  Most commentators are calling for a swing to the social liberal side and rejecting social conservative candidates. Resist this urge. In a free country, you should not eliminate candidates based on their religion. Not only is it wrong, but it won’t work. The recent federal Conservative leadership campaign provides some insight: Peter Mackay, who said social conservatives were the “stinking albatross” of the party did win the first ballot in B.C., but previously unknown candidate Leslyn Lewis won the entire province, as well as the popular vote across Canada, on the second ballot. Take some lessons from Lewis; her approach to social and moral issues is to find consensus among a diverse population. Ask her to speak at your convention about this.

Ten points, and not a word about the type of leader? The leader needs to have the ability to communicate free-enterprise, centre-right values unapologetically, attractively, and convincingly.