In March, Liberal MP candidate Dan Veniez was allowed by the BC Conservative brainiacs to introduce their hand-picked candidate the recently converted Liberal Rick Peterson at his nomination media event even though Veniez is a hard-core Harper-hater (see here).
Not only did the BC Con back-room kiddies allow Veniez to become a media face for them, they were tickled pink about it all as I confirmed with the operative who set it all up.
And today I get to say ‘I told you so’ to these not-ready-for-prime time BC Conservatives who think they are ever so smart:
Veniez - John Cummins, leader of the fledgling Conservatives, is a crotchety social conservative, former Reform Party MP, and permanent Stephen Harper backbencher.
Cummins and his party are against absolutely everything a progressive and modern province like B.C. is for: the separation of church and state, religious tolerance, gay rights, and the reproductive rights of women. If they had their way, capital punishment would be the law of the land and First Nations would have no treaty rights or “special status” of any kind. (see here)
But hey, what do I know right?
Can’t wait for what this high profile BC Conservative ‘backer’ has to say during the upcoming election.
July 30, 2012 at 8:25 AM
I read his comments and said to myself … what kind of vendeta does this man have. His comments were crule, inkind, and untrue. Regardless of whatever role he had in announcement of Rick Peterson, this is exactly the kind of crap to get’s the people of BC more and more turned of, and tuned out, to what some are trying to do to restore a semblance of accountability to the legislature
July 30, 2012 at 9:01 AM
And yet as mentioned, both the operative who organized Veniez’s media endorsement and Hamish Marshall who oversaw it all, are still in charge
July 31, 2012 at 7:56 PM
Actually, Hamish Marshall is no longer with the party
July 31, 2012 at 10:10 PM
Since when?
August 1, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Happened over the weekend I believe — I got notification on it just before noon yesterday
July 30, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Why can’t some of these people not be honest about their political leanings. It appears this person is playing games and making mischief. Many signs of desperation in BC politics, Clark being exhibit A. Presenting as a little bit Lib and a little bit Con seems to be par for the political course in BC so why not run as a LibCon and clear the confusion?
July 30, 2012 at 8:59 AM
These type of games are always being played by people trying to undermine a party from within. It is up to the party officials to be astute enough to be aware and stop it or at least mitigate it from happening.
What the BC Con brainiacs did by fully enabling this Liberal is cause for firing but don’t hold your breath waiting.
July 30, 2012 at 9:08 AM
Dan Veniez is the same failed federal Liberal Candidate who, as late as June 2012, wanted Bob Rae to be able to run for the Liberal leadership.
That said, Dean, your observations of BC Conservatives handling of Dan Veniez, and the events and circumstances surrounding Mr Peterson’s introduction are reasonable and fair comment.
John Cummins did speak to the specific social issues raised by Dan Veniez at the 8:00 minute mark on this Voice of BC broadcast from May 17 2012:
http://vimeo.com/42350110
July 30, 2012 at 11:07 AM
The article is a smackdown of Premier Christy Clark,with the Cummins smear a matter of S.O.P. for a federal Liberal. Veniez,who seems the most bitter individual in BC at this moment, scathed Premier Clark in a way that makes his comment on Cummins pale by comparison.
Veniez makes the incredible statement ,”Some people can’t be bought for any price. They are grounded in deep conviction and principle and timeless values. The Yinka
Dene and over 100 other First Nations have signed the Save the Fraser Declaration calling upon their own indigenous laws to place a ban on pipelines and tankers throughout the Fraser River watershed and the migration routes of the Fraser River aalmon. “You can’t put a price tag on our future,” they said in a statement released last Friday.”
This has to be the most egregious example of pandering to a specific ethnic group I have ever heard. The man has watched too many “Noble Savage ” movies.
Time and again, so called “First Nations” blackmail governments and private industry in the name of protecting their sacred ground and traditional rights, only to take the money and run as soon as their price is reached in negotiations.
Poor Christy, she can’t even count on the usual Liberal sycophants any more.
July 30, 2012 at 12:33 PM
The BC Conservatives should be referred to as the So-Called Conservatives, they’re a disgrace to conservatism and are crying out for a fumigation process from what I can determine sitting far from BC they’re a lost cause.
July 30, 2012 at 12:48 PM
As a BC Conservative, I have to say I resent your blanket statement that ends up being a character assassination of our all of our members. Many of us are simple hard working family people, whose only goal is to try and bring accountability back to the legislature. There will be a few in our midst, just as in any group or organization, who may say or do things contrary to what the majority want or desire — I count this as true in the NDP and the BC Liberals as well. I hope in future you can keep this in mind
July 30, 2012 at 3:32 PM
It must be difficult for you.
July 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM
No actually not at all; I understand and realize that NONE of us is perfect, myself included
August 2, 2012 at 9:38 PM
Anyone who cannot recognise such an obvious rattle snake as Dan, deserves to be bitten.
August 3, 2012 at 1:29 PM
+1 to this comment. Veniez AFAIK never represented himself as anything other than a federal Liberal lifer. What on earth was he doing at a B.C. Conservative event? His linked bloviation (in the Georgia Straight LOL) should be seen as another fusillade in the long-term internal LPC conflict between the Martin and Chretien factions. I give him credit for at least seeming to realize that we need resource development like that pipeline, but this is the kind of person that voters need to keep far away from decision-making positions.