Conservative National Councillor Hamish Marshall is quoted in this piece (see here) by the Tyee’s Andrew MacLeod as being the spokesman for Liberal leadership candidate Kevin Falcon.
I met Hamish Marshall years ago when he came looking for a job from then Conservative Party Political Operations Director, Doug Finley during a Conservative caucus retreat in Victoria. I was a recent hire of Finley’s and Marshall and I chatted over drinks at a bar. The Conservative political operations people were not happy with a paper Marshall had done which was critical of the previous election campaign organization done in BC.
Finley and Marshall must have mended the fence as I next saw Marshall working in the “war room” during the 2005 convention in Montreal. Since then, he obviously became a favourite of the Party’s higher-ups as he was elected one of BC’s National Directors. No one out of favour would have a chance otherwise.
My most recent connection with Marshall was with the BC Conservative Party. He is a very tight political friend of BC Con Vice President Jeff Bridge and Fundraising Chair Jonathan Snoek who Bridge calls Marshall’s “little assistant”. Snoek was the BC Con board member who emailed me questioning my loyalty just before my membership was pulled (see here). Bridge stabbed me in the back by having me removed from the Board of Directors after I differed with asking a Liberal MLA to come into the fold (see here).
Bridge was in constant communication with Marshall for tactical advice and political contacts. Bridge has told me many times that Marshall was supporting the BC Conservative Party so you can appreciate my surprise when I ran across this article stating that Marshall was working for a BC Liberal. Curious if Bridge has explained this little turn of events to the Board of Directors of the BC Conservative Party?
Ex-BC national councillor Byng Giraud has also come out supporting Liberal leader candidate George Abbott’s candidacy (see here) but at least Giraud was no longer a sitting councillor like Marshall. There was also Ken Boessenkool who was told by the Conservative Party that he had to quit the Christy Clark campaign (see here) .
So, what exactly is going on here? Did the BC Cons have the support of their national brethren which has now soured or did they ever have it in the first place? More alarming though…. is there a mole(s) working deep within undermining any effort to form a credible opposition to the Liberals?
Update: I have been informed that Hamish Marshall resigned from the National Council last year and was replaced by Marshall Neufeld
BC Blue: One BC Conservative's view on it all... 
February 11, 2011 at 2:51 PM
Ekos…
CPC – 37.3%
Libs – 24.8%
NDP – 14.2%
CPC has opened 10 to 12 point lead over Libs in Ontario…including in GTA!
More here…
February 11, 2011 at 4:24 PM
You do realize that Kevin Falcon is a federal Conservative right? The BC Liberals is an alliance of federal Tories and Grits. The BC Conservatives are a fringe party; resurrecting them would cause the centre-right vote to split allowing the NDP to form government.
February 11, 2011 at 7:56 PM
Funny…I’ve heard that a few times but in all the years I was very active in the Conservative Party, I never ran across him once.
February 13, 2011 at 5:03 PM
BC Blue: Wondered if you noticed the following comment in the online Newsletter of the BC Conservative Party, which refers to online sites “set up by former BC Conservative members who have left the party for a variety of reasons.” — Now, they wouldn’t be thinking of you, would they? 🙂
[begin quote]:
“REAL OR NOT: Will the real BCC stand up! It has been noted by some members of the party there are web and social media sites out there that look or are named “BC Conservatives”, but are mostly filled with hate and misinformation about the party. These sites are, for the most part, set up by former BC Conservative members who have left the party for a variety of reasons. The party is currently working on solutions to deal with these sites, but it is important for our membership, the media and the citizens of BC understand that not all “conservative” sites are the same. In the next couple of months, the party will be rolling out new branding rules for party managed web and social media environments, supplying the proper branding images and text to party communication directors. Be sure to look for the BCC “Seal of Approval” before reading.” [end quote]
February 13, 2011 at 6:34 PM
No, I didn’t notice. I know that they are very sensitive to what I write about them although I’m guessing that this may be more specifically directed at the website set up those that went to the BC First Party. They have a BC Conservative webname which they are using to direct traffic to their site. The BC Unity Party is also using old BC Conservative membership lists to send out emails to their members.
What makes me laugh is that they are “working on a solution to deal with these sites”. I wonder what their current membership would think of them if they knew more about who they are being led.
February 13, 2011 at 5:08 PM
BC Blue: Interesting! I remember when Hamish Marshall was elected to National Council and, as I recall, he was endorsed by former MP Reed Elley, (who was the candidate for Nanaimo-Cowichan again, at that time), and who, as you would be aware, is one of the members of the BC Conservative Party’s Tactical Advisory Group!
February 13, 2011 at 6:26 PM
That is very interesting…Elley and I had quite the email exchange a while back.
February 13, 2011 at 9:52 PM
BC Blue Says:
February 13, 2011 at 6:26 PM
“That is very interesting…Elley and I had quite the email exchange a while back.”
I guess the TAG is busy recruiting candidates, eh? Back in September ’09, when the anti-HST rallies were held around the province, the BC Conservatives were letting on to the public that they were AGAINST the HST and of course, that was attracting interest to the Party and new members, as I am sure you know. It certainly was something watching how all that very quickly changed and the players that have been involved in all of it!
February 13, 2011 at 10:52 PM
They honestly haven’t done a blessed thing except talk a big game and take over control of the party with Randy White leading Wayne McGrath around by the nose.
None of them are willing (or know how) to do any of the real work that it takes to get a party established.
March 2, 2011 at 9:21 PM
It is interesting that Dean says things like “none of them are willing (or know how) to do the real work that it takes to get a party established” I honestly do not get that statement.
Consider this. In the TAG, there are members that were part of the birth and growth of the federal Reform Party, a former Conservative Premier of a province, a former member of the Socreds, not to mention a half dozen retired MLAs, MPs and municipal leaders. How, with that amount of experience, does this equate to not knowing how to get a party established?
Consider this, also. Since Dean has been gone from the BC Conservatives, the party has grown considerably. There are 6x as many Constituency Associations in place, membership has surpassed the 2000 marker, communications has vastly improved with Social Media, professional looking newsletters and brochures, updated Website, regular press releases and almost daily communication with CA executives across the province. I am certainly not suggesting that all of this is a “result” of Dean’s absence, but his suggestions that the party does not know what it is doing or isn’t making any headway, is just wrong.
In truth, if the President, Vice-President and TAG chair were to step down tomorrow, Dean would likely be the first in line to return to the BC Conservatives. He does not strike me as one to join the BC First or BC Unity parties. I think he is a true blue Conservative who is simply holding a grudge against some of the party executive and TAG members.
Still, it is a free country and he is entitled to his opinion. Oh, I should also mention that “fringe” parties do not show up in polling numbers. The BC Conservatives do and I am very much looking forward to the next one, now that Ms.Clark is at the helm.
Glad to see you are reading the newsletter, Engaged Elector. 🙂
March 2, 2011 at 9:37 PM
lol I know the abilities of those ex-politicians very well. Also, it was your Official Spokesman who called them angry rednecks (see here). Real smart…anyone bring a motion for a vote to have him removed?
I’m still waiting for the list of all these riding presidents btw as the numbers keep changing on how many EDAs you have. Guess I can probably just check with how many are actually registered with Elections BC…
Yes, let me know when McGrath, Bridge and White are gone and I’ll back you.
February 17, 2011 at 4:40 PM
[…] Last week there was resigned Conservative of Canada National Director Haimish Marshall (who was deep in the confidence of BC Conservative Vice President Jeff Bridge and Fundraising Chair Jonathan Snoek) backing Liberal leadership candidate Kevin Falcon (see here). […]
February 28, 2011 at 10:54 AM
[…] was bad enough having ex-Conservative national councillors backing Falcon and Abbott (see here) but this is way too much to […]
March 13, 2011 at 1:31 PM
BC Blue said:
“My most recent connection with Marshall was with the BC Conservative Party. He is a very tight political friend of BC Con Vice President Jeff Bridge and Fundraising Chair Jonathan Snoek who Bridge calls Marshall’s “little assistant”. Snoek was the BC Con board member who emailed me questioning my loyalty just before my membership was pulled (see here).
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Further to your reference to Jonathan Snoek, wondering if you have read what Alex T. had to say on March 10th when referring to Mr. Snoek in one of his comments on his blog? He appears to have quite a different opinion of Mr. Snoek.
AGT’s comment can be found in his report: “Christy Clark Making It More Difficult for Investigation Into ‘Basi-Virk’ Legal Fees, Allan Seckel Leaves B.C. Government Before He Wants to: Are Loukidelis and Whitmarsh Next? Is this All Part of a Clark BC Rail Cover-up?”
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AGT says:
March 10, 2011 at 10:15 AM
” … And then I heard that Phil Eidsvik, Eddie Odishaw, Jonathan Snoek and others were moving in to shove people like White and Elley aside. This is MOST welcome news for the BC Conservatives and will make them immediate contenders.”
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BC Blue – IMO, the majority of political operatives and heavyweights in ALL parties have been doing a bang-up job of “PLAYING” with the voters in the BACK-STABBING GAME CALLED POLITICS.
After a life time of voting, that is my sentiment and I arrived at that conclusion due to my personal involvement with the HST thing and that involvement spanned several months. Sad to say, but that is what happened to an engaged member of the electorate, who gave her time in a non-partisan manner. POWER is an aphrodesiac!
March 13, 2011 at 1:37 PM
Alex Tsakumis and myself stay in fairly regular contact and yes, no party has the market cornered in playing games in search of power.