Federal politicians in the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding don't need an election to face off against each other.
Liberal Party MP Blair Wilson told the Peak that John Weston's nomination signals to him that the social conservative base is alive and kicking.
"Candidates like John Weston who have extreme views are winning nominations," he said. "I think it tells us the Conservative party is out of touch with average Canadian values when they nominate candidates who are against the freedom to marry, dispute the science of global warming and blindly follow George Bush's foreign policy, as opposed to a more balanced, open Canadian approach to things."
Wilson was in Powell River when he made the comments during an interview on Jan. 10. He had just learned that Weston was nominated as the Conservative Party candidate in the riding.
The next election, Wilson said, whether it's in 2007 or 2008, is going to be about progressive issues and an independent foreign policy.
"I think Afghanistan and Kyoto are two issues Canadians will have to decide on. If they want more troops in Afghanistan and more greenhouse gases, vote for the radical Conservative ideology," Wilson said.
There will be a clear difference between the various parties in the next election, Wilson added.
"I don't think there could be a clearer differentiation between substance and style than between [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper, who is a ideologue and micromanager, and Stephane Dion, who is a pragmatist and someone who delegates authority. It's like night and day," he said.
Wilson's comments were made five days after he was nominated, Weston said.
"How ungracious and sad that in five short days my opponent has indicated what kind of campaign we can expect from him," Weston said. "It's personal, negative and misinformed. I'm sticking to issues: environment, fair taxes, accountability."
Wilson voted against the softwood lumber agreement, Weston pointed out, opposed the use of the surplus to pay down the debt and is against GST cuts, Weston added.
"The next election is going to be about his personal accountability and the accountability of the Liberals generally," Weston said.
The Conservatives had the largest nomination meeting the riding has ever known, Weston said.
"Almost 1,000 people voted, representing a broad base of constituents. They chose me because I represent the big tent of values in this riding. By contrast, [Wilson] hasn't seen a nomination contest the last two times," Weston said.
The Conservatives emphasize the democracy of a nomination contest, Weston said.
"Even the prime minister potentially has to face one in our party. It makes for a strong party organization, a stronger candidate. Certainly it makes me more informed of the views and issues around the whole riding," he said.
People don't know where Wilson's been or what he's been doing, Weston said, which is why he's been busy fielding constituents' concerns over the last year, "taking issues directly to cabinet ministers, issues such as the environmental aspects of the proposed quarry on the Sechelt peninsula, the acute labour shortage for Olympic construction projects and, in Powell River, the Myrtle Rocks project and the Jock McGregor memorial fund. These are things I've been working on because people couldn't get responses from Blair."
Meanwhile, Wilson is one of four Liberal representatives Dion appointed to a special legislative committee to deal with Bill C-30, the Clean Air Act.
"I was very honoured to be asked to take part in that," he said. "I think it's a reflection of how important the issue is to British Columbians."
The group has met once and Wilson said it's a lively, active committee.
