Editor:
When my fellow West Vancouverite Garry Rasmussen stood at the microphone on Saturday to persuade over 2,000 Tories to vote for a resolution from our riding, it was a moment of victory for our riding and for all British Columbians.
A team of people had worked with me to craft the resolution, especially the local volunteer Conservative Party riding association, led by Roger Garriock.
Our proposal is to move Coast Guard from the Fisheries to Transport department, to deal directly with the problem of abandoned vessels, and that the party should rely more heavily on science and technical expertise in the formulation of maritime decisions. For British Columbians especially, this could mean a bolstering of resources on maritime safety, cleaner seas and specific responses to the presence of abandoned and derelict vessels. In sum, the resolution promises to increase the emphasis on maritime issues for the Conservative Party – and may even impact what other parties do.
Look at this success in context. Our local Conservative Party association had actually contributed 19 proposals intended to improve the party and the country. Why did 18 of the 19 proposals not make it?
First, consider the competition. We are one of 338 Canadian ridings. Including our 19 proposals, 370 made it past the first two local levels of formal approval to become subject of consideration on the national level. To get implemented, proposals had to go through three more levels of approval: online debate and support by party members nationwide, preliminary vote by party members at the convention, then final vote at the convention Saturday.
You can imagine how hard many people worked to produce 19 resolutions. Only one made it all the way. But that tough, methodical, democratic process left participants unified and inspired that we’d worked together, listened to others’ views and strove to strengthen the party and make our country better. Party conventions like the Conservative one just held in Vancouver bring people together and build support for the democratic process.
John Weston, former MP for West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country
