The Nomination Meeting

Good evening fellow Conservatives, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, and fellow nominee candidate Maria Dobi ... 

My name is Peter Sharp and tonight I hope to become your candidate, for the BC Conservative Party, in our Kamloops South Thompson Riding.  Then with your support, encouragement, and assistance -- to become your MLA following the May General Election.  

About a month ago, BC Liberal MLA Terry Lake was quoted as saying:  “What we do see, as we get closer to election, is that people are understanding what the BC Conservatives are all about….”

My hope is that the Voters of our great province do indeed come to understand what we, as BC Conservatives are all about and what we believe in ... and what we hope to bring to the political stage in British Columbia.

Terry Lake tossed a generalized statement out -- one, which implied there is something to fear from the BC Conservatives.   He knows that his implied statement is completely without truth ... and the backroom manipulators of the BC Liberal Party know that as well. 

In fact ... because WE BELIEVE IN BC ... and the people of BC ... I am proud to say that our beliefs, principles and policies differ greatly from the BC Liberal Party. 

WE - as BC Conservatives - believe in clearly defined public policies and programs that are affordable, effective, and accountable to each one of you here tonight.  And I too believe that each and every British Columbian is entitled to full knowledge of all services government provides ... AND what they cost. 

After all ... how else can we know if we are getting good value? 

WE -- as BC Conservatives --  believe that our provincial government must operate with the highest standards of integrity and transparency.  And we as BC Conservatives also believe that governments at all levels -- including at the municipal level -- are responsible to serve and respect all individuals and their families.  

As an elected councillor with the City of Kamloops, I have firsthand experience in knowing why our elected representatives should first and foremost represent your interests. 

As a retired RCMP officer with 30 years of experience, I too believe in the BC Conservative Party's policy of law and order that focuses on the rights of victims ... and the protection of the public. 

We as BC Conservatives have our feet planted in reality.  We need to have smaller government ... we need to encourage new enterprise.  Leadership at all levels (from teachers in the classroom -- to elected officials in Victoria) MUST encourage our youth ... parents ...  employees in the workplace ... and business leaders to dream big dreams.  We need to once again strive towards excellence and prosperity. 

These are not just motherhood statements ... these are statements that I too -- WITH YOU -- believe in. 

If I have the opportunity to be your elected representative for the BC Conservative Party…. I will hold my party accountable to create an environment where good government and prosperity can be achieved. 

The BC Conservative Party will be running candidates throughout our province in the next provincial election.  We want to give the voters of British Columbia a real choice -- and a real option -- from what the BC NDP, and the BC Liberals, have each given us with their terms in office. 

In a little over two decades, both of these parties have shown they both head down the same path in creating bigger government --- running deficits year after year -- and increasing the debt that our children and grand-children will ultimately be responsible to pay back. 

It’s time for a change after more than two decades of financial mismanagement -- and outright dishonesty -- that we have been subjected to by BOTH the NDP and the BC Liberals.  

It was because of the NDP mismanagement, financial irresponsibility and corrupt practices, that the voters of BC set upon them and turfed the out of office.  When the BC Liberals took power, our economy was in a shambles ... our provincial debt was sitting at over $30 billion ... BC was relegated to being a have not province.

Well…... another decade has gone by, only this time under the BC Liberals.  ONCE AGAIN we are back in the same boat.  Under the BC Liberals, the BC debt has doubled ... and now stands at nearly $60 BILLION dollars and climbing... and our economy struggles to keep up. 

Statistics Canada has reported a number of facts that each one of us should be concerned about.  For instance ... did you know we no longer lead the country in terms of average weekly earnings?  We are now 5th!  British Columbians now earn less than workers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Newfoundland.  

Like the days of NDP government, we now have more people leaving our province than those migrating here from other areas of Canada.  We are providing our youth with the skills and trades they need to get a well paying job ... and then seeing them leave the province because they can’t find a job in BC to put those skills and training to good use.

The BC Liberals are spending millions of tax payer dollars on partisan political ads, pumping up all their accomplishments over the last decade, but failing to mention at the same time their spending spree has put us in a financial hole.  Even Moody’s have downgraded our credit rating because of our ballooning debt.

And coming soon ... we can expect a new set of expensive election promises. 

They have been bragging that BC has the lowest provincial taxes in Canada --- except they fail to mention the NEW higher user fees and charges that have been tacked onto every thing that the BC Government has to offer. 

Stop for a minute and think about how much more you are paying for BC Hydro ...  BC Ferries ... and ICBC.  How much more has the Carbon Tax added to the cost of gas or diesel when you fill up your vehicle or heat your home. 

How much more are you now paying for our Medical Services Plan.  Which, incidentally, our Liberal Government has announced, in their budget, will be increased by a further 4%.  YES the BC Liberals may have given us some of the lowest personal income taxes -- but they MORE THAN MADE UP FOR IT with all those increased fees and NEW taxes! 

You would also think, given what the BC Liberals have stated, that the Kamloops regional economy has thrived under their government.  I beg to differ. 

For instance, just in Kamloops alone, we have seen the closure of Weyerhaeuser and Convergys ... with the loss of well over 1000 jobs.   The Kamloops pulp mill is shutting down a third of its plant ... with the loss of another 120 well paying jobs.   That’s not to mention the transfer of government jobs to Kelowna.

You won’t see that information being proudly mentioned in any taxpayer funded BC Liberal government advertising!  

Where are those good well-paying jobs they talk about to replace what we have lost? 

To date, the BC Liberals have spent little in the way of tax dollars in the Kamloops region ... and it's only because of losing ground with voters, that they have finally made two recent announcements affecting Kamloops.  We have waited five years for the province to commit funds to the Trades Education School at NorKam High School.  

AND ... Royal Inland Hospital has been waiting for countless years for funding to complete work that should have been undertaken years ago.  Now that we have a provincial election looming, the money has been committed.  Only time will tell if these two projects will see the light of day. 

My family and I have resided in Kamloops for over 20 years.  I have served my community as a policeman, a city councilor, a member of the TNRD board of directors, as chairman of our regional hospital district board of directors, plus 15 other committees and local not for profit community groups and organizations. 

I have the time, the energy and the desire to be your BC Conservative Party Candidate. 

And I ask for your vote tonight to elect me as your candidate for Kamloops South Thompson Riding. 

Thank You,
I’m Peter Sharp