Federal hopefuls line up

Backrooms column by Dan Hilborn
Published May 7, 2005


With the prospect of a federal election looming, possibly as early as this summer, the Conservative Party of Canada has set its formal nominating meeting in the Burnaby-Douglas riding for May 15, just two days before the provincial election.

And the three Tories who vied for the seat in the last nomination race are once again hoping to knock the Liberals out of government and send rookie NDP MP Bill Siksay packing.

George Drazenovic, Al McDonnell and Gary Eyre have all confirmed that they will seek the Tory nomination in the riding that has elected an NDP member since Svend Robinson first came to power in 1979.

Drazenovic, the Tory standard-bearer in 2004, said his key concern is simply to get rid of the Liberals.

"The important stuff for me is simple Liberal corruption," he said. "It's deeper than we thought it was. Paul Martin promised to get to the bottom of it before calling the last election, and he broke that promise and now he's trying to wait for more evidence that will work to his own political advantage."

McDonnell, who ran for the Tories in the 2000 election, said he is the only nominee who truly reflects the right-wing heritage of his party.

"I think a lot of the business community supported Paul Martin last time, but I don't think that'll happen this year," McDonnell said, adding that he believes gay marriage could become the 'sleeper issue' of a possible 2005 federal election, especially among ethnic communities.

Eyre, a contractor who is co-chair of the Spirit of B.C. committee for Burnaby, said his experience and extensive list of community involvements would make him a good candidate for the Tories.

"I think the people of Burnaby are definitely ready for a change," Eyre said. "They've basically had 20 years of non- representation. Conservatives have a chance to form government and it's an opportunity for Burnaby to have an MP in government rather than in opposition."

PUNKS ENTER THE FRAY

Former Green party candidate Joey Keithley, best known as Joey Shithead of the punk rock band DOA, has returned to the fray with a new 20-song compilation CD that takes aim at the current government.

Citizens Rule is an independent disc featuring recordings by DOA, Geoff Burner, Betty Cracker, Joey Only and others that, according to the CD's liner notes, offers "No party line, no special interest, no media spin, one loud and simple message: Screw Campbell."

Distributed by Track Records, the CD costs only $10, and its formal release party will be May 12 at the Anza Club in Vancouver. Download the songs and make a donation to the food bank at the CD's website, www.bcfiberals.com.

RENTER CROWD SPEAKS UP

The Tenant's Rights Coalition is hoping somebody will stand up and ask the candidates a couple of questions about affordable housing during the ongoing provincial election campaign.

And seeing as how it's impossible for this newspaper to attend every single all-candidate's meeting during the next two weeks, we're providing those questions here, so you, the public can have the opportunity to grill the candidates.

The coalition, which speaks up on behalf of low income renters throughout the province, is particularly dismayed about cutbacks to the residential tenancy branch over the past four years. They note that Burnaby is now home to the only residential tenancy office in the entire Lower Mainland, and that 1,900 Burnaby residents are on waiting lists to get into subsidized housing.

So their questions are as follows:

1. Will your government reopen some offices and provide proper staffing so that Lower Mainland renters and landlords in other areas will have the proper access to information, dispute resolution and arbitration? and;

2. What will your government do to provide more subsidized housing for low-income people?

YOUNG LIB FESSES UP

Brock Stephenson, the Burnaby-Willingdon resident who is president of the B.C. Young Liberals, was forced to fess up after he attempted to describe himself as a simple volunteer during the first week of the election campaign.

Stephenson was dressed in the costume of a McDonald's Hamburglar when he showed up to heckle NDP leader Carole James at her first campaign stop of the election, at Burger Heaven in New Westminster.

When he inadvertently told the NDP his name, his opponents did a quick check and found out the young man has a long history of supporting the Liberals.

In fact, Stephenson and a long list of other Young Liberals, including occasional Burnaby NOW letter writers Woosang Lee and Miles Lunn, were formally introduced in the legislature by Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy on April 28, 2003.

"They represent the people of Simon Fraser University," Bloy said. "They supported the tuition increase, because they know it created more classes and more professors."

MAD COW COVERUP?

Is it time to close the Canadian border to American beef imports?

That's the question from Burnaby-New Westminster MP Peter Julian, after the Washington D.C.-based Environment News Service found several former U.S. Department of Agriculture employees who question whether their employee has adequately investigated claims of mad cow disease in American cattle herds.

An April 15 story from ENS quotes retired USDA veterinarian Dr. Masuo Doi as saying at least two 1997 investigations into suspected mad cow disease were not performed properly and the disease may have gotten into the food chain. The allegations are supported by a chief scientist at a USDA laboratory in Georgia, and a former veterinarian and USDA inspector who was fired in 1995.

"Dr. Doi was a veterinarian who said he was haunted by fears the right tests were not done," Julian said. "We've also heard from another inspector who said of there was ever a case of BSE, don't tell anybody."

"This is from insiders who are more familiar with these things than anybody. What I'm saying is we need to close the Canadian border to U.S. beef imports and start an investigation to make sure the beef that comes into Canada is safe.

"I believe the Canadian government has to stand up strongly for Canadian interests, and if there are questions, we need to close our border."

A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK

What's happening with the billions of dollars that are tied up in government foundations?

That's the $9 billion question coming from Burnaby-New Westminster MP Peter Julian this month, after Auditor General Sheila Fraser's annual report pointed to the lack of scrutiny for government foundations as a major oversight.

"In essence, they're playing hide and seek with these funds," Julian said last month.

In her annual report, Fraser said that most of the 11 government foundations in question have never had a compliance audit, while others have contracts that don't even allow the government to inspect their books.

"Even if they've deliberately misused the funds there's no provision to terminate the agreement," said Julian, the NDP critic for the treasury branch. "This is a huge, huge danger here. ... The public interest is not being respected."

Julian noted that he believes there is a need for foundation, such as the Canada Millennium Scholarship Fund, however, he wants them to fall under the purview of the AG office.