They are the few. They are the proud. They are the BC Conservative Club. In a letter sent on September 27, former federal election national campaign co-chair John Reynolds encourages fellow travellers to join the club to "solidify and grow our collective Conservative linkages." Specifically, those paying the $500 minimum membership fee/donation will receive "invitations to member-only events (held quarterly)" and "up-to-date talking points on issues of the day" - among other perks. Founders of the club include former provincial campaign co-chair Bruce Hallsor, Social Credit dark prince Bud Smith, former Progressive Conservative Canada Fund director Jacob Brouwer, former BMO-Nesbitt Burns Inc. senior vice-president and managing director Peter Powell, Richards Buell Sutton LLP Sharon White (who was the 1991 Vancouver-Little Mountain Socred provincial election candidate) and Clark Wilson LLP senior partner Lyall Knott and energy chair group Tony Fogarassy. Membership fees for the club are directly deposited in the Conservative's coffers. The following is a complete copy of that letter.
Parti conservateur
du Canada
Conservative Party
of Canada
c/o 800-885 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3H1
September 27, 2006
Dear:
Re: BC Conservative Club
Please accept this letter as an invitation to join and participate in the newly formed BC Conservative Club.
It is a very exciting time to be a Conservative, especially a BC Conservative. With Prime Minister Stephen Harper's recent visit to the West Coast combined with the Conservative Party resurgence in British Columbia polls, I and my fellow "founders" of the BC Conservative Club believe the time is right to solidfy and grow our collective Conservative linkages, not only in BC, but also with Ottawa.
The founders of the BC Conservative Club include Bruce Hallsor, Bud Smith, Jacob Brouwer, Lyall Knott, Peter Powell, Sharon White, Tony Fogarassy (Secretary for the club) and myself as Chairman.
We envision BC Conservative Club members will receive:
* regular updates regarding federal policy announcements,
* information on British Columbia speaking engagements of Conservative MPs,
* invitations to Conservative Party social events,
* invitations to member-only events (held quarterly), and
* up-to-date talking points on issues of the day.
Our goal is to raise $150,000 to further our cause in British Columbia.
To achieve this goal, we ask you to consider a $500 contribution for membership in the BC Conservative Club. Contributions, of course, can exceed $500, but cannot exceed $1,000. We must receive contributions that confirm with the current pending legislation, the Federal Accountability Act. The legislation sets out an annual $1,000 aggregate limit for personal contributions to federal political parties and a separate annual $1,000 aggregate limit for personal contributions to your riding association (now known as the "EDA", or Electoral District Association), All contributions must be made personally, contributions from either a corporation, a trade union or an association cannot be accepted.
Contributions to the BC Conservative Club will qualify for a tax credit on your federal income taxes. The enclosed contribution form provides an illustration of the tax credit.
I ask that your personal contribution cheque be made payable to "Conservative Fund Canada" and that your forward it (along with a completed contribution form) to:
Tony Fogarassy, Secretary
BC Conservative CLub
c/o Clark Wilson LLP
800-885 W Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3H1
You may also pay by credit card or utilize our monthly cheque option, both of which are set out in the contribution form.
Tony will then insure your contribution is forwarded to the Conservative Fund Canada for receipting.
Please do make a copy and forward this letter (and the contribution form) to friends and colleagues who you believe may have interest in joining the BC Conservative Club.
I hope you will join with me in making this new BC Conservative Club a successful organization in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Hon. John Reynolds, PC
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I wonder if Gulzar Cheema or Shinder Purewal were invited?
Any Chinese or East Indians? Right now the groups looks pretty white...
What an asinine comment. It looks to me like everyone is invited, including you and me.
I wonder if Gulzar Cheema or Shinder Purewal were invited?
Both are federal Liberals.
Any Chinese or East Indians? Right now the groups looks pretty white...
What stupidly racist comment.
Did somebody say Bud Smith? I am going to have to get out the geritol, ... I can remember the old days at UVic when he was Doug Smith, not Bud Smith. It's kind of neat to see the older boys making a reappearance, ... can old-time Liberal Bob Plecas be far behind?
But seriously, Bud wouldn't be joining this thing if he didn't think there were at least some real opportunities involved. And that's where I think his timing is off, because between the softwood agreement and the recurring problems with certain candidacies from the Christian right, I really think the Conservative star in BC probably peaked last January.
Did somebody say Bud Smith? I am going to have to get out the geritol, ... I can remember the old days at UVic when he was Doug Smith, not Bud Smith. It's kind of neat to see the older boys making a reappearance, ... can old-time Liberal Bob Plecas be far behind?
He's in there some where.
Bud's trained lap dog puppy Kelly Reichert is Executive Director of the BC Liberals. KR kept going back and forth between being Bud's Executive Asssitant and a regional party hack so many times (that hapened because Bud got tossed out of cabinet twice or three times), the Highways department had to replace the road surface on the Coquihalla Highway because Kelly was driving the road back and forth so many times. Talk about a sheltered life.
"Bud" is just his college label. He was also embroiled in a contraversey which had him thrown out of Cabinet, twice I figure. Involved a female reporter who he eventually got snugglebunnies with. Daphne didn't like that and neither did VanderZalm.
But seriously, Bud wouldn't be joining this thing if he didn't think there were at least some real opportunities involved.
That's why people like Lyall Knott get involved. It's the tired old Men's Couch Club. it's all power and influence. Lyall Knott has had his day with the Progressive Conservatives. He should move on and let new people in on the action.
At least they're getting new people to head this Cheque Writers Club, such as Sharon White and Bruce Hallsor.
Talk about hard work! Spend two minutes writing a cheque and get all kinds of goodies. Spend two hours working heavy as a volunteer and get nothing
"And that's where I think his timing is off, because between the softwood agreement and the recurring problems with certain candidacies from the Christian right, I really think the Conservative star in BC probably peaked last January."
There aren't any certain candidacies from the Christian right that are nominated, unless you're thinking Randy Kamp and Marky Mark Warawa and neither of them are dumb enough to wave the Scriptures around at political meetings.
As for the softwood agreement, It's "Deal". The remaining cases held by the models have been opened and there's nothing left to be done except turn off the money board and roll the credits.
The forest companies are happy with it and the cheques will be going out soon.
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