Hopefully the federal Liberals will have democratic elections for nominations in ALL ridings.

But we're not holding our breath for that one.

Obsolutely not going to happen. Please adjust your expectations accordingly.

"Grit Guy" shame on you. Don't you know by now that the words "democratic" and "Liberals" in the same sentence is an oxymoron! More factually accurate words to use together in a sentence would be "thieves" and "Liberals".

"Green Light-Red Light" . . .The LPC/BC looks more & more like the old CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union)since the Soviets had free elections too, that's providing you were approved by the party soviet . . . sort of a "red" light committee.
One wishes Comrade Chairman Crawford all the best in his lastest efforts.

Yes, perhaps we should pay off prospective candiates and then reneg on the payments like Stephen Harper and Conservatives. Now that's democracy.

What you wing-dings don't seem/want to understand is that the power to appoint candidates was granted to the Leader by a 2/3 vote of a biennial convention of the Liberal Party of Canada. Another vote could just as easily take it away.

That is democracy.

"What you wing-dings don't seem/want to understand is that the power to appoint candidates was granted to the Leader by a 2/3 vote of a biennial convention of the Liberal Party of Canada. Another vote could just as easily take it away."

So why wasn't it? Did it come up for debate at the last Convention?

Since the federal's habit of appointing candidates wasn't well received by the majority of the voting public, and a media feed, one wonders why the federal Liberals didn't get rid of it when the opportunity to do so was there at the last Convention/

Liberals have a difficult time getting rid of
bad habits.

There's no reason for it to exist. Let the membership decide. They're much more than just writing cheques to the party and participating in leadership campaigns.

"What you wing-dings don't seem/want to understand is that the power to appoint candidates was granted to the Leader by a 2/3 vote of a biennial convention of the Liberal Party of Canada. Another vote could just as easily take it away.

That is democracy."

So giving up your democratic right to vote for the candidate of your choice in your riding to your "Leader" is "democracy" in "Liberal-Land". I would hope that the majority of people in Canada would still find this to be a very strange definition of democracy - one that they would reject unequivocally.

In the BC NDP, a committee headed up by Treasurer Cheryl Hewitt has recommended an appointment power essentially similar to that being discussed here. One rather minor, technical difference is that the provincial party Executive, rather than the Leader, would make the appointments.

Similar to the national Liberal appointment power, it would be used to promote female and minority candidates, so there would be some restrictions on its use.

Hey Budd,

So let me get this straight the NDP is not so bad as the Liberals because the "Executive" gets to unilaterally take away your democratic right to vote as opposed to the "Leader". But as you note, it is for a "good" cause after all. Call me stupid but it appears to me to be the same thing - as in undemocratic!

PS: Quite frankly, I don't care if my political representatives are from a visible minority, female or dye their hair blue. I suspect like most Canadians, I would settle for honesty, integrity and wisdom - now I know that in this day and age these are rather strange qualification to request of our politicians - so yes you can call me stupid.

"In the BC NDP, a committee headed up by Treasurer Cheryl Hewitt has recommended an appointment power essentially similar to that being discussed here. One rather minor, technical difference is that the provincial party Executive, rather than the Leader, would make the appointments. "

Sure Budd. The outcome is the same. Nothing for the membership to choose from. The NDP is supposed to be "Democratic"? Hardly think so.

I think you and the other thinking heads amongst the collective should rethink that.

In fact I'd say vote who ever recommends that insane idea out of the Provincial Executive.

It's that kind of thinking that diminishes membership participation in political parties, and
many campaigns wonder why there is a shortage of
good volunteer help? Look in the mirror.

"Similar to the national Liberal appointment power, it would be used to promote female and minority candidates, so there would be some restrictions on its use. "

Here's a novel idea, Budd. Why not promote the
probable candidates who are female and/or miniority, and actually get them to actually work for the votes that they and the party want. By that, working the membership to get votes.

In short, a practice excercise.

How are these so-called "favoured" candidates supposed to go through an election out there in the real political world if they keep getting things given to them?

If they don't know how to campaign in the easy world of nomination within a political party, they
are certainly not going to know how to do it right out there in the real election world.

and the NDP is borrowing from the federal Liberals? Give it a rest.

The only thing that can be done with that idea is to get rid of it.

Memo to Red Dog and Age of Mediocrity:

I think you're misreading what I said. Without being unduly cranky I was pointing out that the BC NDP is about to go down essentially the same road as the Liberals in appointing candidates. That's why I said it was a "technical difference" that the party Executive would make the appointment rather than the Leader.

I don't agree with appointing candidates unless no local candidate can be found. I am in favour of encouraging and even prefering female and minority candidates, though I think Hewitt's committee has chosen percentages which are unachievable given the presence now of over 30 incumbents. Also, as I said in a previous post a few weeks ago, neither Hewitt nor any other member of her committee can say what the present composition of the NDP membership is, either by gender, age, racial or ethnic groups, mother tongue, ability status, or anything else because the membership database doesn't record that information. How then are riding associations supposed to identify minority or designated group individuals as potential candidates? And what is the composition of the party membership? If it's important that the list of candidates reflect society as it is today fine. But what about the membership? Is it out of whack?