Hey, don't forget us!

So, what the heck is this? Is the BC Liberal party jealous of all the scandal attention, that their federal relations are getting these days. They get tired of being off the front pages for a few days? Sheesh, you would think a crew that has spent the last six weeks as cannon fodder for the media in the province, would be glad to have had the spotlight taken off. But nope, there they are in The Vancouver Sun, a little tempest brewing over on Vancouver Island.

Stan Hagen, Minister of Human Resources, finds himself under suspicion of influence peddling (apparently badly handled at that), involving some kind of beds for votes plan. A long time Liberal supporter named Michael Holland, says he was promised 75 long term beds for a local seniors home. As long as he could sign up some members for the BC Liberal party, who then were to support the Hagen campaign.

Holland says he kept his part of the bargain, bringing in 508 new Liberals into the fold. He even has for his efforts, a shiny plaque of appreciation to show off. The long time Liberal is some kind of legend on the Island, having been an advocate for the region for years. As a good Liberal soldier, he took on the NDP government of the day, forcing them to back down on their health plans for the Comox area. He even was commended by none other than Gordon Campbell, for his hard work in the area. Needless to say, he's proven his bona fides as a Liberal supporter and agitator. His question to the Minister is where are the beds? He doesn't want to embarrass the government, but if that's what he has to do to get them, so be it.

So imagine his surprise at being treated as a relative unknown by Mr. Hagen. The Minister replied to questions from the Sun, with answers such as that he had no idea if Holland was a Liberal, or if he was on his riding executive for eight years (shades of the feds, we know nothing, I see nothing).

Now you might expect the Liberals, to write off and ignore the complaints and questions of those not of their own party. But when they start to ignore the grass roots members of their own organization, then there's problems. Losing touch with your political base, doesn't strike me as a wise plan for long term employment in the Legislature. Three years in, and they still don't seem to have this governing thing figured out yet.