Friday, September 11, 2009

Dan Veniez closes in on his candidacy


While Canadians across the land seem to be less than enthused about the prospect of yet another Federal Election, hope it seems springs eternal among our political and would be political class.

Former Prince Rupert Industrialist Dan Veniez, is said to be closing in on his desired nomination as the Liberal candidate for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, as the riding association for that part of the province prepares to nominate him as their candidate this Sunday.

Mr. Veniez it seems will be nominated by acclamation, and will no doubt be eager to show his return to the Liberal fold after his very public and controversial falling out with Conservative Party's British Columbia caucus over his recent stay at the helm of Ridley Terminals.

Veniez has had a long history of political activity, from his very early introduction to politics as a Young Liberal to the days of working in the backrooms of the Brian Mulroney machine.
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Most recently prior to his forced departure, he had been assigned the Chairmanship of Ridley Terminals by the Conservatives, only to find his services no longer required after his very public attempts to take the Terminal into the private sector.

It seems to have been the final breaking point between Veniez and his former friends in the Conservatives, upon his departure for what seems to be his Lower Mainland base, he quickly began the process of seeking out some space on the political landscape, hopeful of a posting to Ottawa in the form of a Liberal MP, where he can renew his debate with the party that once was his home.

The Whistler Question outlines the early days of the Veniez candidacy, providing of course there's an election for him to run in over the next few months..

Liberals set to acclaim Veniez as local candidate
Whistler Question
September 8, 2009

The West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country Liberal Riding Association is set to acclaim Daniel Veniez as its candidate in the next federal election, which could happen this fall.

Veniez, who recently had a falling out with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives over his firing as chair of the Crown corporation that operates the Prince Rupert coal terminal, recently joined the Liberal Party of Canada, will be acclaimed at a nomination meeting in West Vancouver on Sunday (Sept. 13), Riding Association President Ken Halliday wrote in an email to The Question on Tuesday (Sept. 8).

Veniez, who was ousted from the Prince Rupert post earlier this year as a result of a disagreement with the Tories over how the terminal should be managed, has been making public appearances in the local riding over the past few weeks and expressed his interest in seeking the Liberal Party’s nomination for the seat now held by Conservative MP John Weston.

Liberal Party Leader Michael Ignatieff last week said his party could no longer support Harper’s minority government and vowed to vote to bring it down at his earliest opportunity. The Liberals would need the support of either the New Democrats or the Bloc Quebecois to accomplish that task trigger an election.

Weston easily captured the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky seat in the October 2008 federal election, beating out second-place Ian Sutherland, the former Squamish mayor, by more than 10,800 votes. Sutherland had earlier expressed interest in running again for the Liberals, but this week said he was putting his political ambitions on the back burner to focus on his business interests.

The Liberal Party’s nomination meeting is planned on Sunday (Sept. 13) at 1:30 p.m. in the Ocean Room of the West Community Centre, 21st Street and Marine Drive in West Vancouver.

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