The candidate is not available for presentation at this moment

In boxing terms it’s known as the “rope a dope”, you hang around the edges of the ring, making an occasional dance into the middle, but for the most part you participate from the outer fringes of the boxing ring. Only occasionally do you throw a few punches or even exchange any, instead you wait out the match hoping to win on points.

That appears to be the strategy in place with the Conservatives in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding, as candidate Sharon Smith delivers a campaign made up mainly of coffee shop visits and occasional door knocking.

Smith is finding her lack of appearances at community forums is starting to shape the conversations about her journey through the vast political wilderness that is this riding.

Reports have her recently taking a pass on a candidate’s forum in Fort St. James, and now as we first outlined in this blog over the weekend, she is apparently unavailable for a similar forum in Prince Rupert on October 9th. Those non appearances, combined with an unwillingness it seems to discuss the issues with the NDP candidate in a radio debate on the CBC is making her campaign the political version of a game of peek a boo.

The Conservative’s seem to have divided the riding up into winnable areas and apparent dead zones, tracts of land where only a rudimentary showing of the flag is required. Preferring it seems, to provide a more prominent and longer lasting presence in those areas that play to their strength and hopefully will deliver enough votes to wrestle the riding from the incumbent Nathan Cullen.

The Tuesday Daily News offered up Cullen’s interpretations of the Conservatives “hide and go seek” blue print; one which apparently doesn’t involved any contact with the NDP candidate, or many other of the participants in the federal election in this riding. Nor does it seem provide for any tangible interaction with residents (and voters) in selected areas.

Cullen fired up about rival's potential no-show
NDP candidat says he wants chance to debate his Tory rival
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Page three

NDP Skeena-Bulkley Valley incumbent Nathan Cullen is trying to get Conservative candidate Sharon Smith to debate him in Prince Rupert.

Cullen says he doesn't care if it's on the radio, on TV or in the Lester Centre, but so far it seems he can't find a taker in Smith.

"We are in this twilight zone of politics where we can't hear from the Conservatives, our main opponents," said Cullen.

Cullen complained that Smith would not join him on the radio for a proposed debate on the CBC on the economy and environment and he said she is not planning to show up for the all-candidates forum in Prince Rupert on Oct. 9.

Smith's campaign team has confirmed that, due to prior arrangements, before the planned debate in Prince Rupert, she is not available for the debate.

“For Rupert, they are showing total disdain,” continued Cullen.

“They are saying (Ruperites) don’t matter. But we will continue to pressure Conservative candidates to show up and express their point-of-view.”

The other three candidates have confirmed they will attend the local all0candidates meeting.
Liberal Corrina Morhart, Green Hondo Arendt and CHP candidate Rod Taylor will all show up for the forum to discuss both local and national issues.

Cullen went on to add that it was his belief that Canadian Prime Minister and Conservative leader Stephen Harper has decided to leash his candidates so they do not look foolish in the public eye.

“They are trying to avoid having their candidates speaking their mind.

“You either trust your candidate and allow them to speak on issues or you muzzle them all,” said Cullen.

Cullen said that the debate held Sunday night in Fort St. James was a one man show for the first hour while he waited for his rivals to show up.

Finally, an hour into the scheduled debate, Morhart appeared but no other candidate was there, he said.

Candidates including Taylor and Arendt have said in the past that it is difficult for them to fully participate in every all-candidates forum because of the high cost of travel and the low amount of funding they have for their campaign.

Smith was not available for comment before deadline.

Cullen looking for a three peat

The incumbent Member of Parliament for Skeena-Bulkley Valley is taking nothing for granted, but he's hopeful that once again his constituents will find his message to be a favourable one and return him to Ottawa to continue his work on behalf of the riding.

Nathan Cullen outlined his thoughts on the campaign so far and how he hopes to bring the NDP's message in this campaign to the various reaches of one of the nations largest riding.

With competition from the Conservatives suggesting that the riding would be better represented by a party closer to power (an offering echoed by the Liberal candidate), Cullen will have to try and reinforce for voters his contribution for the area thus far and how he can continue to do his job whether the NDP forms a government or more than likely when it doesn't

The other key point for voters to keep in mind is that even if one of the other candidates were to be successful, there is no guarantee that they may become anything more than a back bencher in the government, perhaps sitting on the same side as the government but probably not any closer to the centre of power.

So in the end, the real test for the voter is to decide who best represents an understanding of the needs and issues in this riding and who is best suited to deliver those concerns to whatever government forms up on October 14th.

Cullen's ideas on the campaign were delivered in Friday's Daily News.

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Cullen has his sights set on a bright future
Incumbent MP hoping to continue to help the region reach its potential
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Friday, September 19, 2008

Page three

Squinting because the sun over the Rupert Harbour was setting directly in to his eyes, on Monday, Nathan Cullen explained why he is looking for a three-peat on Oct. 14 and why he should be the person to take this riding's concerns to Ottawa.

Cullen just hopes that the sun is not setting on his days as the MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley. He said the job is just getting started.

"The federal government does not understand what the Northwest is about and what the potential is. We've (the NDP) taken it a certain distance along and made the country aware of us, but there is still work to be done," said Cullen.

As the incumbent MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, the 35 year-old Cullen is about to step into the political arena as the defending champ for the second time. This time, there is serious heat on him in the form of Houston Mayor Sharon Smith.

Cullen has come under criticism by Smith for not being as effective as he could be in representing the riding because he was not part of a ruling party. She isn't the only candidate saying so. Liberal candidate Corrina Morhart believes the same; that the riding could do with a person who could be in government. And those comments could linger in the minds of voters when they place their ballots in the box.

Cullen isn't sweating it.

"I think (the NDP) is willing to work on behalf of the country and willing to work with the other parties to get that done, that's been our role in the last two parliaments that I have been in and make positive things happen for our country and this riding," said Cullen. "We don't always succumb to the partisan politics that Liberals and Conservatives always seem to."

The Canadian parliament system is not designed that way and at times working with opposing politicians can be a bit of an oxymoron. Cullen said that can be overcome and he claimed voters can point to his record for proof.

In June 2007, Cullen created a private members bill to restrict the use of phthalates in household goods including toys. Because it was a private member's bill, Cullen had to garner the support of the minority government and he received it.

"Now kids' toys are safer and is just a positive thing all around," said Cullen.

Cullen has consistently been against Shell's proposed coalbed methane project in the Sacred Headwaters and he has fought against freshwater fish farms and motioned a bill banning all open-net fish farms in the North. It's all part of a record that he wants to play loudly during this election.

Out on the campaign trail, there are many voices singing. The NDP are singing this election about the growing economic divide between the very top paid executives and the lowest paid workers in Canada.

In 2006 Statscan reported that the bank accounts of the nation's top 20 per cent of income earners grew by 19 per cent, while the bottom 20 per cent gained little ground at all.

An August 2008 city of Prince Rupert report Understanding Our Social Statistics claimed that Prince Rupert and throughout the rest of the Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District was considered the second most unequal region for income share in B.C.

Cullen thinks one of the reasons locals are seeing such hard economic divisions is because of the way raw resources are treated in the region. He thinks that sending raw goods overseas to be processed and sold back to us is a mistake.

"If you set the business of assemblage the biggest part of the profit line is the making of the product and turning it to something of utility. It drives me crazy that right across this country we are sending fish overseas to be processed and then sending it right back to be bought, that we are even sending raw oil out of Alberta to be refined there and then brought back ... we are more than hewers of wood and haulers of water," said Cullen.

That may or may not chime well with the Port of Prince Rupert, which is looking to increase the amount of exports leaving its dock but which relies on imports at the moment to make money.
Cullen said he supports the port and wants to help fill those empty containers being sent back to Asia by bringing in the communities along the CN rail line to the table.

"Ottawa can facilitate this process and the reason that would enhance the port is by making phase two a regional project and not just a Prince Rupert project," said Cullen who added that promoting the port was a constant effort he was willing to make.

Walking on the door-to-door trail, as the sun dips toward the west, Cullen first stop at a house is a quick hello-and-goodbye. Before he could explain why he was at the door, a woman abruptly shuts it. Campaigning can be hard for all candidates, incumbent or challenger.

But when the sun finally sets on this election, Cullen seems confident that his name will be the one chosen again for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley.

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"Historically, the NDP has been the party that has fought for this region and people are looking for a fighter and they are looking for a party that is going to stand up for the little guy. That is at the core of New Democrat values," said Cullen.

The candidate meets the professor and the competition

Corinna Morhart got her campaign for Skeena-Bulkley Valley underway this week with a campaign stop at Northwest Community College, where the Liberal candidate faced the questions of Hondo Arendt’s political science class.

When Professor Arendt isn’t helping the inquiring minds of NWCC discover the ins and outs of the political system, he’s an active participant in it, as the Green party’s candidate for the riding in this fall’s election.

Monday however, he was purely the master of ceremonies and moderator so to speak of the lecture session, as he introduced candidate Morhart to his class, and let the inquisitive student body examine the Liberal Party's plans for Canada and Skeena-Bulkley Valley in the 2008 election.

Tuesday‘s Daily News provided some of the Cole’s Notes for us on Ms. Morhart’s trip to class, as well some of the other electioneering events that happened around town on Monday.

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Candidates hit the streets locally
Federal election hopefuls on doorsteps to talk to the city's voters
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Pages one and three

A couple of Skeena-Bulkley Valley candidates were campaigning in Prince Rupert yesterday in the run-up to the federal election.

Liberal candidate Corrina Morhart kicked off her campaign in the hornet's nest known as a Northwest Community College political science class, while incumbent MP Nathan Cullen took to the streets.

Morhart accepted the invitation of Northwest Community College political science professor - and Green party candidate - Hondo Arendt to come and speak to his class about her platform and to answer questions from the students.

And she had to answer some tough policy questions.

"It's very good for me to start my campaign off this way," said Morhart.

She said that the students' questions trained her for the hard questions she will have to answer further along the campaign trail.

The questions ranged from the Liberal party's position on fish farms, to how she envisioned the riding in the future and what personal she thought made her a good candidate.

Some questions Morhart answered with ease, others she had a more difficult time answering, such as the Liberal fish farm policy, and for some she said that she would have to "check and get back" to the questioner.

Though, with fish farms, she did clarify her own position.

"I'm not for (fish farms) and I've stated that before. If God wanted there to be Atlantic salmon in the Pacific Ocean there would be," said Morhart.

Morhart emphasized northern health issues again, saying that it was wrong that Prince Rupert does not have a dialysis machine in its hospital while Houston, Prince George and Vancouver do.
"I think that's unacceptable," said Morhart.

Student Cindy Huynh asked what Morhart would do about the city and riding's economic landscape.

"Economics are definitely a primary focus. Getting people back to work and out of poverty is what I would like to be given the chance to help," answered Morhart.

Riding incumbent and NDP candidate Nathan Cullen campaigned in Prince Rupert Monday knocking on doors.

Conservative Party candidate Sharon Smith has announced that her campaign will focus on a balanced plan for sustainable development for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding and all of Northern British Columbia. The Mayor of Houston was on the campaign trail visiting communities in the riding.

Cullen was also in town to launch his campaign office on Second Avenue. The Liberals have opened up a campaign office on McBride and the Conservatives have opened their office on Third Avenue.

The Tyee's Skeena-Bulkley Valley primer, photo's not included..

The Tyee's Heather Ramsey has taken the pulse of the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding and posted her observations on the campaign to the on line magazines election portal The Hook.

Ms. Ramsey using her past experience as a reporter in the Bulkley Valley region provides a particular bit of insight to the candidacy of Sharon Smith for the Conservatives and from her present assignments at the Queen Charlotte Islands Observer, she has had many opportunities to touch base with Nathan Cullen of the NDP, including as a Facebook friend we notice.

For Mrs. Smith, Ramsey touches on that controversial photo that made the Mayor of Houston a tabloid feature (you can seek it out on your own kids, with a combination of key words on Google) as well as the brief fire fight of politics when she was announced as the riding's "Go to Person" for Prince George MP Dick Harris. (see Podunk passims)

While she provides a review of Sharon Smith's most famous (or is that infamous) moments of her political life and has a fairly accurate review of Mr. Cullen's activities so far as well as his impressions of how to get a political message out in the riding , she is rather light on material for the Liberal, Green and Christian Heritage Party candidates.

A situation that is more indicative of the profile of those candidates so far, as little is really known about their positions on the issues or if there is any bubbling cauldron of support ready to launch them from the lower reaches of the campaign.

It may very well be an indication of this boiling down to a two person race in the riding, with the other candidates providing the parking spots for those that aren't particularly inclined to register their support with the two front runner parties in the riding.

Will Skeena-Bulkley battle come down to a photo finish?
The Tyee
By Heather Ramsay September 16, 2008 07:29 am

I’ve tried to get past it, but in the second week of the federal election campaign the top Google hit for Skeena-Bulkley Valley Conservative candidate Sharon Smith is her naked mayor photos.

Smith, who is mayor of tiny Houston, B.C., wowed the world when photos of her sitting in the mayor’s office wearing nothing but the mayoral chain turned up on the Internet in late 2003.

Now Smith is running against New Democratic Party incumbent Nathan Cullen, who took the riding from the Alliance in 2004 and won again in 2006. Also in the race are the Green Party’s Hondo Arendt, Liberal Party’s Corrina Morhart and the Christian Heritage Party’s Rod Taylor.

After the picture fiasco some locals and councilors demanded Smith quit, but she refused stating the photos were her personal property and had been stolen. Those pictures were for no one’s eyes but her own and her husband’s, she said.

I was a reporter with the Interior News in the neighbouring town of Smithers at the time, and we were forced to cover the story (rather than cover it up) because the then-editor of the Houston Today refused to touch it. The photos appeared in tabloids as far away as The Sun in England. The UK’s notorious gossip rag added a nice touch to the revealing photos — a maple leaf covered Ms Smith’s privates.

In August 2007, Smith entered the regional news fray again when Conservative MP for Cariboo-Prince George Dick Harris gave the yet-to-run-in-a-federal election candidate a quasi-federal role. He told constituents in Skeena-Bulkley Valley that she would be their go-between — a contact for federal concerns or issues.

Harris was quoted as saying, “As Chairman of the BC Caucus of Conservative MPs, I am pleased that Sharon has accepted this role, and I know the constituents of Skeena-Bulkley Valley will derive a huge benefit from having direct contact with government, something that they have not had since 2004.”

Many constituents were outraged. They already had a contact on federal issues, and he was the man they elected with 18,596 votes in 2006 — the NDP’s Nathan Cullen. Cullen swept the far-flung riding (one of the biggest in Canada, covering the Northwestern quarter of BC from Bella Coola, up the coast to Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii on to Atlin and east to Fort St. James) and beat Mike Scott (a former Reform Party MP) by a cool 6,000 votes.

As reported by local and regional newspapers (online editions), Smith says that if she is elected the region will finally be served by an MP who is part of the sitting government.

A quick survey of candidates activities: According to his Facebook page, Mr. Cullen participated in a rally to halt coal bed methane development and joined a Terrace-based march on the Highway of Tears. According to CFTK News he challenged all of the candidates to come out against Shell’s coal bed methane development in the Sacred Headwaters of the Skeena River.

Cullen, who is well known around the riding thanks to his efforts to visit all communities in his riding and meet his constituents, maintains that the race in Skeena may look a little different from those in urban ridings. He told the Interior News: “Often times we have our own campaign here in the Northwest, it is a lot different than the coverage people see on the big news stations. We rely a lot more on the kitchen table discussion and the doorstep.”

Smith’s activities during the week were not to be found on the Internet, but Harris did announce $.5 million in federal funding for community projects in the Bulkley Valley last week. Likewise neither Arendt, who is a Northwest Community College instructor in Prince Rupert, nor Morhart, also from Prince Rupert (and also on Facebook) made the news with any activities other than the fact that they are running.

Smithers-based Taylor is not only running for MP in Skeena-Bulkley Valley, but he is in the race to become the leader of the Christian Heritage Party to. Current party leader Rod Gray announced his intention to retire at the last party convention. Mr. Taylor says if he wins, he will give a voice, not only to constituents, but to the 100,000 unborn residents of the country too.
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Top stories in the riding last week? In Houston, an anonymous woman sighted Bigfoot near her Buck Flats home.

They’ll be knocking on your door!

While they arrive on your doorstep well before Halloween, the political election season turns the tables on us, with the door knockers the one providing the treats (and maybe one or two tricks along the way) hopeful that on October 14th, we mark our X beside their name.

As the political battle heats up, and the campaign signs sprout up across the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding, we’ll track the developments of the candidates as they head for your front door from our Podunkian portal.

This archive of election items will be found on the right hand side of the blog, under the items of special interest section.

Check back frequently to see what the issues are, the links to interesting articles and any other bits of political flotsam that we may stumble across.

Skeena-Bulkley Valley: The Candidates and their websites

New Democratic Party— Nathan Cullen (incumbent)
Conservative Party— Sharon Smith
Liberal Party— Corinna Morhart
Green Party— Hondo Arendt
Christian Heritage Party— Rod Taylor

Canadian Action Party-- Mary-Etta Goodacre

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Skeena-Bulkley Valley: Facebook sites

Elect Corinna Morhart Liberal MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley

Skeena Bulkley Valley Federal Liberal Riding Association

I want to help Nathan Cullen get Elected!

Items from the Podunk archives on the Skeena-Bulkley Valley campaign:

October 13-- Candidates make their points in Rupert

October 10-- Two and half hours of talk, the rest is up to you!

October 3-- Canada Action Party candidate adds an unusual outlook to election campaign!

October 2-- On second thought, a debate sounds like a dandy idea after all!

October 1-- Here for a visit, but not for a lengthy chat

October 1-- The candidate is not available for presentation at this moment

September 28-- 58 pages of policy, but still one key issue seems to dominate for the Christian Heritage Party

September 28-- How can she ever be our “Go To person” if she won’t even come to see us?

September 28-- Signs, Signs everywhere a sign?

September 25-- Maybe it would be best if you didn’t vote for us!

September 24-- Sharing the same hymn book in Skeena-Bulkley Valley!

September 21-- Cullen looking for a three peat

September 21-- New election rules could leave some First Nations residents without a vote

September 20-- Too late to burn the negatives or hit delete, Conservatives hope to change the focus of those infamous candid shots of Sharon Smith

September 17-- Well he could say that he has the lightest carbon footprint!

September 17-- The candidate meets the professor and the competition

September 16-- The Tyee's Skeena-Bulkley Valley primer, photo's not included..

September 15-- Five for Skeena-Bulkley Valley
September 11-- Local Green supporters happy to gain their seat at the debate table

September 10-- Election rhetoric heats up in Skeena-Bulkley Valley

September 6-- She’s been in training for over a year and now she’s ready for the final exam

September 4-- Preparing the troops for battle
August 29-- Federal election rumblings have locals planning

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**Correction Note: above item was corrected to reflect proper date of the election of October 14 and not the 15th as previously posted.

Five for Skeena-Bulkley Valley

With the Federal election now safely into the second week, the various federal parties have secured the nominations of the candidates for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley and are ready to turn them loose on a waiting public.

While the Daily news featured a few early introductions last week for Hondo Arendt of the Green party, Sharon Smith of the Conservatives and Nathan Cullen for the NDP, they began what appears to be their larger profiles on Monday with resume reviews of sort, for the Liberal’s Corinna Morhart and the Christian Heritage Party’s Rod Taylor.

And in honour of recycling we guess, we also gained another look at the candidacy of Mr. Arendt, providing some more details on the Green agenda for the North Coast.

The trio of political updates appeared in Monday’s edition of the Daily News. The question for North Coast voters is are they in your five?

Morhart leads the Liberals' charge
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Monday, September 15, 2008

Pages one and five

With speculation mounting in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding, the Liberals now named the candidate who will represent the party locally.

Social Worker and Prince Rupert resident Corrina Morhart is on the slate having announced her candidacy this week for the local riding.

"I was born and raised in this riding and I plan on staying in this riding," said Morhart on Friday.
Morhart also sits on the Northern Health advisory board and said that health care issues, for her, were going to be key in her campaign.

"I've seen a lot of health care issues that I would like to raise that are important right across the whole riding," she said.

Morhart was born and raised in Terrace but moved to Prince Rupert to complete her social work training and since then has made a home here.

Her mother, Gerry Rhyason (nee Edgar) is originally from Rupert and Morhart has strong ties with her First Nation heritage, which is Tsimshian from Lax Kw'alaams.

Because her family roots have been planted for 5,000 years in the area, Morhart believes she can deliver a stronger message the local public would like to have Ottawa hear. She said she was tired of having coastal communities clumped as one mold when there are major differences between east and west.

"The West Coast is different than the East Coast because you can't put us all together. The Maritimes are not the Pacific," said Morhart.

Another issue for Morhart is economic development. She said she would like the power brokers in Ottawa to understand that the riding has been hurt by some economic decline.

She said even though the port of Prince Rupert is growing, Ottawa still needs to understand that the job isn't done.

"We've lost some industries and I would like to see that noted," said Morhart.

"I think there has got to be a lot more from Ottawa for businesses and individuals in this riding and opportunities should be available, too."

"Because we are the gateway to the Asian Pacific Market I think everyone along the corridor could benefit," said Morhart.

"We have many resources leaving this riding and I think it is time we have a voice from (Prince Rupert)," she added.

While incumbent NDP MP Nathan Cullen has been re-elected, Morhart is confident about her chances and about those of the Liberals in general. She said the leadership of Liberal boss Stephan Dion is a big reason for her confidence.

"I think he is awesome. When he ran for party leadership our party selected him for a reason."
Come Oct. 14, Morhart hopes Ruperites will find out that reason.

Veteran candidate Rod Taylor is set to run again
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Monday, September 15, 2008

Page three

Rod Taylor is ready to run again in the upcoming federal election.

The Christian Heritage Party has announced that Taylor will represent the party in the political sprint for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding's finish line.

Taylor filed his candidacy on Friday and said he is looking forward to the election.

"There is a lot of periods of time when we don't get to put our message out and this is a time when the window opens up a little bit and some of the things we think are important for Canadians to be thinking about and taking action can come to the top of the discussion. It's a good time to be talking to people about issues," said Taylor.

Taylor said there were two issues he will push hard on this election: First Nations reconciliation and family values.

Taylor said that his party is the only pro-life party and that he will be fighting for families this election because the party has strong anti-abortion views and is calling for a Royal Commission to study the issue of families. He has written several letters to the Daily News in the past about the need to pass a law to protect the legal rights of unborn children.

"We believe in the traditional family values, strengthening the family so that young people growing up can handle the challenges that life throws at them."

Taylor added that the economy was also at the top on the CHP agenda.

"It's always important for people to provide for their families and being always able to maintain that family life and put bread on the table," said Taylor.

He said that he would push for a $1,000 per-month family tax credit.

Taylor added that it was high time that the federal government took responsibility for the mess that Canada has made of Aboriginal affairs.

"There are so many First Nations that have been waiting and working towards a resolution of issues surrounding land and surrounding treaty rights. One of my concerns is that Canada takes a step forward and deals with the actions of the past and recognizes traditional governance of First Nations before European contact."

He said a big issue was the unfair advantage the four major parties receive going into elections.

"About $30 million dollars a year goes to the bigger federal parties from the taxpayer. It's definitely a significant issue. We think it's wrong to take the taxpayer dollar and use it for political purposes," said Taylor, who warned voters not to vote strategically but with their heart and with their conscience.

"We think that if you vote for the party that represents your views then it's not a wasted vote," said Taylor "Splitting the vote is part of the democratic process."

Hondo Arendt gets Green machine on election trail
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Monday, September 15, 2008

Page three

The grass still grows for the Green Party in Skeena-Bulkley Valley. The question remains can voters see it?

That's a particular question 43-year-old MP candidate Hondo Arendt is trying to solve. After finishing third in the last North Coast provincial elections, with a modest 6 per cent of the vote, he faces yet another uphill battle against well-funded, well-tutored foes.

But Arendt doesn't think his competitors are ignoring his party any longer. In fact, he thinks, it might be more sinister then that.

"The major parties definitely try to marginalize us because they know if they are not getting the votes, some will come to us," said Arendt.

He was speaking about decisions in the past that have prevented his party from getting greater exposure in elections due to federal policies and rules that he said have stood in his party's way.
One was fixed this week when Green Party leader Elizabeth May was finally allowed into the October leaders debate in Ottawa.

Another facet of suppression that Arendt said had been overcome were the funding rules the four major parties (Conservatives, Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecoise) installed in 2003. Canadian federal political parties are given $2 for every vote they garner and the major parties wanted to make it a rule that a party must achieve 2 per cent of the vote to receive the grant.

However, after an appeal led by the Green Party, Marijuana Party and the Christian Heritage Party, the Supreme Court of Canada abolished the proposal in 2006 having ruled it went against the Canadian Charter of Rights.

"They've tried to do whatever they can do to marginalize us, try to keep us out of the debates, to tell everyone (the Green Party) is not going to win," said Arendt.

But now the field has been leveled somewhat for the Green Party, it isn't just about getting noticed now. Arendt said it's also about effecting real change.

Arendt wants there to be a focus on sustainable economic planning for the riding and he points to Prince Rupert as prime example of a community that has not got the message yet of how to do that.

"In the 2001 census, Prince Rupert was the fastest population-dropping city in Canada. In 2006, we did it again. That's a direct result of the attitude of the frontier lands of Canada," said Arendt.
His concern is the idea that there is a mentality that to make a buck in this town you have to extract resources for a company whose headquarters could be in Montreal or Toronto. He'd like to see that change.

"We have to get past the idea that short-term is what we want to think about - that we can spend or consume your way out of economic turndown. These are obviously broader concepts that are not just specific to Prince Rupert but I think places like Prince Rupert are really hit by (resource-focused) thinking like that," said Arendt.

One of the things Arendt said his party would like to see is more local production and consumption.

An example is the work he is doing in his own backyard - literally. Arendt was in the middle of re-shingling his backyard shed when Prime Minister Stephen Harper called an election.

He wonders why the shingles he needs to buy can't be purchased from a local manufacturer.
"It makes no sense to cut down a tree in our region, truck that tree to Stewart, have it transported across the ocean, cut up into pieces in an Indonesian saw mill, then transported back across the ocean and sold to me to put a shingle on my roof," said Arendt.

His economic comments are also meant to show that his party is no longer a one-trick pony, that it can convince the riding that the Greens have other ideas outside of the environment.
Heck, Arendt promises he won't even bring up the environment in any of the debates as he claimed "everyone knows where we stand on that anyways."

He says that legalizing Marijuana, questioning military spending and a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan and food safety are also big issues that his party would address if elected.
But if elected how will he be personally affected?

Arendt, who is a political science teacher at Northwest Community College, and his wife Katie, 39, on Friday hosted a small campaign kick-off party at his typically Rupert home. It's a life he's grown accustomed to.

If he was elected, he recognized that his quaint Rupert life would change.

Arendt has three daughters ranging from the eldest, Dianna a 19-year-old university student, to Madelaine Shade, a six-year-old elementary school student. Sandwiched in between is Ember, his 10 year-old.

"I think my family is top priority if you ask me. If you ask me who would you rather be - a dad or a prime minister? - I'd pick being a dad in a second. And quite often the Green Party falls back on that kind of thing. Sometimes, we think: "I am so tired why I am doing this, we're probably not going to win the election anyways" and I think ..."

For the luck of it all, before Arendt can finish that sentence his daughter interrupted to announce that nine Green people had arrived to his house for dinner.

"It sounds corny, and I think about why am I doing this and I think to myself do I want this sort of world for my kids? One of the most basic sort of things is my daughter will sort of say some things like why don't people vote Green? Don't they like arctic foxes? Really simple things like that I can't justify saying: "aw, forget it"."

Although winning an election is the ultimate goal, Arendt realizes the likeliest scenario this time around is growing the party presence in Skeena-Bulkley Valley. If the party can get a bigger piece of the electoral pie then that might be a victory of sorts.

Election rhetoric heats up in Skeena-Bulkley Valley

Does an MP have to be a member of the governing party to provide complete and effective representation?

That is apparently going to be the question for the early going of this campaign, as posed by Conservative candidate Sharon Smith. And if Mrs. Smith is to answer the question, it seems that her reply would be Yes!

Smith fired the first broadside of the campaign with her observations that current incumbent Nathan Cullen was unable to represent the riding effectively because his party, the NDP, was unlikely to be elected as the Government of the day on October 15th.

Needless to say it's a concept that Cullen disagrees with and one which he says many in the riding disagreed with when Smith first appeared on the local election scene as the "go to person" for Prince George MP Dick Harris.

That particular period of time in the riding caused quite the uproar and left Harris twisting by his own party for a time for his less than supportive thoughts to the will of the riding's electorate.

The opening issue of the campaign was featured in Wednesday's Daily News.

Would-be MPs spar over best way to represent
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Pages one and three

The NDP's Skeena-Bulkley Valley candidate, Nathan Cullen, responded to comments made by Conservative party candidate Sharon Smith about his ability to represent his riding under the NDP flag.

Smith said recently that Cullen was unable to fully represent his riding because his party was unlikely to be elected in to government.

Comments that caused Cullen to shoot back.

"It smacks of people trying to buy votes, and people in the Northwest are a little too proud to be at some sort of garage sale of politics," said Cullen.

Smith earlier said she would be able to do a better job than Cullen because she would have access to the government's ears if a Conservative government were elected.

"When you've got your MP in the parliament sitting as an opposition and as a fourth level of opposition, then it's difficult to see progress being made when (the local MP) is more for criticizing than being proactive," said Smith.

"We need to get that continuity with Ottawa."

Cullen disagreed with those comments.

"I don't know where Mrs. Smith has been the last four years but we've been able to attract more money and attention than has ever been given to this riding from both Liberal and Conservative governments," said Cullen.

"The way we do that is make ourselves relevant, keep Skeena relevant in the government and make sure (the government) knows how people feel in the Northwest. That's the reason things have been funded."

He claimed he has raised several million dollars for the riding.

Cullen went on to say that he has worked with all parties that have been elected to parliament and has even worked with Smith, who is currently the Mayor of Houston.

"I've always believed that a member of parliament has to represent all people in the constituency," said Cullen.

"So, when someone comes out and brings more crass politics in and some suggestion of insider influence ... Dick Harris and Smith tried that last summer and the reaction from people in the Northwest was incredible."

Cullen was referring to last year's "go-to person" fiasco after Harris, the Conservative Prince George MP, issued a press release in late August announcing the appointment of Smith as the person for Skeena-Bulkley Valley constituents looking for access to the federal government.

"I felt very supported by people in the region," Cullen added.

"They rejected it with a passion. While some people are not fully committed to the democratic process, people in the Northwest are."

Local Liberals make their plans for possible spring election

The tea leaves suggest that Canadians may be going to the polls this spring, the minority government of Stephen Harper apparently waiting to see if the opposition has the desire to take the nation back to a vote.

If events locally are any indication, the opposition parties may have spread the word to the faithful that they are ready to force a confidence vote and take us all back to the voting booth.

Local Liberals selected a Prince Rupert resident as their flag carrier for any possible election call, Corinna Morhart was acclaimed as the nominee for Skeena Bulkley Valley, after Maarke Piket withdrew from the race last month, thinking that a possible election may conflict with a family wedding.

That was a definite step forward for family values, but certainly a sign that the Liberal chances may not be as solid as head office might like to think. The lack of other candidates for the nomination might be construed as a worrisome thing for Liberals.

Normally a Liberal nomination would attract a diverse group of possible candidates, each hoping to cash in on a national wave of Liberal votes. In fact, in many ridings across Canada, a Liberal nomination meeting attracts many looking for that guaranteed trip to Ottawa.

To only have one stand, is possibly a sign of a party that is not resonating with local residents at the moment. Regardless of the optics though, Ms. Morhart will now prepare to take the Liberal message to the riding and attempt to wrest the seat from NDP incumbent Nathan Cullen.

The Daily News profiled the candidate and her background as the campaign trail begins to show some early signs of life. It's a tad ironic that the Daily News provides more information about the Liberal candidate than the party's own website does at the moment.

The least the party could do for their candidate, would be to put Ms. Morhart's name on their list of candidates, it would be a good first step on the way to the anticipated election.


BATTLE LINES NOW DRAWN FOR ANTICIPATED ELECTION
Parties are picking their candidates in local riding as an election looms
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Pages one and three

As Members of Parliament return to the House of Commons this week, local political constituencies continue to sort themselves out in preparation for an election call.

Skeena-Bulkley Valley Liberals have selected Prince Rupert resident Corinna Morhart as their candidate by acclamation. The only other candidate, Maarke Picket, withdrew from the Liberal race last month.

“I am interested in hearing from people all over, from Bella Bella to the Yukon border, from the Queen Charlotte Islands to Fraser Lake,” said Morhart.

“We need to be heard in Ottawa and I am committed to serving this riding with honesty, hard work and integrity. I want to represent you in Ottawa, to bring a strong voice for our issues and concerns in this riding to the table.”

The nomination meeting was held in Terrace on April 11 in order to have a candidate in place in tie for a federal election that is widely expected for late May or early June. The Liberal Party of Canada is moving quickly to have candidates ready.

Piket and the riding executive will provide support and assistance to Morhart’s campaign team as they work together on an election readiness strategy that they hope will build the Liberal presence in the riding.

Local Liberals believe that Stephane Dion’s message of a richer, fairer, and greener Canada will resonate with local voters who are concerned about the direction that Stephen Harper’s Conservatives would lead the country.

Morhart has deep roots in the region having been born and raised in Terrace. She currently lives in Prince Rupert as she completes her Bachelor in Social Work at UNBC.

Morhart has three grown children and almost one year old grand daughter.

Her mother, Gerry Rhyason (nee Edgar) I Tsimshian from Lax Kw’alaams and her father, James Morhart currently resides in Terrace.

“It is with my family’s link to this are for 5,000 years, that I am committed and dedicated to go to Ottawa for positive changes in our region,” she said.

Piket withdrew her name when it became apparent that an election may clash with a family wedding on June 2.

Meanwhile, the Christian Heritage Party of Skeena-Bulkley Valley elected Rod Taylor to represent their party.

In his candidate’s speech, Taylor spoke on the topic of “Using Both Hands” a reference to the importance of a complete commitment to the building of families, communities and nations. Taylor emphasized the importance of defending moral principles while working to restore truth and justice in society. Taylor thanked party members for their support for his campaign to restore family values and social justice and he encouraged supporters to press on.

Two-time incumbent Skeena-Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen has said he will also run again in the upcoming election.

Election fever gets a head start in the Northwest

There is just the hint of a federal election in the offing, the next likely event to trigger the speculation the Federal budget set to be delivered in March. With all the wild theories about going to the polls, it seems that the local political class is getting its ducks in a row to be in place should a writ be dropped.

The latest to the speculate about a possible bid for political office is Prince Rupert resident Maatje Johanna Piket, who announced her intentions over the past weekend. Her decision to run for the nomination makes her the first name in what is expected to be a list of several Northwest residents looking to be the Liberal standard bearer in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding. A riding that hasn’t voted a Liberal into office since Iona Campagnola held the riding back in the days of Pierre Trudeau in the mid seventies.

Since then the riding has been in the hands of the NDP, with occasional appearances by parties of the right hand side of the spectrum, such as the Reform party or the old Canadian Alliance party, both forerunners of today’s Conservative party.

Nathan Cullen is the incumbent MP and will be contesting the seat once again for the NDP, the Conservatives have yet to announce a candidate as well as the Green party which is still seeking a break through entry into Parliament.

Piket will be picking up the political torch in the family, she is married to Gordon Stamp-Vincent who ran last time for the Liberals. She certainly can't say that she doesn't know what she is getting into, as the last campaign was full of controversial moments across the Northwest, as the three different party candidates strived to attract attention to their message. Emotions at times boiled over as the heat of the campaign increased as the polling day neared. In the end Mr. Stamp-Vincet finished third, collecting 12.6 per cent of the vote. Whichever candidate picks up the Liberal nomination will have a fair amount of work to topple Cullen who received 48 per cent of the vote in the last election.

The Daily News provided a bit of background to her candidacy for the nomination in Wednesday’s paper. The next step on her bid for elected office comes March 3 in Terrace at the Liberal Party Annual General Meeting scheduled to be held there.

Would-be MP first Liberal to seek nod
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The first contender in the race for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley Liberal nomination stepped forward last week.

Prince Rupert resident and long-time federal Liberal, Maatje Johanna Piket, announced she is seeking the federal Liberal nomination for the next federal election at the Rally Against Child Care Funding Cuts held in Prince Rupert last Tuesday.

Piket was invited to address the crowd of parents, children, and child care workers after a private meeting with organizers of the rally against the child care funding cuts proposed by the provincial Ministry of Children and Family Development.

The child care issue has particular resonance for Piket who raised her two children as a struggling, single parent with limited means. As a federal Liberal who had to stand by and watch Ken Dryden’s Early Learning and Child care Agreement dismantled by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, she is appalled to see the impacts of the government’s decision affect people so adversely in the Northwest and across the country. This is clearly unacceptable, she said, and only a symptom of what she believes would occur if Stephen Harper was to form a majority government with the assistance of the NDP.

“As a Liberal who supported Ken Dryden’s Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and a potential female candidate for the federal Liberals in Skeena-Bulkley Valley, I commit myself to helping finding a solution to this crisis — starting today,” she told the crowd.

Piket has been a grassroots Liberal organizer in the Lower Mainland and Powell River for many years before moving to Prince Rupert in the fall of 2005. She is a marketing and communications consultant who has done business with the private sector, non-profit societies, and government agencies.

Piket lives with her partner Gordon Stamp-Vincent, who was the candidate in 2005/6 and has his full support and encouragement. They will soon be splitting their time between Terrace and Prince Rupert due to work considerations but Picket feels their dual residency will help greatly in the outreach process across this vast riding.

Piket noted that she is very concerned about the push to the extreme right and left seen in the Conservatives and the NDP and believes that in all things a balance must be struck in order to preserve fundamental Canadian values.

A self-described moderate in her perspective on politics and business, Piket is against uncontrolled development but in favour of supporting businesses, particularly small-to-medium sized enterprise that form the backbone of the country.

“The climate change issue is one that needs to be dealt with in a realistic manner that does not destroy our economy while we seek to bring down our greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
She is also passionate about the need for social justice particularly for First Nations people whose voices need to be heard.

She invites disenchanted voters in Skeena-Bulkley Valley to discuss the issues with her and find out how a Liberal MP can and will make a real difference in Ottawa.

Picket will be among several people interested in the nomination at the upcoming Skeena-Bulkley Valley Liberals Annual General meeting in Terrace March 3.

“We do have a few others interested but I am not at liberty nor would I take the liberty to say who, because that’s a timing thing for any of the candidates,” said Bruce Martindale, speaking on behalf of the federal riding association.

“There is a lot of work being done right now across Canada by all the parties to try and prepare for an inevitable election and I can only say that the Liberal Party of Canada is working to be better prepared than they were last time.”

Martindale said anybody who is interested in running and those who have already declared themselves are encouraged to attend the AGM at the Coast Inn at 7 p.m.

“They will be expected to introduce themselves to the hoards of Liberals who be there in attendance,” he said.

Local Liberals onboard the Dion Express

With talk of a federal election coming our way sooner than later, local Liberals are stepping up to stand in line behind the new leader Stephane Dion. Many of the locals claim that the new leader exemplifies many of the qualities of the people of this riding, dedicated to the environment and a person who thinks carefully about the issues before he acts.

Across the northwest they put current MP Nathan Cullen on notice that he’s in Ottawa on borrowed votes and they fully expect that those votes will return to the Liberals under their new leader.

Local party members will no doubt start jockeying for position for the local nomination meeting to come, if as they expect there is a Liberal renaissance in the Northwest then gaining the nomination for Skeena-Bulkley Valley may very well be the ticket to Parliament Hill. It will be interesting to see who they settle on when the time comes to select a candidate; nothing brings out the numbers more than a solid chance at being part of a national government.

The Liberal love in was catalogued for us in the Wednesday edition of the Daily News.

City’s Liberals expect great things from leader Dion

By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The selection of Stephane Dion as Liberal leader is good news for the region, say local Liberals.
Dion, who was supported widely by delegates from Skeena-Bulkley Valley at the recent leadership convention, is a strong environmentalist and nationalist who spent eight years successfully bringing different levels of Canadian society together as intergovernmental affairs minister.

“For the riding, I think it’s very, very positive,” said Rhoda Witherly, who attended the convention as a Dion delegate. “He has a very clear view of what kinds of things he wants to see done. He thinks very carefully about issues before he leaps forward on them, and he’s very committed on the environmental side.

“Because our whole riding has such a base in resource extraction ... that’s really positive for us — it means when we do have developments go ahead, they’re going to go ahead on a real sound environmental basis and I think the rules will be very clear from the outset.”

As Northerners, it’s Dion’s practicality and straightforwardness that may resonate with voters. For those in Skeena-Bulkley Valley, rarely ones to vote for a party that may form government, it may be his outsider status that appeals.

“If Skeena riding tends to be contrarian, Dion would be contrarian,” said Gordon Stamp-Vincent, Skeena-Bulkley Valley Liberal candidate in the last election.

“He was certainly not the favourite child for coming to the fore as leader of the Liberal party.
“But I think people see a genuine integrity and ethics that they didn’t always see and that was what drew me right off the bat. He’s what I call a quintessential Canadian — soft-spoken and polite, but firm. I think that’s really refreshing.”

The election of Dion as party leader is also a return of the party into the to the hands of grassroots members, he said.

“I think the Liberals were punished, and I was the front man here,” said Stamp-Vincent. “It was a message that was delivered and heard I think loud and clear by members of the Liberal party."

“You saw that with two kind-of Liberal establishment favourites (front-runners Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae) not making it — the grassroots membership spoke and said ‘no, it’s time for a change.’”

What Dion also brings is a balanced approach, not only focusing on the traditional liberal pillars of social and fiscal responsibility but placing those in the context of an environmental foundation.
“We have to decide if we want to put in a government that is actually going to have the environment on its agenda,” said Bruce Martindale, Skeena-Bulkley Valley Liberal Riding Association president. “As a riding, we have an opportunity to participate and put somebody into government who will be part of this solution, and it’s a long-term solution. We’re talking about changing the way Canada does business in the world.”

The approach contrasts sharply with both the only-business Conservatives and the only-social New Democrats, he said.

“It’s going to be very difficult for primary industry towns and small communities to be environmentally responsible given the economic constraints and lack of funding,” said Martindale. “Those are the kinds of things that Dion is already speaking about. In our area and the rural areas, we need to have different solutions than in urban areas. It’s going to have to happen at the household level for that to happen.

“Has my MP been talking about that? Not that I’m aware of. Can he do anything about it? I guess when he’s in opposition and there’s a Liberal government, he can support them.”
The party locally says it is putting Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen on notice that the votes he ‘borrowed’ last election won’t be left to him next time.

“Nathan contacted the Liberals and asked them to loan him their votes (last election) because the Liberals couldn’t win this riding,” said Maatje Piket, organization chair Skeena-Bulkley Valley Liberal riding association. “It’s too easy for him and his party to criticize the Liberal record when they actually have no record of their own. There is much to be proud of in the Liberal record and no government is without its flaws.

“Me personally, I’ll say that we intend to earn those votes back with interest.”
Dion, a long-time academic who taught at the University of Montreal, served as a minister for nine years under Jean Chretien and Paul Martin. As intergovernmental affairs minister, he helped broker the Kelowna Accord and the national child care agreement with the provinces. During his short period as environment minister his plans were widely lauded, including most recently by Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

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