November could be a real dogfight both among parties and independent candidates

THE CLIPPINGS FILE — This column was originally published March 29, 1978 in The Kamloops News. It has been edited for brevity. Please note, the Kamloops Voters Association mentioned in the column is not related to the current-day Kamloops Voters Society, which is not a political party.

By MEL ROTHENBURGER

It’s getting to be that time of year when rumors of civic political parties start making the rounds. Some of the stories are more than rumors: a few people fully intend to start new parties.

If all the stories and rumors and intentions should become reality, we will have a half dozen political parties running candidates in November’s City council elections.

The groups being talked about include the existing (or is it) Kamloops Voters’ Association, a labor-initiated party, a business-oriented party, a provincial-level party, and at least a couple of “grass roots” parties. Nelson Riis may even have his own one-man party this time.

In reality there is a good possibility of two civic parties of any consequence in the election. There may be at least one more than that running a candidate or two, but it will likely have only a few casual members and will therefore exist in little more than name only.

The election is still almost eight months away, and it may seem a little early to be speculating about this. The foregoing, obviously, is based on a combination of talk around town and pure conjecture.

It’s also based on past experience. Kamloops, remember, has been through this civic party thing before. The first time it was tried, one dominant party swept Gordon Nicol into the mayoralty and several others into aldermanic seats.

A couple of other half-hearted political parties, discouraged by the resounding defeat, withered and died. The winning party, then flushed with success, also withered and died.

Then came our last municipal election and the Kamloops Voters’ Association, branded by some to be a Conservative-cum-Socred front.

While the KVA got a few people elected, it hasn’t been heard of since as a political force. It had virtually no political policies; it was a means of gathering money to back certain candidates.

Not every candidate wants to run under the banner of a political party. Not every candidate knows the right people in the cliques of the municipal political parties. Not every candidate is deemed good enough by a political party but the voters may feel otherwise.

The result, then, of the injection of a lot of dollars into a civic campaign by the establishment of civic parties is the destruction, rather than protection, of the democratic system on the municipal level. Because it reaches the point where the average guy who wants to run for office just can’t match the finances of the parties.

November could be a real dogfight, not just among civic parties but among all candidates scrambling for available seats. Since City council changed its election system, all seats are up for election at once. And there have been indications that most of the incumbents may not want to try again, including Mayor Mike Latta, Lois Hollstedt, Claude Richmond, Don Couch, Howard Dack, and Nelson Riis.

Al Thompson, for all his protestations to the contrary, still sounds like a man who misses the mayor’s job he lost to Latta. And Bob Saucier is trying to make up his mind whether to take back the council job he gave up a couple of years ago to devote to his law practice.

No, Peter Wing isn’t talking about running again, but we wish Tom Wallace would enliven the campaign with his candor and wit.

With strong names in the election as independents, the political parties will be forced to dredge up unknowns or neophytes to puff out their slates. That, inevitably, will lead to defeat and dissolution.

Something needs to be done to assure fairness and equal footing in future election campaigns.

What is needed is the establishment of campaign cost limits for civic elections. With the setting of reasonable limits, the independents would remain on equal ground with the parties in terms of campaigning.

Then the civic parties could get back to doing what they’re supposed to be doing — standing for something, if they can find anything specific to stand for.