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Meet Blair Wilson Decked out in a Liberal red vest, Blair Wilson was one of the most instantly recognizable people at the MountainFM Christmas Breakfast on Dec. 12.

Meet Blair Wilson

Decked out in a Liberal red vest, Blair Wilson was one of the most instantly recognizable people at the MountainFM Christmas Breakfast on Dec. 12.

Some people remember Wilson from the 2004 federal election campaign, when he came within 700 votes of popular incumbent John Reynolds of the Conservative Party.

Others, including many of the children at the breakfast, recognized Wilson’s face from all the campaign signs sprouting up along the highway.

Wilson likes Whistler. He has a weekend place here and comes up often to ski and recreate. He also did well here in the last election, capturing 1,548 votes of the 3,549 votes cast, and more than twice as many votes as any other candidate – at a time when the federal Liberal Party was juggling the $100 million sponsorship scandal and accusations of cronyism.

At the breakfast, Wilson got a chance to do what he does best – meet the public. In the 2004 election and the current one Wilson has earned a reputation as a relentless campaigner, going from door to door in between meetings with community and business leaders across the riding. He even broke up a house robbery in progress last year while knocking on doors in West Vancouver.

Like the other candidates he isn’t thrilled about running an election campaign through the Christmas season, but is excited to have another chance so soon at representing his riding. With Reynolds retiring, Wilson knows the race is wide open and that the weeks before the Jan. 23 election are crucial.

"We already have twice as many volunteers this year, and all kinds of people are stepping forward to help out locally," he said prior to Christmas. "I think all of the candidates are in a kind of holding pattern until the New Year, and then you’ll really start to see some hard campaigning and the debates and honest discussions about policy."

Wilson is also using this time to form relationships with local governments and community leaders so he can be a more effective representative if he is elected.

"Right now my plan is to meet and work with as many people as possible, so I can work with Ottawa to get more support for this region. I see my role as helping to swing the pendulum to B.C. with more allocation of federal resources, and then to work with mayors and councils to put those resources in the best place possible. We have the Olympics coming, the population is growing and putting a strain on the infrastructure, the economy is changing in a lot of ways – this area is going to need a lot of attention."

Several members of the community asked Wilson some specific questions. One question was about the $20 million Whistler will receive if it decides to build a Paralympic sledge hockey arena and what happens if the final price tag exceeds that figure.

"Whistler has to decide where any other funds are going to come from, and if they have to go to a referendum," said Wilson. "My feeling is that we don’t need to do that. Most of the 2010 infrastructure is still in the planning process, and we have to plan for all possibilities, but we can’t just promise to build arenas and then pressure communities to take out loans. The key is to get all levels of government working together, there are funds available at all three levels, there are corporate sponsors. (If elected) I would try to get an office in Whistler, because the federal government is going to be involved in some key decisions in this area."

Other issues that Whistler voters have raised include the future of health care, the environment, the Kyoto protocol, sustainable development, and housing.

"(Housing) is not a federal issue, but (the federal government) is getting more involved. The need seems to be the groundswell for that, and timing is important for all of the seniors living in Whistler. There are funds and programs that we might be able to tap into to help make it happen sooner (rather) than later," said Wilson.

"I’ve also heard a lot of interest in getting more health care services up in Whistler to handle the volume of people and the growing community.

"All of the issues are so intertwined with 2010. There is going to be housing for the athletes, there is going to be more of a focus on health care, and VANOC is working on delivering a green, sustainable Games that showcases new technologies. We have to make the most of the Olympic opportunity."

Wilson knows how important it is to make the most of opportunities. Blair and his brother Drew opened Mahoney’s sports bar in Vancouver in 1994, only to have the NHL season cut short by a strike. They opened up Wilson’s Steak House in 2004, just before the entire NHL season was cancelled.

The Wilson brothers managed to survive both trials with hard work and positive thinking, which is something that Blair hopes to reflect throughout his campaign.

Even the taint of the federal sponsorship scandal, which occurred long before he was even acclaimed as the Liberal Party candidate for the riding, can’t dull his optimism.

"I think it’s an old issue (the opposition) keeps dragging up, and I think we should give (Liberal leader) Paul Martin some credit for shining a spotlight on it and working to make sure the people responsible are held responsible," said Wilson.

"There have been a lot of changes to the system since this all came to light, and through it we’ve given a lot more power to the Office of the Comptroller General… who is now going to go through each ministry to find an additional $3 billion a year in cost-savings to fund health care and the military and lower taxes. We’re turning a negative into a positive."

Wilson points out that the Liberal government has consistently balanced the budget while increasing funding for social programs and cutting taxes, and recently promised to aid municipal governments by sharing federal gas taxes.

Wilson says that the sponsorship scandal sensationalizes the election, drawing attention away from the pressing needs of many communities.

"There are things communities need, like funding for infrastructure, protection for water supplies, sewers, improvements to roads and highways, and there are things we can do to make sure we have a predictable cash flow to invest in communities to handle these issues," he said.

"And every community is different. On the Sunshine Coast a lot of people have concerns about the environment. In Whistler it’s the environment and 2010. In Squamish one of the big issues is a new deal to get the court back, and sustainable development and resolving the softwood lumber dispute. In West Vancouver people are interested in fiscal responsibility at the federal level.

"Those are the jobs that are ahead of us."

Wilson does not believe the campaign will be negative, but if it does he says he will not participate.

"I grew up on the North Shore, I live in West Vancouver, and I’m going to be here forever. My family lives here, I have kids – I don’t want to go negative because I’d have to live with that the rest of my life. I think there are enough positive things to talk about without taking the low road, which I think the voters are turned off by anyway.

"I expect a good battle, but if it goes negative it isn’t going to come from me or my campaign."

Blair Wilson – Liberal Party of Canada

Website: www.voteblair.ca

Education: Political Science Degree from University of Victoria; Chartered Accountants designation from Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia.

Past/Current Occupations: accountant, business owner, restaurateur.

Philanthropy: Helped organize "The 2010 Rally on Robson", supports West Vancouver United Church, Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, North Shore Family Services, the Coho Society of North Shore, Amnesty International, and Tsunami Victims Relief Fund.

Family: Wife Kelly and two children aged 15 and 16.

Hobbies: Two-time finisher of Ironman Canada, marathon runner, coaches little league.

Other Notables: Wilson was ahead by 1,000 votes in the last election, and CBC called him the winner before late returns from the Sunshine Coast returned the riding to John Reynolds.

In His Words: "I would like to thank the many residents of Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast, North and West Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler, who have offered their support and ideas as I seek election as your next Member of Parliament for our riding. We live in one of the most beautiful parts of Canada, but we also face a number of challenges – from improving our health care and education, making our communities more livable, ensuring sustainable economic development which will create well-paying jobs, to the prudent fiscal management of our tax dollars."

Meet John Weston

In the re-named riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky – the largest riding in the country by population – a new MP will be elected. John Reynolds, the long-time Conservative/Alliance/Reform MP is retiring.

John Weston is the Conservatives’ candidate vying to replace Reynolds. He’s being challenged by Liberal Blair Wilson, NDP candidate Judith Wilson, Green Party candidate Silvaine Zimmermann and Anne Jamieson of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada.

John Weston can ski – not as well as his kids, he says, but as well as you would expect from anyone who grew up on the West Coast with a genuine love for sports and the mountains.

In December more than 20 members of the Whistler community – including some "diehard Liberal supporters" – came out to meet and ski with Weston, the Conservative Candidate for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky riding, at the invitation of Whistler Councillor and local Conservative Party organizer Ralph Forsyth.

There was no agenda for the day and Weston kept the conversation wide open. If you had any questions or concerns, you could voice them on the chairlift or over lunch in the Roundhouse Lodge.

Most of the participants seemed more interested in sizing up Weston than asking difficult questions on policy, but he did get a few queries on topics like campaign strategy, Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper’s policies, Olympic opportunities, and why he decided to run.

One thing that became clear early on is that Weston sees the Conservative Party of Canada as a new political party rather than the latest incarnation of the defunct Progressive Conservatives, Reform Party and Alliance parties that scattered the conservative vote until uniting for the last federal election in 2004.

"My motto for this election is ‘time for a change’ – not just in federal government and getting rid of the kind of corruption we’re seeing there, but also a change in the way we look at government and the culture of government. I think people are ready for a candidate that is young, who speaks French and Mandarin, who has a background in law and the constitution, and who rides a mountain bike on the weekends," he said.

"I think (the Conservatives) and Stephen Harper have a good, positive message to bring to Canadians that’s going to appeal to the economic conservatives out there, as well as to social conservatives and more traditional conservatives. I think we’ll also appeal to the blue Liberals, the people that have had their fill of that party for the last 12 years and are sick of the corruption and are looking for a change."

Weston was picked to succeed veteran Member of Parliament John Reynolds in this riding back in May, when the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois attempted to force a vote of non confidence over the Liberal budget. That budget just barely survived when the NDP backed Prime Minister Paul Martin’s minority government, Belinda Stronach crossed the floor of the House of Commons from the Conservative Party to the Liberal Party and independent MP Chuck Cadman voted with the government.

After that point Weston and his party knew it was only a matter of time before the issue would come up again, and he has spent the last few months meeting with people and quietly campaigning for support.

He was opposed to forcing a holiday season election campaign, but says the Liberal leadership’s new spending policies didn’t leave the other political parties with much choice.

"Canadians are scared," said Weston. "They’re terrified that a vote for the Liberals is a vote for the NDP, as together they rammed down our throats an $18 billion budget because the Liberals wanted to stay in power any way they could. It’s going to happen again unless we vote for change."

Weston is concerned that the campaign is going to go negative and get personal, but said that it won’t be coming from his side. If he is attacked he says he will respond, but his goal is to campaign on the issues, the Conservative platform, and his own concept of "service, integrity, and vision."

Weston has already seen evidence of negative reporting on his campaign.

"Within 72 hours after winning the riding, I was already in the national news and a lot of the reporting was negative. They didn’t want information about my experience, my ideas, but my personal (life), and they got a lot of it wrong," he said.

In one case, Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson wrote an apology after suggesting that Weston’s law firm was a "Christian Law Firm", when that was not the case. Additionally, it has been suggested that Weston and several other Conservative candidates in B.C. and across Canada are ideologically aligned with right-wing Christian movements in the U.S.

Weston brushes off any suggestion that he’s running a Christian campaign, or that his own beliefs would influence the way he would represent this riding.

"This is the biggest riding in Canada in terms of population, and it’s so diverse," said Weston. "There are the Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, and they have different values and needs than West Vancouver, and Sea to Sky has it’s own values as well – Squamish is different than Whistler.

"On top of that the demographics of this part of the world are changing. We’re growing and there are a lot of people that are new to Canada from places like China.

"On any issue I would listen to what the people in my riding are saying, and that is the way I would vote. That’s the ‘service’ part of my platform I’m talking about. Right now MPs aren’t even free to vote for the interests of the people in their riding, so what kind of service can you provide?"

Weston points out that the Conservative Party’s election platform would allow free votes in Parliament on every bill, with the exception of budget bills. In that sense he feels he would better be able to represent his riding with every vote, even as a backbencher.

"If something is against the interest of my riding I would always vote against it," he said.

It has been suggested in the media that Christians within the Conservative Party, such as Weston, would seek to overturn a new law allowing gay marriage in Canada.

When asked whether that suggestion is accurate, Weston denies having an agenda. He says he would have preferred to see a free vote on the issue in Parliament, but otherwise believes the matter is settled for now. If it comes up again, as Harper has suggested, he says he will listen to the people in his riding before casting his vote.

For Weston, it all comes down to changing Parliament to be more democratic and more accountable to voters.

Some of the elements in the Conservative Party’s platform, "Demanding Better", that Weston favours include more free votes, regular four-year elections, banning the use of corporate and union donations in political campaigns, and banning MPs from working as lobbyists for five years after their tenure to help eliminate cronyism. He would also like to see the Liberal sponsorship scandal resolved, and more power be given to federal auditors to investigate and eliminate waste and corruption.

"I’ve done a lot of door knocking in the last few months when we were in a holding pattern, and from what I’ve seen and heard is there’s a widespread acknowledgement that something isn’t working. People are fed up, and they want something that’s new and exciting," said Weston.

"We are at a disadvantage being a young party in the last election. The Conservative Party and Harper were new to Canadians, but by now we’re hoping more people have taken the time to read the platform, and seen what Harper stands for.

"Mostly we’re for all those underwhelmed and under-represented voters that are looking for a place to vote where they have a reasonable chance at good government.

"By the end of this campaign I think people are going to see a clear choice between what the Liberals are promising, which is more of the same, and what the Conservative Party is promising, which is a more accountable government."

On Jan. 23 Canadians go to the polls for the second time in less than two years to decide who will govern the country. The campaign got underway in the last days of November, making it nearly two months long. But because of the holiday period, interest in the election has been less than usual.

In the re-named riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky – the largest riding in the country by population – a new MP will be elected. John Reynolds, the long-time Conservative/Alliance/Reform MP is retiring.

John Weston is the Conservatives’ candidate vying to replace Reynolds. He’s being challenged by Liberal Blair Wilson, NDP candidate Judith Wilson, Green Party candidate Silvaine Zimmermann and Anne Jamieson of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada.

John Weston can ski – not as well as his kids, he says, but as well as you would expect from anyone who grew up on the West Coast with a genuine love for sports and the mountains.

In December more than 20 members of the Whistler community – including some "diehard Liberal supporters" – came out to meet and ski with Weston, the Conservative Candidate for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky riding, at the invitation of Whistler Councillor and local Conservative Party organizer Ralph Forsyth.

There was no agenda for the day and Weston kept the conversation wide open. If you had any questions or concerns, you could voice them on the chairlift or over lunch in the Roundhouse Lodge.

Most of the participants seemed more interested in sizing up Weston than asking difficult questions on policy, but he did get a few queries on topics like campaign strategy, Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper’s policies, Olympic opportunities, and why he decided to run.

One thing that became clear early on is that Weston sees the Conservative Party of Canada as a new political party rather than the latest incarnation of the defunct Progressive Conservatives, Reform Party and Alliance parties that scattered the conservative vote until uniting for the last federal election in 2004.

"My motto for this election is ‘time for a change’ – not just in federal government and getting rid of the kind of corruption we’re seeing there, but also a change in the way we look at government and the culture of government. I think people are ready for a candidate that is young, who speaks French and Mandarin, who has a background in law and the constitution, and who rides a mountain bike on the weekends," he said.

"I think (the Conservatives) and Stephen Harper have a good, positive message to bring to Canadians that’s going to appeal to the economic conservatives out there, as well as to social conservatives and more traditional conservatives. I think we’ll also appeal to the blue Liberals, the people that have had their fill of that party for the last 12 years and are sick of the corruption and are looking for a change."

Weston was picked to succeed veteran Member of Parliament John Reynolds in this riding back in May, when the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois attempted to force a vote of non confidence over the Liberal budget. That budget just barely survived when the NDP backed Prime Minister Paul Martin’s minority government, Belinda Stronach crossed the floor of the House of Commons from the Conservative Party to the Liberal Party and independent MP Chuck Cadman voted with the government.

After that point Weston and his party knew it was only a matter of time before the issue would come up again, and he has spent the last few months meeting with people and quietly campaigning for support.

He was opposed to forcing a holiday season election campaign, but says the Liberal leadership’s new spending policies didn’t leave the other political parties with much choice.

"Canadians are scared," said Weston. "They’re terrified that a vote for the Liberals is a vote for the NDP, as together they rammed down our throats an $18 billion budget because the Liberals wanted to stay in power any way they could. It’s going to happen again unless we vote for change."

Weston is concerned that the campaign is going to go negative and get personal, but said that it won’t be coming from his side. If he is attacked he says he will respond, but his goal is to campaign on the issues, the Conservative platform, and his own concept of "service, integrity, and vision."

Weston has already seen evidence of negative reporting on his campaign.

"Within 72 hours after winning the riding, I was already in the national news and a lot of the reporting was negative. They didn’t want information about my experience, my ideas, but my personal (life), and they got a lot of it wrong," he said.

In one case, Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson wrote an apology after suggesting that Weston’s law firm was a "Christian Law Firm", when that was not the case. Additionally, it has been suggested that Weston and several other Conservative candidates in B.C. and across Canada are ideologically aligned with right-wing Christian movements in the U.S.

Weston brushes off any suggestion that he’s running a Christian campaign, or that his own beliefs would influence the way he would represent this riding.

"This is the biggest riding in Canada in terms of population, and it’s so diverse," said Weston. "There are the Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, and they have different values and needs than West Vancouver, and Sea to Sky has it’s own values as well – Squamish is different than Whistler.

"On top of that the demographics of this part of the world are changing. We’re growing and there are a lot of people that are new to Canada from places like China.

"On any issue I would listen to what the people in my riding are saying, and that is the way I would vote. That’s the ‘service’ part of my platform I’m talking about. Right now MPs aren’t even free to vote for the interests of the people in their riding, so what kind of service can you provide?"

Weston points out that the Conservative Party’s election platform would allow free votes in Parliament on every bill, with the exception of budget bills. In that sense he feels he would better be able to represent his riding with every vote, even as a backbencher.

"If something is against the interest of my riding I would always vote against it," he said.

It has been suggested in the media that Christians within the Conservative Party, such as Weston, would seek to overturn a new law allowing gay marriage in Canada.

When asked whether that suggestion is accurate, Weston denies having an agenda. He says he would have preferred to see a free vote on the issue in Parliament, but otherwise believes the matter is settled for now. If it comes up again, as Harper has suggested, he says he will listen to the people in his riding before casting his vote.

For Weston, it all comes down to changing Parliament to be more democratic and more accountable to voters.

Some of the elements in the Conservative Party’s platform, "Demanding Better", that Weston favours include more free votes, regular four-year elections, banning the use of corporate and union donations in political campaigns, and banning MPs from working as lobbyists for five years after their tenure to help eliminate cronyism. He would also like to see the Liberal sponsorship scandal resolved, and more power be given to federal auditors to investigate and eliminate waste and corruption.

"I’ve done a lot of door knocking in the last few months when we were in a holding pattern, and from what I’ve seen and heard is there’s a widespread acknowledgement that something isn’t working. People are fed up, and they want something that’s new and exciting," said Weston.

"We are at a disadvantage being a young party in the last election. The Conservative Party and Harper were new to Canadians, but by now we’re hoping more people have taken the time to read the platform, and seen what Harper stands for.

"Mostly we’re for all those underwhelmed and under-represented voters that are looking for a place to vote where they have a reasonable chance at good government.

"By the end of this campaign I think people are going to see a clear choice between what the Liberals are promising, which is more of the same, and what the Conservative Party is promising, which is a more accountable government."



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