UNION LEADERS and POLITICAL MISFITS

Underbelly News
Downtown Eastside

UNION LEADERS and POLITICAL MISFITS

Hi All!

I had forwarded to me a number of emails with regards to the upcoming NDP Van-Kingsway riding nomination meeting (Glen Clark's old constituency). I have posted one below. It appears the NDP president, Jeff Fox (a Union heavyweight) has at the behest of former Clark aide, Adrian Dix and others, stolen from a democratically elected constituency association, their abilitity to run the nomination meeting scheduled for this Sunday December 5, 2004. Is it any wonder people get tired of Union Leaders and Political Misfits corrupting democratic parties?

Just an aside, my late mother Alice Hamilton was awarded honourary life membership in the NDP by than NDP Premier Mike Harcourt. It is the highest honour given to a member. All I can say is my mother would be ashamed at what amounts to the corruption of her beloved party.

Jamie Lee



From:

To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 4:36 PM
Subject: Prov Exec tries to justify take-over of Kingsway's nomination meeting
To Provincial Council Delegates / Constituency Presidents / Provincial Executive / NDP Members / Staff
It is with puzzlement that we read Mr. Fox's reply.

First, we are disconcerted with his inability to recognize that the letter was not sent by "three individuals" but by the president, vice-president, and membership secretary of the Vancouver Kingsway NDP constituency association on behalf of the executive.

Second, his statement that our local association "refused the suggestion of an independent co-chair" is simply not correct. Our executive never received or discussed such a proposal. There was an informal mention by Mr. Keating in a phone conversation with our president Arlene Schimmelpfennig that the provincial executive might suggest a neutral co-chair for the ballotting committee. The offer was never made. The conversation happened after the provincial executive decided to take over the credentials and ballotting committees. There was no mention of the credentials committee.

Third, Mr. Fox's notes on the conclusions Mr. Keating drew about the complaint launched by candidates Dix and Parmar against the local executive are different from ours. We had two people attend the one meeting where the matter was heard and decided on, and both reported back Mr. Keating's findings as there being no evidence for the complaints.

Fourth, Mr. Fox writes that what brought about the provincial executive take-over of the credentials and ballotting committees is not actual bias but a perception of bias. According to our notes, Keating's "reasonable perception of bias" was reported to exist only with regards to the ballotting committee. Why is it now being applied to both committees?
Fifth, we have yet to hear or read about any evidence (or reasoning) to substantiate this perception of bias. We request that this be made clear to us. In addition, we would like to have explained what arguments or reasons the provincial executive has for considering itself or provincial office staff as parties that are unlikely to create a reasonable perception of bias.

Sixth, to read section 9.07 of the constitution as granting provincial executive the power to take over the running of nomination meetings is simply wrong. Section 9.07 simply states a procedure for dealing with complaints about the way in which a constituency conducts its nomination procedures: go to local executive first and to provincial executive next if need be. The provincial executive is supposed to help solve specific complaints, not unsubstantiated perceptions, and one would have hoped that more than 15 minutes would be spent with a local executive before summarily taking over the most important aspects of a nomination meeting.

Seventh, Mr. Fox asserts that the provincial executive is efficiently dealing with our membership secretary's concern about irregularities in the recruiting of members 16 of them living in one house, obvious duplications, people living in different houses but sharing the same phone, etc. His assertion, however, is not accompanied by any evidence that this is actually happening. Two weeks have passed since our complaint and we have had zero response.

Eighth, in a document recently received from provincial office, Ms Angela Schira appears as a "transfer-in" member. This executive has not approved Ms Schira's transfer. We would like to remind provincial executive that it is the prerogative of the local association to accept transfers and we are the association's executive. Ms Schira is not a transfer member of this constituency.

In summary, provincial executive has taken over Vancouver-Kingsway's nomination meeting due to an unexplained "reasonable perception of bias" and without any effort to reach an agreement with the riding. After four years of arduous successful work to build the riding, we feel particulary hurt by the treatment we, as an executive, are receiving from Mr. Fox and the provincial executive. Furthermore, we fear for the future of constituency autonomy so traditionally characteristic of the NDP.

Sincerely,
on behalf of the Vancouver-Kingsway executive

Arlene Schimmelpfennig, constituency president, 219-9249
Isabel Lopez, vice-president, 324-4484
Andrew Adler, membership secretary, 224-1249