John Slater Detonates New Year’s Bomb at Christy Clark’s Doorstep! Boundary Similkameen MLA Calls It Quits on the BC Liberals! As the Smear Campaign Against Him Begins…
“Mr. Slater’s candidacy is not being approved due to personal issues that, in our view, impact his ability to represent the Party.”
Those despicably chosen words, were written by BC Liberal President (and very close friend of Patrick Kinsella), Sharon White, QC.
John Slater has resigned, as the BC Liberal party wouldn’t approve his candidacy. In the middle of the competing stories being proffered by both President, Sharon White, and Executive Director, Mike McDonald, Slater has denied that he had agreed to step aside.
It’s White words though that are reminiscent of similar character assassination. Remember when John vanDongen left the BC Liberals? Rich Coleman leapt to center stage, in front of any camera he could locate, and suggested vanDongen had “personal problems.” Well, here we go again, except that now it’s White that’s been tapped to do the hatchet job.
What a disgrace!
I’m told by party insiders that the whisper campaign coming from BC Liberal hierarchs is that Slater is “a drunk.”
Really? I’m too much of a gentleman to tell you that there are SEVERAL high ranking BC Liberal drunks, one in particular, and they survived just fine remaining MLAs and getting renominated, thank you very much. I’m sure it’s a coincidence that they all kiss the hem of Christy’s royal robes.
She’s no slouch in the drinking department either. I think the BC Liberals shouldn’t throw stones from an all glass house.
I put in two separate calls to Mr. Slater, who by all accounts, is a very fine public servant and has never been cited or reprimanded for alcohol or anything else. His community leaders love him, and his constituents are shell-shocked–even though the writing has been on the wall for some time.
But that all doesn’t matter to the BC Liberals. It’s his character they want to injure. He must be punished for doing the right thing–he’s been critical of his own government, both inside and outside caucus.
Sharon White, who I’ve known for 25 years, should show some shame, and apologize for chooing her words so poorly. She could have phrased her letter differently, simply saying he didn’t meet her party’s candidate criteria. Instead, she facilitated any and all amounts of speculation to swirl. For shame!
Chronic bronchitis could be a personal issue. As could bad breath or a bum hip. None of that was what White wanted you to think; she sent out the letter knowing full well speculation would envelope Slater, while BC Liberals operatives would take up the slack and start telling tall tales about Slater’s drinking habits.
Disgusting, Sharon. And well beneath who I thought you once were.
Slater isn’t a drunk–far from it. And his drinking has never affected his tireless work on behalf of constituents. He’s more a bon vivant than a boozer.
Regardless, Slater has now announced that he’s running again as an independent, so you can either hand that riding to the NDP or give it back to Slater.
What amazes me, too, is the additional claptrap coming from former mayor of Oliver, rumoured BC Liberal candidate Linda Larson–Slater’s replacement. If Slater is truly a close a friend of hers, as she claims time and again, then Larson should tell the BC Liberals to go pack sand, and have no problem doing so.
Only that would demonstrate the depth of her friendship with him.
This would require a conscience, I gather. Let’s see if Larson has one. If not, she’ll fit right in with the BC Liberals, and was lying all along about waiting for Slater to make his move.
Stay tuned. This breaking story has legs. And long ones at that!
The BC Liberals just can’t do anything right. What a badly botched affair!
YET ANOTHER!!!
Sorry this is long, Alex, but it just goes to show you the continuing BS/stupidity and lack of integrity of the BC Liberals.
A case of two individuals:
Case A) A man with personal problems, who may have over imbibed occasionally or as he says, had a bad interaction with medication and booze. This man, otherwise has no discernible problems.
Case B) You’re arrested and spend a night in custody (but not formally charged) for having a domestic dispute with your wife (and I’m sure it wasn’t over dirty dishes or taking out the garbage).
Now, folks, between the two, which man has personal issues that would essentially be against party interests?
If you’re the BC Liberals, the man with the domestic dispute is A-OK to run for re-election but the man who likes the occasional beer or wine and ends up mixing with meds is unfit for the brand. This from a party whose leader, a woman, hold meetings with women so they can talk openly without men present and families chooses the man who’s arrested for a domestic dispute (read into that what you will) over the man who hasn’t been arrested for a domestic dispute.
The fact that Pat Pimm is even allowed to run for re-election over John Slater, a man who by all means hasn’t done anything requiring police intervention shows this party has lost it’s moral compass (if they ever had one). If John Slater does NOT meet the personal integrity and reflect the BC Liberal brand well, then I would argue the man arrested for a domestic dispute involving his wife, Pat Pimm does not meet anyone’s standard for personal integrity. The fact he does for the Premier and the BC Liberals, is quite frankly, sad and revolting. If they care about personal integrity, they should boot him from caucus and run a respectable candidate instead.
Pat Pimm’s arrest: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/06/27/bc-mla-pimm-domestic-resign.html
Pat Pimm not charged, rejoins caucus: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=553b43ba-4769-4427-a8d1-a5cd133de837
Pat Pimm running for re-election: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/22/bill-bennett-pat-pimm-john-rustad_n_1822423.html
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Superb points!
The BC Liberals are full of shite. They tossed Slater because he won’t tow the party line on all sorts of nonsense that the BC Liberals want, and that are all against the public interest in British Columbia.
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As always there is more to the story.
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Okay…
agtsakumis@gmail.com
Let’s have it!
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Let’s see Bill “battered wife syndrome” Bennett is running along with Pat Pimm. Am I the only one that sees the irony?
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The truth of the matter is, that John Slater does have a serious problem that affects his job as MLA and he isn’t doing a proper job representing the people of this riding. John Slater was part of the speakers panel at a local area town hall meeting before Christmas, that I also attended as an interested member of the general public. John was asked by the Chair to address the audience. John was extremely incoherent and didn’t state anything that made sense or of value to the audience. Everyone sitting around me looked around after John spoke, with shocked looks on their faces saying “What was that!” The main top of interest being discussed by audience attendees after the meeting was “John Slater was drunk!”
It’s one thing if you drink at appropriate social times, another if you come drunk to an important public meeting that at very least you are supposed to be taking away valuable information so you can best represent your constituents. Most people expect to get fired if they come drunk to work. Attending public meetings is part of John’s job. Maybe John thinks he is handling alcohol just fine, but the people at that meeting were obviously shocked and disgusted. Obviously he is not doing a good job of hiding his alcoholism from the public, let alone the Liberal party.
John Slater is a nice, likeable guy but needs to go. It is unfortunate that he isn’t stepping down gracefully. John stating that he will run as an independent this May would likely result in splitting the popular vote with the new Liberal Candidate Linda Larson. If John is a good friend of Linda’s like he says he is, he should bow out all together right now.
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After the information I’ve dug up in the last 24 hours, I agree. Slater should leave now.
His drinking is the least of his problems.
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