Is truth mud slinging?

[Diogenes]

Sandana-Weisbeck is the first to admit that the campaign has been a nasty one and she says Kit Bell is doing all the mudslinging.

"You and I know who's doing the mudslinging. It's just as nasty as nasty can get. It's a dirty campaign and it's not healthy for the party.”
from to days castanet

[RollingThunder]

A term primarily used in political competition. The statement could be true or false, but it is the way the words are "slung" out (the method of delivery). Often used to target specific individuals or groups by malicious means.

It is the opposite of diplomacy.

[caffeine]

I agree with the idea of youth getting more involved in politics. But maybe there is a line that was crossed here. I mean, a political party, recruiting youth during an election campaign for a party candidate. It's kind of like tobacco companies preaching the dangers of cigarettes while they sell them.


Well, maybe not exactly, but you know what I mean. I guess it party depends on the age of the kids, etc.

Kids should be taught/encouraged first to think freely and critically, then decide on party politics, personal politics etc. Not, join now, think later.

[diogenes]

Hundreds of Liberal memberships cancelled
WebPosted Nov 25 2004 07:25 PM PST


VANCOUVER - The B.C. Liberal Party has cancelled nearly 300 party memberships after conducting an investigation of membership irregularities in the riding of Kelowna-Lake Country.


Sarina Sandana-Weisbeck

The party was investigating allegations that teenagers were promised parties and concert tickets in exchange for supporting candidate Sarina Sandana-Weisbeck – the ex-wife of current MLA John Weisbeck.

Liberal Party Executive Director Kelly Reichert says the memberships were cancelled after the audit revealed irregularities in the sign-up process.

RELATED: Told to lie about Liberal memberships, say teens


Liberals handed out party tickets to new members

Earlier, Grade 12 student Katie Martin had told CBC News that two people who said they represented Sandana-Weisbeck offered her a free Liberal Party membership.

Martin also said the pair told her to tell the party that she had paid for her membership.

Sandana-Weisbeck has said she had nothing to do with paying for any memberships.

But Reichert says every candidate is responsible for membership sign-up forms and how they are distributed.




"We have a new system that we implemented about a year ago. That system allows us to track our membership forms and which candidate they go out to," he says.

"And so based on the complaints that we received and reviewing the membership forms, we were able to determine which candidate's team those membership forms were sent to."

Liberals in Kelowna-Lake Country will meet this Saturday to select a candidate to run in the next provincial election, replacing John Weisbeck, who is not seeking re-election.

[diogenes]

Gordo's Crazy British Columbia
British Columbia, the super-natural source for satire and humour.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



November 25, 2004

Hundreds of Liberal memberships cancelled.

"The B.C. Liberal Party has cancelled nearly 300 party memberships after conducting an investigation of membership irregularities in the riding of Kelowna-Lake Country." according to a CBC report.

"Liberal Party Executive Director Kelly Reichert says the memberships were cancelled after the audit revealed irregularities in the sign-up process."

Unlike last year’s Liberal membership uproar on Vancouver Island, there were no reports of any dogs on the membership list in Kelowna Lake Country. A golden retriever residing in Victoria had joined the LIberal Party in support of Paul Martin's quest for the LIberal Party leadership.

In Kelowna, "the party was investigating allegations that teenagers were promised parties and concert tickets in exchange for supporting candidate Sarina Sandana-Weisbeck – the ex-wife of current MLA John Weisbeck." Weisbeck has indicated he is retiring from politics. His ex-wife is now seeking the Liberal nomination. (Is this part of the divorce settlement? --editor)

"Earlier, Grade 12 student Katie Martin had told CBC News that two people who said they represented Sandana-Weisbeck offered her a free Liberal Party membership."

"Martin also said the pair told her to tell the party that she had paid for her membership."

[diogenes]

how does a story stay alive here ??
Four candidates are vying for outgoing
Liberal MLA John Weisbeck's job.

Lake Country Liberals Vote
A nomination meeting to replace outgoing Liberal MLA John Weisbeck in the Kelowna-Lake Country riding takes place today in Kelowna.

An audited list of 2,014 potential voters are eligible to cast ballots at Rutland Senior Secondary School between one and six o'clock.

Party officials launched an audit of the list following allegations of some shady enrollment tactics.

The candidates include Weisbeck's ex-wife Sarina Sandana-Weisbeck, city councilor Al Horning, businesswoman Kit Bell, and local community activist Michelle Rule.

[diogenes]

It seem contrary to watershed's loose deffiniton of truth, truth remains factual.


Stop cash memberships, says Liberal hopeful
WebPosted Nov 26 2004 03:07 PM PST


KELOWNA, B.C. - One of the candidates for the B.C. Liberal nomination in Kelowna-Lake Country says the party needs to outlaw the practice of having people paying cash for memberships.


B.C. Liberal contender Sarina Sandana-Weisbeck

Kit Bell's suggestion comes on the heels of a party audit that uncovered sign-up irregularities in the riding – and the cancellation of hundreds of memberships.

Party officials had been investigating allegations that Liberal memberships were given to teenagers – and paid for by supporters of candidate Sarina Sandana-Weisbeck.

FROM NOV. 25, 2004: Hundreds of Liberal memberships cancelled

Bell, who is running against Sandana-Weisbeck, says a lot of the membership problems could be eliminated if cash were taken out of the equation.

"If you had everybody pay either by personal cheque, or Visa/Mastercard with a signature, or even a money order with a signature, then you would be sure that each person had paid for their own membership."

Last month, a local youth group solicited teenagers at two high schools in the Kelowna-Lake Country riding. It also campaigned for Sandana-Weisbeck.

The group signed up hundreds of teens as new members, some of them as young as 14 years old. Many did not pay for their memberships.

Students interviewed by CBC News say the youth group told them to lie about whether they'd paid.

Sandana-Weisbeck says she had nothing to do with paying for any memberships, and that she "cannot control what the youth group told students. I never told them to say any of that."

But according to Liberal Party Executive Director Kelly Reichert, he candidate should maintain control of membership forms.

"The candidate is definitely responsible for those forms, and they're aware of that," he says.


and the "storng warning" by her lawyer is so much hot air. Seems it aint such a good idea to be p-ing some of those people off

[twinkletoes2005]

Its too bad that this incident may have left a bad taste in the mouths of both youth and their parents.
I've met many youth who are actively engaged in politics and enjoy the experiance. Often, their involvement came from their parents' involvement. Many youth who want to get involved have a hard time figuring out how to get involved. The liberals were out of line, no doubt about it, but perhaps this is sign that there is a need to have some sort of way to reach out to youth by all parties. All candidate forums at an assembly is an idea some youth I know have been discussing.