RUSS: The BC Conservatives cannot afford to become a sleazy, insider party

Dismissals can bookend a crisis, either as its opening act or as its conclusion. In the case of the sudden firing of Apollo Chung from the Conservative Party of British Columbia (CPBC) Caucus, it appears to be the more unfortunate former. The now-former director of caucus operations was dismissed without further official comment by party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay on Wednesday.

A phone recording attributed by many to Chung released the same week seemed to capture him demanding “half a million dollars,” to be raised through political fundraisers in which Chung and others would “steal everything.”

Although not yet authenticated, the speed with which Chung was fired by Findlay has raised eyebrows that will not be lowered for some time. Continued silence from the party about the details will not suffice.

Unlike the recent run of departures from the party, including former director Angelo Isidorou and party president Aisha Estey, Chung was a handpicked hire by Findlay. He has no institutional links to the Rustad era, when the CPBC rose to prominence.

Findlay showed leadership by ejecting such a liability, but it was she who made him one of the Conservative Caucus' most senior staffers, presumably after he had been vetted. Despite having been hired only last month, Chung quite possibly gained access to the entire party apparatus, contacts, and secrets. What donor information could Chung have learned and retained?

The firing came at the worst possible time, as the party is experiencing a collapse in numbers, if not an outright collapse. In less than two weeks, Peter Milobar, Ian Paton, Rosalyn Bird, Teresa Wat, Brennan Day, and now former deputy leader Bruce Banman have exited the party. This cannot be dismissed as mere post-leadership turnover. Losing six MLAs amid a storm of alleged purges and ethical lapses is more than natural attrition.

A great deal of that turmoil surrounds Findlay’s attempts to secure a seat in the provincial legislature. Rosalyn Bird’s own departure was attributed to a heated phone call with Findlay, in which the party leader allegedly raised her voice and abruptly hung up. 

Meanwhile, MLA Reann Gasper agreed to vacate her seat in Abbotsford-Mission to allow Findlay to run in a by-election, and will now take up a role in caucus. However, even if Findlay wins the seat, the loss of so many MLAs means that the Conservative Caucus will lose $700,000 in public funding. 

Furthermore, there are allegations that Findlay inappropriately offered Gasper a paid staff role in Caucus to make up for the loss of her seat, which would constitute inducement, an offence under the Criminal Code. These allegations are completely unproven, and Findlay has denied them, but the optics are dreadful.  

The CPBC rose from the political fringe to the province’s Official Opposition by attacking the stale, insider culture of the BC Liberals and their downtown Vancouver connections. Beyond lower taxes and a freer economy, CPBC supporters wanted a more accountable party that put its grassroots first, rather than business associations and top law firms.

A movement that rose to prominence in opposition to sleaze and opacity will not survive if it becomes synonymous with those same vices, even if they appear in different forms and under different colours.

A party can recover from caucus defections and floor-crossers, and most voters are not overly concerned when the odd MLA walks away. The average voter might even understand the ambition and personal discord that come with politics. What the CPBC’s supporters will not stand for is being treated as easy marks by a leadership that marches under the banners of populism and anti-establishment politics. 

That same base includes the donors who fund the party in large part and turn out on election day, including tradesmen, business owners, and striving wage earners. They believe in an alternative to the NDP. Who will volunteer and door-knock for a party that treats them as suspect because they backed a losing candidate in the leadership race? Who would donate money when those same dollars are to be pilfered by top CPBC staff?

Nonetheless, the BC Conservatives remain the only plausible vehicle for replacing the NDP with a genuinely conservative government right now.

This fall, the CPBC is likely to be thrust into a two-front war. 

The first will be the familiar one in the legislature against David Eby’s government, which may or may not be directly led by Findlay, depending on when the Abbotsford-Mission by-election is called and whether Findlay wins the riding. The second will be a running battle to maintain the trust of the party base and convince its supporters that their money, time, and trust are not being wasted.

This province needs a credible alternative to the NDP, and it would be a shame if all the years, time and sleepless nights spent building up the Conservative Party of BC go to waste.

Geoff Russ is Editor-at-Large of Without Diminishment and contributor to the National Post.