PRESS RELEASE
| July
11, 2003 Three Main Political Parties
ROBBINS-SCE
Research For immediate Release: Okanagan-A survey of 690 respondents throughout the 23 Northern and Interior ridings of British Columbia characterized as North and East of Hope’. The survey is designed to determine political party ‘name recognition. This survey was undertaken between June 28-July 4, 2003 featuring an error rate of 3.5% @ 97% competency. All respondents have been determined to have vote in the May 2001 provincial election. Respondents were asked the following single question. Name three main political parties in British Columbia. Liberals 92% Commentary: Approximately 80% of ALL respondents could actually answer the question to the extent that there were 2070 ‘spots’ available for them to do so (690 x 3). Nearly 90% of the respondents who answered the question completely (some could only name one or two political parties) answered Liberal or NDP either first or second. Obviously they are the most-recognized party labels in this region of the province. Only (2) respondents who answered Green as one of their selections did so prior to choosing NDP. All respondents who answered Green had NDP as a prior selection. Respondents answered Reform in conjunction with both Liberal and NDP, but NO respondents answered Reform and Green in any set of three. Few respondents answered BC Liberal. Respondents refer to the BC Liberal party as ‘the Liberal party’, or The Liberals. No other political party in BC scored more than 1%. Commentary: This survey reflects knowledge of BC political parties. Respondents were not prompted by suggesting choices. This raises the issue do lesser known party labels such as Unity or Marijuana get selected by respondents in conventional surveys simply to avoid the other mainstream parties, as a sort of ‘other’? The Green Party only has primary status as a recognized political party in The Kootenay region of the province, but even there it is secondary in recognition to the NDP. The Reform party has long roots both provincially and federally in these ridings and they are recognized as both a conservative and democratic party. Hypothesis: This survey (and others) provides a clearer picture of these ridings, which represent nearly 30% of all legislative seats in Victoria. The BC Liberals are seen, as ‘liberals’ only, although we believe approximately 10% of their current 32% in this region can be attributable to ‘Socred’ liberalism. The Reform BC party is in the process of provincial repatriation from its federal ‘label’ and amongst Canadian Alliance supporters. BC Liberals occupy many Canadian Alliance boards, and arguably Alliance has had a concerted working relationship with the BC Liberals. This relationship may not prove helpful to BC Liberal MLA’s or Canadian Alliance MP’s in this region, particularly amongst die-hard Reformers (who never wanted to federally change party names in the first place), and who believe a liberal is a liberal. A loss of BC seats by Canadian Alliance in the next Federal Election, and Gordon Campbell remaining as BC Liberal Leader, may make these 23 seats either Reform or NDP in 2005. ROBBINS/SCE strives to be well ahead of the political curve in identifying political party recognition and its relationship to political issues. The present method of surveys is outdated and fails to recognize the obvious difference between voters in different parts of the province. It appears that many political parties construct their objectives and goals on misinformation and groupthink. Those political parties that can come to realize their bona fide strengths and weaknesses beyond the operational reality of internal party politics will reap the rewards. The losers will be forced to manufacture ad hoc excuses. The fabric of the BC political landscape is changing before us. Sincerely,
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