PRESS RELEASE
| October 15 , 2003 Reform list taken by Unity still belongs to Reform Coquitlam/Vernon A survey of 400 members was called from a 2001 Reform BC Members list provided to ROBBINS SCE from Unity Leader Chris Delaney in May 2001. This list was never used to date for any purpose following a cease and desists letter issued by Reform Leader Ron Gamble in May 2001. The purpose of calling individuals from this list, with the consent of the Reform Party, was to identify how many went to the Unity Party and how many stayed with Reform. The survey was undertaken between October 1, 2003 and October 15, 2003. It has a margin of error of 1.5% 19 times out of 20 at 99% competency. Question #1 Reform 83% Question #2 Reform Yes 5% No 95% Question #3 Reform Yes 2% No 98% Commentary: Reform BC supporters predominate over Unity in this survey. Sixty per cent of respondents consisted of ‘paid up’ Reform Party members. Many of these members took out five-year memberships under then Reform Leader ex-Premier Bill Vander Zalm. Five per cent of the ‘paid up’ Reformers were ‘soft’ Unity members, or still undecided. In this survey, these respondents were credited to Unity. This survey provides a very insightful look at the status between Unity and Reform. Except for a large following of Unity members, mostly ex-Family Coalition members, who did not know Heather Stillwell and Kathleen Toth were no longer with Unity, the Unity Party is unknown. These Unity members are concentrated heavily in Chilliwack and the Abbotsford area. Many of the Unity supporters in this survey support Chuck Strahl, the Canadian Alliance MP who once moved over to the Progressive Conservative Party, is encouraging a merger between the Conservative party, who were ‘split’ on the same-sex marriage issue, and the Alliance Party who along with Reformers throughout the province are dead against it. It is interesting to note that Canadian Alliance MP Chuck Strahl and BC Liberal MLA John Les have constituency offices side by side. Could this possibly mean an alliance is in the making? Watch for more side-by-side offices between the Alliance and the BC Liberals. Over the past two years, Robbins, Ipsos, Marktrend and McIntyre Mustel, have placed Unity at between 1 and 3% in pubic opinion polls. Marktrend, Robbins, and McIntyre Mustel have placed Reform at five to six times the public support of Unity (7-15%). BC Liberal Pollster Angus Ried and French firm Ipsos, does not include Reform in its surveys. The developing hypothesis is that the BC Liberal government, through its Party, Corporate and government advertising dominate the mainstream media, sees Unity as a ‘temporary and convenient camouflage’ and Reform as a serious threat. Most Unity supporters were very confused about whether or not Unity is a federal or provincial organization. The Unity member’s ‘split’ acceptance of BC Liberal’s on Boards of Canadian Alliance is baffling. The fact that the media continues to promote Unity, and Chris Delaney reveals how poorly informed news agencies are about what is happening on the ground in provincial politics, or in the alternative how captive the media and establishment political parties are to one another. Whatever the explanation, it certainly isn’t pretty. 46% of Unity member’s support the BC Liberals actively working with the Canadian Alliance Party, in stark contrast to the 5% Reform supporters who do not support this. Reformers can’t understand why they worked so hard to do what they did, if the net result is to go back to The Progressive Conservative Party. If The Canadian Alliance merges with the Progressive Conservative Party there will be more British Columbians taking out Reform memberships. If The Canadian Alliance does not merge with the Progressive Conservative Party, watch for Canadian Alliance to form closer ties with Reform BC, particularly over the homosexual marriage (wedge) issue. Reform support is growing as a response to the unhappiness of British Columbians towards the New Democratic and BC Liberal Party. Reform is taking from both the NDP in rural areas and BC Liberals in the cities and towns in the Interior and North. Reform has initiated a concerted fund-raising campaign targeting $1,000,000 in individual donations to advance its presence. (See Reform Leader Ron Gamble (604) 980-7779).
Glen Robbins -30-
For
More Information contact: |