UNITY FIASCO
| March 26, 2001 To Reform BC Members The year 2000 has been a year of disappointment. We have seen the President and Leader abandon the Party to serve their own personal interests. Both Chris Delaney and Bill VanderZalm, along with Family Coalition, created a Unity Party based on an approval of 68% of 650 ballots from some 3000 party members who, in principle, believed they were uniting with five center right parties. The Party Board never approved that mail out, and, on October 16th 2000 the Board approved a motion to postpone the Unity process until after the next election. Delaney and VanderZalm had no mandate to do what they did, especially when Reform was averaging 20% in the polls. Delaney and VanderZalm now have their own party, built upon the resources of Reform BC. Many of our members have received membership cards from the Unity Party without having been consulted. Unity is illegally using Reform BC’s Constituency funds and membership lists to promote their party. On February 26,2001, Elections BC suspended Reform BC for six months claiming that the party had over spent their limit by $ 15,642.89. Graham Wray, Financial Agent for Reform in 1999, reported total party campaign expenses to be $13,573.39. Ross Mcquarrie, Financial Agent for Reform in 2000 after meeting with the forensic auditor in his office on December 20th, 2000 adjusted the party expenses to $28,079.57. Both well below the party limit of $37,080.17. The Party Board never authorized these expenses. Within two weeks of the approval on January 10th of their registration of the Unity Party, both Delaney and VanderZalm met with Election BC auditors to move what appeared to be over-spending on the Bill VanderZalm campaign over to the Reform party. They knew by then, Reform BC would not be around. On February 10th, at an illegal meeting held in Aldergrove, Bill VanderZalm passed a motion to deregister Reform.BC. Reform BC is taking Elections
BC to the BC Supreme Court to lift this
excessive penalty of suspension. On March 7th,the Board held a meeting and unanimously censured Bill VanderZalm. He no longer represents Reform BC. At this meeting, Grant Mitton from Peace River and myself were appointed Vice Presidents for the Party. I have been asked to fill in as president until the next AGM. On a more positive note, don’t count Reform out just yet! Despite the suspension, Barb Smith our office manager is still receiving new memberships, renewals as well as support for Reform. We will need all the help you can give, morally, spiritually and financially. Caroline Meredith, director and devout Reformer, died of cancer on March 9th. She will be missed. Sincerely Yours
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