Scandal hits the BC Liberals – Marc Dalton
Posted April 25, 2009 by Sacha Peter - Link
Category: Analysis, Scandal
Comments (11)
The BC Liberals’ received their first political broadside from the NDP last Friday, hitting two candidates – Marc Dalton, and John van Dongen. Both revelations came after nominations closed, which is smart political timing. This post will be about Dalton:
Marc Dalton, is the BC Liberal candidate in Maple Ridge-Mission (a swing riding). The following is apparently a copy of the letter, dredged up from 1996:
I’ve been somewhat torn about making a response to your note to Bruce. I value maintaining a good relationship with you and all the staff and don’t really enjoy jumping into a contentious issue.
As a parent of three school-aged children in public schools and as a teacher, I am very much concerned about the motions before the BCTF (B.C. Teachers Federation) presently being petitioned against.
I am not against homosexuals as people, but I do not support their lifestyle choices. I believe homosexuality is a moral issue. Most of us agree on many morals: respect, honesty, kindness. There are also many behaviours and acts that most of us would not condone: rape, robbery, assault, drunken driving, pedophilia, incest and so on.
There are other moral issues that large segments of our society do not see eye to eye: gambling, abortion, adultery, pornography. I believe that homosexuality fits in this category.
I became aware of the motions this weekend when a concerned mother of school children approached me and asked if I would get involved in some small way to see the proposals defeated. She handed me a clipping of the Vancouver Sun and some people to write.
There are many, many people who hold homosexuality to be an improper and high-risk behaviour. Though I oppose violence towards these people as well as towards all people, I am against the BCTF ram-rodding the homosexual motion against the wishes of great numbers of parents (and teachers) in this district and in this province.
Thank you for bearing with me.
NDP MLA Spencer Herbert (Vancouver-West End) went on to say in an NDP press release:
Gordon Campbell said that his party has a vigorous screening process. Either Mr. Dalton chose not to disclose these comments or they are acceptable to Mr. Campbell. If Mr. Dalton hid his homophobia he should be asked to resign. If Mr. Campbell approved the candidacy knowing of these statements he should do the right thing, denounce these comments and fire this candidate.
Herbert’s initial comment is quite powerful – was this factoid known by the BC Liberals in the nomination screening, or was it not revealed by the candidate?
Marc Dalton was not without known baggage, as the Conservative party rejected his nomination in Burnaby-New Westminster for the 2008 election; he had previously run as a candidate in the 2006 federal election in the same riding; he lost to NDP MP Peter Julian by about 11% in that election.
It is likely by the timing of this release that the NDP had held it in “reserve” and decided to use it today as an effort to stem the clear loss in momentum they have been receiving in the media after the CKNW debate. It was a fairly smart decision, as the media concentrated on this and van Dongen’s scandal, effectively derailing the political messaging of the BC Liberals for the day, and possibly the weekend.
In terms of politics, the NDP was smart to exploit something that the federal Conservatives have tried very hard to mitigate – the social conservative component of the party. Dalton was an easy target.
Whether this compromises Dalton’s chances in Maple Ridge-Mission is a good question; certainly the further into the Fraser Valley you are, the more socially conservative the area becomes; however, the question is whether this would get NDP supporters to show up to the poll, or for liberally-minded BC Liberal voters to not show up or even swing their votes in response. In a close swing riding like Maple Ridge-Mission, something like this could make the difference. Provincially, it could also have an impact on socially liberal ridings, such as Vancouver-Fairview. The damage is minimized if there is no future candidates that have statements from the past brought up against them; but if the NDP have a few of these in their political pockets, then it could be trouble for the BC Liberals.
It is not known whether the date of the email (1996) will factor into public sentiment or not.
Later that day, Dalton gave a full apology; the only correct political response.
This also brings up a last point, similar to Ray Lam’s Facebook pictures – anything you’ve written, said, or had recorded in any medium can be pulled up from your past and used against you; a 1996 email is 13 years old, but it still has come back to haunt Marc Dalton.
Nowhere in that letter did Dalton compare homosexuality with pedophilia. Herbert demonstrates once again the NDP has no problem blanketing the public with misinformation and lies.
Nevertheless, the comments are still very inappropriate and an apology had to happen.
Bob, the sentiment is there. Do not try and excuse this language. He goes as far to say homosexuality is akin to abortion. This guy is an ultra social conservative. Is that really what the BC Liberals suppport as candidates?
Also, check out the CBC story from last night. BC Liberal Jesse McClinton (Victoria Swan Lake) ws charged with drunk driving in 2006. He called it a “youthful indescretion”.
Wow, the NDP are sure stretching things when they are digging up an email from over 12 years ago! Thing were different 12 years ago in the way society viewed things and I’m sure many peoples views have changed when over a decade has passed – interesting it was written in response to the BCTF.
Tyler, the BC Liberals talk about the 1990s all the time. Dalton’s social conservatism is not a big secret. He was rejected by the federal conservatives as a candidate. Note that he apologizes if his comments hurt others. He does not outright say he takes them back. What are his views on a woman’s right to choose now? What about following a leader who is a convited drunk driver? Where is his principled moral stance now?
British Columbians have a right to know what kind of people they are electing.
His comments were not okay 12 years ago and they should not be justified
in that context. This guy was too hot for Harper but is fine with the BC liberals. Is the party less tolerant than it once was?
Harper wanted to run someone else in that riding though and he did. However I am gay, I am a conservative, and I am not offended by what he has to say. I believe in free speech, but alas the socialists don’t want that. Voltaire once said (I will paraphrase here), “I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it”. I think it is healthy for democracy for people to voice all sides of an issue, even the ones many or the politically correct will not agree with. If people say something, others will be the judge whether to listen to it or ignore it. So basically if someone is not being credible, he or she is doing more to harm their argument than doing good for it.
So I am an advocate for free speech and equality. Unfortunately, we don’t have neither in this country.
So are you saying that you believe it’s OK to say that being gay is a choice?
Did you choose?
Do advocate for people say racist remarks,also? Because one can choose their sexual preference as much as one can choose their skin colour.
It’s interesting that the NDP choose to use Spencer Herbert on this and not Mike Farnworth. Both are gay and Farnworth is much higher profile and geographically closer as well. You would think at this point the NDP would be using the big guns like Farnworth and not a half time sideshow like Spencer Herbert.
mike farnworth insn’t gay
Mike Farnworth is indeed gay. Is this not common knowledge?
I’m sorry people, but the trolls got to you – I’m shutting down this conversation.