The B.C. Conservative Party is taking action to discipline, censure and revoke membership among a band of so-called dissidents who have been calling for their leader to resign.
Al Siebring, president of the B.C. Conservatives, told the NOW that the party is planning to take action against the group of dissidents but won't name any names.
"After several meetings over the weekend, the board of the B.C. Conservative Party has settled the issue of internal party discipline by voting to send out a total of 15 disciplinary letters, including terminations of membership and letters of censure" said Siebring, reading from a party statement. "The discipline is being meted out to these 15 individuals for their ongoing and public calls for a leadership review in violation of the clear process as outlined in section 11.04 in the party's bylaws."
Siebring went on to state that the affected members would be notified by mail this week, and that out of respect for privacy, the party would not be releasing their names.
Siebring emphasized that the 15 letters weren't all necessarily terminations of party memberships.
"Some get censure, some get termination, and we're not releasing the breakdown on that out of respect for their privacy," he said.
Siebring said the party's board also voted to strike a new "unity committee."
While the party will not release any names, one of the prominent figures calling for Cummins' resignation is longtime local resident Ariane Eckardt, president of the Burnaby North constituency association. Apparently, Eckardt is receiving mixed messages on the matter.
"On the contrary, I was told yesterday, by a very drunk regional director, that there won't be any letters coming, that they would kick us out through a vote of non-confidence," Eckardt said, adding that the director was a Cummins supporter.
"They can't even agree amongst themselves," she said. "I'm not nervous. To me, the more they do this, the more publicity this will create, and the more people will realize Cummins has to go. I think they are playing into our hands on this."
According to Eckardt, the party got legal advice on whether they could kick people out en masse and was told they couldn't, so she suspects they will be kicked out one by one.
