Pubdate: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 Source: Chilliwack Progress (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 The Chilliwack Progress Page: Front Page Contact: 45860 Spadina Ave., Chilliwack, BC, Canada V2P 6H9 Fax: (604) 792-4436 Feedback: http://www.theprogress.com/contactus.shtml Website: http://www.theprogress.com/ Author: Robert Freeman, Staff Writer JUST BLOWING SMOKE Could the Marijuana Party form B.C.'s next official opposition after the provincial election this spring? Thats a scenario galvanizing former Grand Forks Mayor Brian Taylor to run for the leadership of a provincial Marijuana Party now being formed in the afterglow of the party's success in the November federal election. The party founded on a platform of legalizing marijuana possession picked up 65,000 votes. Norm Siefken, who won a fourth-place finish in the Fraser Valley with 841 votes, says he will also run for nomination in one of the two new provincial ridings. With the governing New Democrats looking at the possibility of a complete rout and losing every seat in the next election, just a few riding wins by the Marijuana Party could make it the official opposition, says Mr. Taylor. The novice B.C. Liberal MLAs under then-leader Gordon Wilson did the same when the Socreds were driven from office by the New Democrats. "We're not out there telling people we can run the province," says Mr. Taylor, but the party's surprise showing in the federal election "shows what we're doing out there makes a lot of sense to people." He believes the party will have no trouble fielding candidates in all 79 electoral ridings in B.C. "We actually have competition for the right to represent (the party)," Mr. Taylor says, in some Vancouver and Okanagan ridings. If the party wins enough seats , he says it could "cut a deal" with the B.C. liberals, who are widely expected to form the next government, for changes to marijuana laws. "I wonder what he's been smoking," says Chilliwack MLA Barry Penner, when told about Mr. Taylor's official opposition scenario. Despite the NDP's current low showing in the polls, he notes the party enjoys a traditional "hard core" of popular support in the province that wins elections whenever the right wing vote is split. "I still expect the NDP will be our major opponents in the upcoming election," he says. "And the province has no jurisdiction over marijuana laws that come under the powers of the federal government." he adds. Even if the province took action to legalize marijuana, "the courts wouldn't take very long to strike it down because it's outside the jurisdiction of the provincial legislature," says Mr. Penner, a lawyer. He likens the party's marijuana platform to the abortion issue that's dividing the conservative unity movement in the province. Some conservatives wanted an anti-abortion stand included in the new party's constitution, even though it too is a federal issue. Mr. Siefken says the party's position is that the province has a contract with the federal government for police services "and could dictate which marijuana laws would be enforced." He also says the province could force it's own police force like Ontario. But in any event it is "not fair" for any government in B.C. to blame the federal government when polls show 75 percent of British Columbians support legalization of marijuana, he says: "Cetainly the NDP has not listened to the people on this issue," Mr. Siefken adds. John Les, the B.C. Liberal candidate in Chilliwack-Sumas, says he's hoping Mr. Siefken will choose to run in his riding and "elevate the political debate to a new high." But he also notes that drug laws are a federal issue so the party will be little more than a "comic sideshow" in the upcoming election. Even if B.C. formed it's own police force, he says, "they would be sworn to uphold all federal legislation, period." "There can't be a constitutional over-ride invoked by B.C. not to enforce drug legislation," he says. Mr. Les also doesn't believe the party can out-do the mainstream political parties and form the province's official opposition: "I think it's more of a comic sideshow than anything else," he says. The Marijuana Party is holding its first provincial election in Gibsons on Jan. 12-16. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake