A Richmond-based businessman, who once stuck his neck out in calling for a leadership review of John Cummins of the BC Conservative Party, is back in the provincial election fray, with a new party of his own.
New Westminster resident John Crocock, who has founded the two-candidate BC Action Party, will present an option to Richmond North Centre voters dismayed by the three mainstream parties.
Crocock is owner of CompuVision Technologies Inc., based in Richmond for more than three decades. Broadly speaking, he describes himself as socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
Crocock told the Richmond News the key to his platform is to rid politics of corruption and improve transparency.
“If we had a good government, I wouldn’t be running,” said Crocock, who once unsuccessfully ran for nomination of the federal Conservative seat in Richmond Centre in 2004, reportedly citing then Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin’s sponsorship scandal as a point of contention.
This time around, Crocock is calling out the provincial BC Liberals for its unfettered campaign financing.
“The influence is unbelievable,” said Crocock, who is among the many calling for a ban on union and corporate donations and a limit to individual ones.
“You hear [corporations] getting contracts and before they get the contracts they have to donate to the BC Liberals,” he added.
Crocock doesn’t view the BC Liberals as financially conservative. He said numerous big mega projects over the past decade have not added up, citing the cost overruns on the Port Mann Bridge and the $500 million BC Place roof.
He suspects the George Massey Tunnel replacement bridge will come in at more than the estimated $3.5 billion.
Crocock said as a result of corporate donors, bidding processes on projects are not transparent. As for taxation, he believes in low taxes and small government, adding B.C.’s low income taxes are skewed by increasing medical service plan rates, ICBC premiums and BC Hydro charges.
“If you’re going to have the tax, be honest about the tax,” he said, noting the present government takes dividends from Crown corporations to boost its balanced operating budget, while, at the same time, it raises rates on citizens.
Crocok last made headlines in 2012, calling out then BC Conservative leader John Cummins, for, according to Crocock, suppressing the party’s grassroots momentum. Crocock was subsequently ousted from that party, which is now leaderless heading into the May 9 election.
“I knew it was risky. But now we have a new path with the BC Action Party; a new party with no baggage. It seemed like a good name. We want action and we want to get things done,” said Crocock.
