At first glance, the two men appear so similar -both lawyers from West Vancouver, both members of the Conservative Party of Canada who share a keen interest in defeating the Liberals in the next federal election.
But Dave Thomas, who this weekend squares off against John Weston in the Tory nomination race in the riding that includes Squamish and Whistler, insists that the difference between the two men is in their potential to defeat incumbent Member of Parliament Blair Wilson -and, having done that, to represent the needs of constituents in Ottawa.
Not surprisingly, Thomas insists he's the best person to accomplish both tasks. He cites the fact that Weston lost to Wilson last January as evidence that not enough voters saw Weston as the man to represent them.
"A lot of people in the riding feel we should not have lost this riding in the last election," Thomas said last Thursday (Dec. 28). "We had a party that had mismanaged the country and was mired in scandal, and the Conservatives take power and we elect a Liberal here. What does that tell you?
"In most cases people vote based on who they think will be the best leader or party to be in power, but in a tight race, it really is very important to have the best candidate come forward. "I've got a huge track record of community involvement in West Vancouver that Mr. Weston does not have."
Weston, who was the Tories' candidate of record before the nomination race officially began, said he believes he has shown over the past two years, when he first began stumping for the Tory nomination that led to last January's election defeat, that he's committed to making a difference in the riding and can defeat Wilson the next time around.
He cited his efforts to get Immigration Minister Monte Solberg directly involved in the effort to resolve Whistler's labour shortage as just one example of that commitment.
"Mr. Solberg provided three recommendations for improving the situation for Whistler employers," Weston said. "I'm hoping that if I'm nominated that I can continue to work on solutions to that problem."
The nomination race - which takes place Friday through Sunday (Jan. 5 to 7) at four locations throughout the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky riding -is mostly about the momentum that he and his team have built during the past two years.
"I believe we have the momentum to take back the riding for the Conservatives based on two years of work," Weston said.
"It's not about one person, it's about the team -the hundreds of people who have helped us build momentum moving us toward defeating the Liberal MP in the next general election."
Nine years ago, Thomas ran for the Progressive Conservatives (PC) in the riding during a time when the party was struggling in B.C. The party received only six per cent of the vote in the 1997 election, but Thomas received nine per cent of the vote, losing to Reform Party candidate John Reynolds.
Thomas said he believes the percentage difference is a reflection of his personal popularity with voters. What's more, he said he was one of the staunchest supporters of the "unite the right" movement that led to the 2003 merger of the two parties.
He said his background -having run a small business (his law office) for the past 12 years -makes him best suited to represent area residents in Ottawa.
"We don't have enough leaders in this country who understand that intimately how hard it is to run a small business and keep things going and growing. I think it's important to represent people in all places, and to understand what the issues are. I feel I'm much more in tune with what those issues are than Weston and Wilson."
Weston, though, insisted that his on-the-ground commitment to the issues facing the riding over the past two years makes him the best candidate to represent the riding.
"The huge size of the riding requires us to have four meetings and four votes," Weston said. "That just underlines the degree of dedication necessary to represent this riding, which is why I've been to Whistler and other areas of the riding consistently over the last couple of years."
Nomination meetings are planned in Powell River, Sechelt, Squamish and West Vancouver. The Squamish meeting takes place Saturday (Jan. 6) beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Sea to Sky Hotel. For more info, call (604) 926-6659.
