A controversial former Tory backer is making the rounds of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country this week to gauge support for a possible bid as a Liberal contender in the next federal election.
"I'm effectively leaving it in the hands of Liberals in the riding," said Daniel Veniez, a 47-year-old former forestry executive.
He visits Powell River this week and Gibsons and Sechelt next.
"I've decided that I want to do this if I'm invited to and if I'm welcome and so far the reaction's been good," he said. "I haven't made any firm decision."
Calls to last year's federal Liberal candidate, Ian Sutherland, were not returned by press time.
The Conservative government recently fired Veniez as chair of the Crown corporation that runs the Prince Rupert bulk commodity terminal. He asserted to the Public Eye Online media outlet he was fired by the Harper government because he was forcing companies to pay higher shipping rates for coal shipped from the Interior through the Prince Rupert facility. He also publicly proposed privatizing Ridley Terminals Inc., which led Peace River Conservative MP Jay Hill to tell a Dawson Creek newspaper Veniez was fired for "operating well outside his mandate."
Previously Veniez was the president and CEO of New Skeena Forest Products, which went bankrupt in an attempt to revive the pulp and paper mill in Prince Rupert.
Conservative MP for the riding, John Weston, said he's only read about Veniez's political ambitions in a recent newspaper article, but he doesn't think constituents will like the sounds of it.
Weston said Veniez is reminiscent of former Liberal MP Blair Wilson, whose leadership ended in fiasco following accusations that he violated the Elections Act by not disclosing election donations. Elections Canada cleared? Wilson of wrongdoing.
"I see that Mr. Veniez was fired by a Crown corporation, and it's hard to get fired by a Crown corporation. I don't think people in this riding want the controversial path," said Weston. "My first response [upon reading about Veniez] was that voters in this riding at a minimum are interested in avoiding the scandal and disgrace that accompanied recent Liberal representative Blair Wilson, and there's some unfortunate analogies in controversy."
However Veniez said he's received strong support from the riding's constituents.
"If the people that I'm going to be meeting this week in Powell River and next week in Gibsons and Sechelt continue to encourage me as they have been doing over the phone and in other meetings, then the chances are pretty good that I'm going to decide to do this."
Veniez said he had been a Progressive Conservative for many years, but has been a member of the Liberal Party of Canada for two months. He said he's never been a member of Stephen Harper's Conservative Party.
"I think what's important here is that we defeat the Harper Conservatives and what's important here is that the Liberal Party has a shot at forming the next government," he said.
Veniez, who lives in Vancouver's Kerrisdale neighbourhood, said he has a strong desire to serve.
"I'd love to become the Member of Parliament for West Vancouver and I'd love to be the Liberal candidate, but that's up to the members of the Liberal Party."
However Weston said Veniez's media statements sound like he's motivated by a personal grudge.
"Reading the Globe and Mail article, it seems his interest in running for the Liberals came after he was fired, which suggests that it may simply relate to his understandable anger at being terminated by a Crown corporation," he said.
When asked whether he anticipated a bitter election campaign if Veniez is chosen as a candidate, Weston said he's not focused on electioneering at the moment, but on "serving the people in each community in the riding and partnering with the mayors and councils to get the priority needs attended to in each of the communities around the riding."
To emphasize the point, Weston enumerated the list of funding and programs established in the riding since October 2008, which totals $150 million.
Squamish highlights include trail and public transport upgrades and seniors housing facility funding of $2 million.
Whister also received transport upgrades as well as funding for the Whistler ski club and support for 2010 Winter Games construction.
Both the Sunshine Coast and Powell River received funding for "crucial" small craft harbour upgrades. Weston also met with the Sunshine Coast's Howe Sound Pulp and Paper management and union over the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation program, a $1 billion program across Canada.
And this weekend, Weston visits Powell River to announce expansions to the Vancouver Island University campus, which enables skills training and job retention for the area.
