While I am reluctant to post political views on my blog, I’ve found the provincial leadership race for the New Democratic Party of BC Liberal Party to be quite fascinating this year. It is very rare that a party, in this case the Liberals, get’s to select the next premier. Because of Gordon Campbell’s resignation, members of the BC Liberal caucus get to vote in the next premier.

Let me start by saying that I am a big proponent of a healthy economy first which drives government revenues which allow more spending on healthcare, education, infrastructure and social programs. I also believe that there are strengths and weaknesses of each party. I always believe that government can do better but, much like a number of managers in the NHL, a large number of politicians realize that their careers may be short lived and therefor ram through changes that result in a quick win to help get re-elected but are detrimental to the long term benefits of the people.

From a very high level perspective, the Liberals have taken BC from one of the worst economies in North America (in fact I think it was the worst) to one of the best economies. I also think that people will always find fault with health care, education and the like but through experiences of countless people I have come into contact with and through my own experiences, those too have improved in the last decade.

From this perspective, here are my observations thus far on the NDP, the Liberals and the Leadership races:

• I really detest all the negative ads in politics. I have visited the NDP website daily and it seems mostly devoted to trying to tear down the Liberals. In my experience, people who do this have low self-esteem, are fearful of those around them, and don’t view themselves as equals. They always tear down other people simply to try and make themselves look better. Personally, I do not want to associate myself with those people. I understand that in politics, there needs to be some leeway in my thinking and I am prepared to allow that. However, the lengths that the NDP demonstrate this behaviour tells me that they don’t plan on trying to win an election based on their policies, dedication and commitment but by trying to pull down their opposition. The NDP have some great policies and I would much rather go to their site and see them building up their team, their policies, and the province. Show me how great the province could be under their leadership. Let me buy into the positive and not the negative. Don’t be divisive. Don’t be petty. It really demeans a ton of hard work by a lot of people in the party.
• While Gordon Campbell has made mistakes, overall he has guided the province in such a way that we have weathered one of the worst economic downturns in history incredibly well. Everyone makes mistakes and the mark of a good leader is how they deal with those mistakes. It’s hard to argue with the state of the BC economy when compared to other areas of the world. We’re in good shape going forward. Regardless of which party takes over after the next election, they have a much more solid platform to begin with than what the Liberals had when they took over from the NDP in the 90′s. A much more solid platform despite being in a terrible global economy.
• A leader attracts people around him with similar values and ethics. A great leader can attract great people. A poor leader attracts poor people. An unethical leader attracts unethical people. Look at kids at the playground at school: bullies hang out with other kids that like to pick on people as well; smart kids tend to stick together, athletic kids stick together, shy kids stick together. You see it all the time. My big concern with the NDP revolves around Moe Sihota as president. It is no secret that he has had numerous major ethical issues in the past. Most recently he was caught taking union money as part of his salary unbeknownst to the rest of his party. Talk about a conflict of interest. Imagine if the president of the Liberal party had his salary subsidized under-the-table by, let’s say, a big business. Can you imagine the outcry? He’d be kicked out of the party and an investigation held immediately. The NDP would lynch him. Why on earth they haven’t already replaced Moe Sihota with someone else I will never know. Is it because he has surrounded himself with like-minded people who turn a blind eye to the ethical implications here? Is it because those people also engage in similar behaviour? I don’t know about that but understanding that people attract like minded people, it is a serious red flag for people looking into supporting the NDP. There are a lot of good, solid people in the NDP and I wish they had a good, solid, ethical leadership team to guide them. I want great options so that, should any party be voted in, the province would be in good hands.
• My last observation: By looking at the opposition, you can certainly tell who they believe their real threat is. Most polls and news articles are suggesting that Christy Clark is dominating the Liberal Leadership race. One would assume that she is the main candidate for BC Liberal leadership and therefor draw the ire of the NDP. However, the NDP has been targeting a different leader: Kevin Falcon. The last several days the NDP smear campaign on their website has targeted Mr. Falcon. Even when releasing their “photocopy” video, the still image on the NDP home page is of Mr. Falcon and not one of the other candidates. It’s clear they believe he is their biggest threat. Kevin Falcon has been on a tear gaining support from numerous MLAs, ministers and senators. He also has an incredible amount of support from the business community. If Christy Clark is elected I believe the Liberals have to call an election early as Ms. Clark is not currently an MLA. However, if Kevin Falcon is elected, he would become premier of the province for the next 2.5 years until the current elected term is up. It looks like the NDP want an early election as they view the Liberal party in a state of disarray and therefor this may be their best chance of being elected.

Anyways, make what you will of these observations. Some may agree and some may not. However, if you are active or interested in politics and live in the province of British Columbia, it is an exciting time!