Who Will be the BC Liberals New Leader?

November 4, 2010

Posted by Vancity Buzz | 14 »

Yesterday Gordon Campbell announced he will be stepping down as the Liberal party leader. Naturally, this was going to happen and it amazes me that the local news media was still shocked by this. The writing was on the wall, after all it was the smart political move, so why the shock?

Naturally, the HST will be linked to his downfall. However, why would anyone that isn’t part of a union vote for the NDP? During the whole HST debacke the NDP did very little, just complain, because they don’t have the cranial capacity to look at and understand the entire spectrum of economic drivers of an economy. They know unions and how to protect them, that’s about it. If it wasn’t for the relentless attacks from Vander Zalm, who knows if the public would still even care about the HST. The whole referendum on the HST is also a waste of time and money.

Overall, he was a good leader. Like I tweeted yesterday, I’ll take Gordon Campbell over Carole “no plans, just complain” James any day of the week. I know NDP supporters will point to the convention centre and call it the Liberals fast ferry, however, that attack further reiterates what I’ve said before. The NDP doesn’t understand the economy.

Many of our readers were probably to young to care about politics during the 1990′s. Consider yourself lucky. Enough said.

Now the following people names have been thrown out as potential successors:
1. Kevin Falcon
2. Mike de Jong
3. Dianne Watts
4. John Furlong

Who do you think it should be? Take our poll on the right

VancityBuzz.com

Anonymous

Agreed and you couldn't be more accurate on the NDP. They drove this province into the ground during the 90's.
Tawcan

I'd say someone who's not too tied to Gordo might be a good choice. A fresh start per say.

How many years has Carole James been the NDP leader? Last time I checked she still hasn't come up with any sort of policies. How can we put the province to someone who can't come up with any policies for so long?
Anonymous

I was just glad Carole James was not the face of BC when the world arrived here during the Olympics. Tourism woulda plummeted
Anonymous

I don't get why people keep saying Dianne Watts? Really, she's a nice person and all but during the boom Surrey did very little. Heck Richmond and Burnaby mayors have a better shot. No thanks to Watts. She's done nothing but whisper sweet nothings to the people of Surrey and promise to build a sub par library in the heart of the core, if you can call it that.
Justine

Karm, I agree with you. I unfortunately had to live as an adult through the 1990s and the economic hell the NDP had put the province of British Columbia through.

I know having to deal with educational and health care cuts is not an easy pill to swallow, but if the BC Liberal party was dealt a very shitty hand when they took power in 2001. Try keeping all the social programs with a budget in deficit beyond imagination. BC might as well have been a 3rd World country during the NDP tenure.

Good luck to the new leader of the BC Libs, because no one can be as bad as the NDP's Carole James or her predecessors.

Justine Galo
Alan C

I'm glad you had the guts to say that, Karm — hating Gordo is such a popular movement, but shows so much ignorance. I agree 100% about the NDP and Carole James' "just complain" attitude and M.O., but unfortunately a lot of people ride the hate to motivate them (to vote).

I think Gordon did a smart move. Take away the opponent's target and see what's left. There were Liberal missteps, but I gotta say that the economy has not hit us that hard, and the growth I've seen in BC (mostly Vancouver) is encouraging.
Anonymous

I agree on Carole James. But I'm really tired of this 'the NDP doesn't know how to run an economy' stuff. The previous government had ridiculous leaders for one thing and for another, there's a HECK of a lot more to good governing than just the economy. Putting that as the overriding concern is just shortsighted… economics should be a policy tool not the policy itself.

And how, exactly, does pointing out the convention centre equate to not understanding the economy? I'm not singling out the centre, btw, but that sort of statement is just meant to prey on peoples' symbolic attachments and ideologies rather than making any constructive sense. At least provide some explanation to support your answer!
Anonymous

Sorry that should be 'to support your statement' not 'your answer'.
Justine

I guess if the Liberals continued to fund social programs on fumes, we'd be in just as good a shape as we were under the NDP in the 1990's.

Also, you might not like the Libs, but at least they had a platform and stuck to it, unlike the NDP. They don't have one, and can only point fingers when things aren't 'right'.

Give me one economic platform the NDP has put forth to help boost or maintain the BC economy? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Again, like I previously stated, the Libs had some hard decisions to make with education and health care, but if you don't boost an economy to support it, it will be gone anyway and we'd be worse off.
Marvin

Justine, well said. NDP supporters don't have the brains to realize that without a stable economy you'll be funding all the social programs with debt. And if the economy sucks, like it did in the 90's they'll need more money for those social programs, leading to a vicious cycle.
Rick Chung

I say Rich Coleman or Kevin Falcon.
Justin

John Furlong might have some issues attached because of the Olympics, but I like Rich Coleman or Kevin Falcon. I would fear if Diane Watts took the position, she has been consistently demonstrating motives to take resources for Surrey. In U.S. politics, this is known as "pork barrel".
Anonymous

Yes, I agree with needing to RUN the economy, but you also can't put it above long-term concerns.

Secondly, what with needing money for social programs and all that, that 15% tax cut isn't going to be very useful.
Anonymous

Grrr! I keep hitting the wrong button!

Double post #2: my issue with Kevin Falcon is his pushing for post-operation hospital convalescence fees at Vancouver hospitals. Don't want to know what he'd do with the health care system was he in power.

I never said the NDP HAD a platform. If you notice, I am as annoyed by their lack of policy as you are. But I don't think the Liberals are the answer… with a 15% tax cut and a deficit already existing, those 'fumes' are a lot closer than you think.

BTW, no need to call NDP supporters 'brainless'. That's just rude, even if you don't agree with them, and just makes Liberal supporters seem arrogant.

Who Will be the BC Liberals New Leader?

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