Just read on my twitter feed that Premier Clark has called an emergency cabinet meeting for tomorrow in Vancouver.
Link about the meeting this afternoon.
B.C.'s Clark calls emergency meeting in face of mounting pressure over scandal
[quote=“bthedog”]
… The only thing Joanna will be doing by running is making the NDP more vulnerable in a riding where they should be a sure bet for the win.
I also have heard a very well known and respected business owner from the PR area is considering running for the Liberals, I won’t say who it is, but I hope they follow through and run…I think they would represent this region perfectly.[/quote]
I have no idea who you’re talking about - the only name I’ve heard isn’t a business owner - but that aside the local Liberals need to do something better than run a “very well known and respected business owner”. The problem with so many people that fit that description around here is that their best years were in the 1980s and in some cases their stores are now empty buildings.
As for Joanna Larson splitting the vote and so on, some of us have given up on both the Liberal party and the NDP. I don’t think that the Liberals have made this province a joke, as was stated earlier. There’s a point there, but our way of doing politics has made this province a joke. There’s no vision or plan from either side. It’s all about past blunders, ‘scandals’ and who do we trust (neither of them). I hope that Ms Larsen runs as an Independent because there are a lot of us who are independent of the Liberals and NDP.
[quote=“BTravenn”]
I hope that Ms Larsen runs as an Independent because there are a lot of us who are independent of the Liberals and NDP.[/quote]
I would like to think everybody who isn’t a diehard member of a political party is independent of the Liberals and the NDP.
And this is my ignorance of the local NDP here, but what is the main difference between Joanna and Jennifer that makes one better than the other? Each has a personality and potential MLA abilities that lots of people see as qualities that we want in people representing us in Victoria. People who supported Joanna obviously feel that she was the better person for the job. But the majority of the NDP members thought otherwise.
Now, people are speculating about Joanna running as an independent (not even sure how she feels about this). And people want her to run because we want more independents. So hypothetically, if Joanna had won the nomination and if there were speculation of Jennifer running as an independent, we would be supporting Jennifer because she would be the one who is independent. So going back to my original question: What is the obvious philosophical difference between Joanna and Jennifer as opposed to their perceived personal qualities and abilities that their supporters admire.
What you appear to be wishing for is an end to party politics as we know it. I am not disagreeing with you. The independents (Simpson, Van Dongen and Huntingdon) have proposed changes to the way business is done in the Legislature that would allow more free votes and more power for backbenchers. The value of political parties is the idea that a vision for a whole province can be formulated. If 82 independents were elected - each fighting for their own riding - big picture items would be hard to formulate. So it helps if there are party platforms that the electorate can look at.
However, not every vote needs to be a toe the line or you are booted out scenario. More independents would help but giving more independence to MLAs who are members of a political party would also be welcome.
There appears to be more than speculation about Joanna Larson running; there is evidently some organization behind that idea.
As for your hypothetical about supporting Ms Rice if she was running as an independent, that transposes party ways of thinking on to independents, as in we vote for an NDP or Liberal candidate because they are not the (more) hated alternative, and we don’t vote for someone else because they are a ‘vote splitter’. I wouldn’t vote for Ms Rice if she was running as an independent.
As for philosophical differences, the main difference between the NDP and the Liberals for all too long has been that they’re not the other guys. Philosophy and vision have all but disappeared from our politics. We need to move beyond voting for people according to what they’re not. The problem is not with parties per se, but with what our two main parties have become.
The appeal of independents like Simpson and Huntington (I’m less sure about Van Dongen) is not what they’re not - Liberal or NDP - but that they are smart, articulate people who keep issues on the political agenda. Simpson is one of the best big picture politicans in Victoria. He has maintained a presence after leaving the NDP caucus (Cariboo North will be one of the most interesting races in the election). Huntington is reportedly well regarded at a ministry level and an effective representative of her constituency - not bad qualities in a politican.
[quote=“DWhite”]
… More independents would help but giving more independence to MLAs who are members of a political party would also be welcome.[/quote]
I doubt that the NDP and Liberals (or what’s left of them after the election) will give MLAs more independence unless more Independents are elected to the legislature.
I heard that the Green party will have a candidate. In that case the left wing votes will be split further and the “environmental” votes will be given to the Green candidate and taken away from Rice. That will give Larson an even better chance to win as an independent. I would support Larson if she’d run as an independent candidate.
According to this blogger the RCMP have been called in to investigate ethnogate.
Ah yes, our old friend Alex Tsakumis, the Rebel with a Cause, that Cause being the resurgence of the provincial Conservative party, with Zalm as their spiritual leader, rising from the ashes of the electoral defeat of the BC Liberals.
“So my free advice to fellow free enterprisers of the world is this: be not afraid and breathe easy. If Adrian Dix becomes premier, B.C. will be in capable hands.” Daniel Veniez.
Well how’s that for an endorsement? For full background on Mr Veniez’s thoughts about soon to be premier Adrian Dix there is a useful piece at North Coast Review: < northcoastreview.blogspot.ca/201 … -bump.html > with a link to the original story in the Georgia Straight.
Mr Veniez has not been shy over the years about providing his thoughts and recommendations about the economic future of this place. I wonder what advice he has been providing to Mr Dix? It’s hard to imagine Dan missing an opportunity.
What should we make of this? Does Dan Veniez have any pull or influence with Mr Dix, for instance about the future of Watson Island or the privatization of Ridley Terminals? How seriously do Mr Dix and the NDP take Mr Veniez? Has he become an NDP insider? And if he has, how do we feel about that?
They look rather cosy in the photo. It’s rather charming in a way. No you can’t make this stuff up.
[quote=“BTravenn”]“So my free advice to fellow free enterprisers of the world is this: be not afraid and breathe easy. If Adrian Dix becomes premier, B.C. will be in capable hands.” Daniel Veniez.
Well how’s that for an endorsement? For full background on Mr Veniez’s thoughts about soon to be premier Adrian Dix there is a useful piece at North Coast Review: < northcoastreview.blogspot.ca/201 … -bump.html > with a link to the original story in the Georgia Straight.
Mr Veniez has not been shy over the years about providing his thoughts and recommendations about the economic future of this place. I wonder what advice he has been providing to Mr Dix? It’s hard to imagine Dan missing an opportunity.
What should we make of this? Does Dan Veniez have any pull or influence with Mr Dix, for instance about the future of Watson Island or the privatization of Ridley Terminals? How seriously do Mr Dix and the NDP take Mr Veniez? Has he become an NDP insider? And if he has, how do we feel about that?
They look rather cosy in the photo. It’s rather charming in a way. No you can’t make this stuff up.[/quote]
And you can’t draw conclusions based on a photograph. Speculation is fun though. 
[quote=“PLA”]
Wildrose Alliance are not left of the PC’s. If they are, then the religious crazies south of Calgary wouldn’t have voted for them in droves.
Also the reason why the Tory dynasty got another lease in life because most of the usual Liberal voters are so scared of the Wildrose crazies, that they ended up voting for the PC’s just so they don’t win.
EDIT: Also, this:
Regardless of that fact that I was wrong about the Wildrose being centre-left instead of right-wing…my original point was that every poll in the country was calling the election for the Wildrose over the PC’s in Alberta. They were leading all polls right up to election day, some by over 15 percent (same margins BC is seeing now with Liberals/NDP), yet they still lost, and lost badly with the PC’s earning a majority government.
[quote=“hitest”]
And you can’t draw conclusions based on a photograph. Speculation is fun though. 
[/quote]
There are no conclusions being drawn; nor speculation. I’m not sure that it’s even fun: I voted NDP the last two elections. Gary Coons has been a pretty solid MLA, but the NDP’s transition in this riding has not been very reassuring so far.
Veniez is an outspoken public figure including on issues in this riding; he’s not just an average joe. He also has a history of switching allegiances, having been a federal Conservative and a federal Liberal, and considering his past positions with both he is obviously capable of having political influence. So there are not conclusions, but there are questions: