Bill Bennett asks, “Is there not a better way for MLA’s to represent their constituents?”

On Tuesday (December 21^st) there was an interview with Kootenay East MLA, Bill Bennett in the Cranbrook Townsman newspaper (http://www.dailytownsman.com/article/20101221/CRANBROOK0101/312219982/a-propitious-time-in-bc-politics-mla-says).

During the interview, which was conducted by Barry Coulter, Bennett indicated he sees an opportunity for positive change to the way politics is conducted in BC in that he said, “…. you could easily end up with something we haven't seen in this province in many decades, which is NDP, BC Liberal, BC Conservative (who Bennett sees as the best organized of the other parties and the furthest ahead in terms of electing members), and one or two BC First Party or BC Heritage Party members.”

He also asked the question a large number of residents, who are becoming increasingly more vocal, have been asking for many years … “Is there not a better way for MLA’s to represent their constituents?”

The news media in recent days have all confirmed that Bill Bennett is working with the 3 Kootenay ridings to come up with a unified front they hope to present at voting time when a new leader for the Liberal Party is elected.

During the same interview Bennett said they were, "… trying to drive the debate … away from who could win the next election and who has the snappiest one-liners ... to who is actually prepared to embrace fundamental change in how we do government, how we make use of all of the elected people, how we relate to the general public, how we consult with the stakeholders who are going to be impacted by our decisions.”

Now despite what you and I may think of the way MLA Bill Bennett handled stepping down from the Liberal caucus, he is the only elected representative that I have heard since Jack Wiesgerber campaign in 1996, who is asking if government is prepared to embrace change to the existing top down way we have become accustomed to.

With the upheaval that has taken place in both the Liberal and NDP camps, with both leaders stepping down under pressure, maybe the time has finally come when change may actually be possible. 

What will ensure that happens?  There seems to be the beginnings of a rumble from people indicating they want change, so is enough of the electorate prepared to stand up and say that enough is enough?  I for one certainly hope so, but only time will tell!

And what is in the future for Bill Bennett? 

He wrapped up the interview by saying, "I've received an awful lot of advice: Go back to the BC Liberals, run federally, join the BC Conservatives. A surprising number of people have said I should stay on as an independent."

I guess we’re just going to have to wait for at least two months to find out, because not much is likely to happen before the Liberal’s hold their leadership vote, on February 26^th, 2011.