POLITICS 101 … the wacky world of British Columbia

In British Columbia we do things differently when it comes to politics.  Anywhere else, the topic of politics and politicians can come up, and a civil, even occasionally heated, discussion can take place.

NOT in British Columbia.

Mention the words ‘politics’, and / or ‘politicians’ and the fight is on.  Either that, or folks tune out entirely.

Thoughts that come to mind for many are money grubbing … power seekers … looking out for number one … unaccountable … unresponsive … and a host of other things that can’t be repeated.

That’s because, as I mentioned, we do things differently here in BC.

W.A.C. Bennett

We generally have one party that’s in power for a long period of time, with one sitting on the wings … waiting to take over when voters get sick and tired of the governing party.  We’ll say, “Well at least these guys can’t do any worse than those jerks”.

This really began in 1951 when W.A.C.  Bennett, “Wacky” as most people called him, took over what was then called the Social Credit League, and renamed it the Social Credit Party.  Social Credit really was a big tent party that keep both small ‘c’ Conservatives, and small ‘L” Liberals, all under one roof. 

Bennett reviled the NDP with a passion, calling them the Socialist Hordes, and so it must have been with a great deal of anguish and upset that he turned the reins of government over to Dave Barrett and the NDP following the election of 1972.

That government was short lived however, only staying in power for one term.  The ‘socialist hordes’ as Wacky called them, tried their social engineering much to fast -- overtaxed industry – raised debt dramatically -- and scared the hell out of the majority of people in BC once they realized what they had voted for.

Then Wacky’s son Bill Bennett took over the leadership of the Socred’s, winning the next election, and became Premier in in 1975.  The Socreds then remained in power again, for another 15 years.

What led to their downfall, and demise, after those 15 years? 

Most people would say it was due to a disconnect with the people … and an arrogance where they believed themselves to be the natural ruling party (much like the federal Liberals used to be).  Another issue was Bill Vander Zalm, who took over leadership of the party once Bill Bennett resigned.   With Bill Vander Zalm as leader, many also objected to what they considered to be his right wing, socially conservative, policies.

Bill Vander Zalm

Vander Zalm was ridiculed in the media … and he took a tongue lashing from voters in Letters to the Editor, and phone in talk shows.  He too was forced to resign, and Rita Johnson then took over the reins – not for long however.

Does any of this sound familiar?

In 1991 voters returned the NDP to office.  This time they governed a little more slowly with their social policies, and taxation, and managed to be re-elected several times.  Again however, a disconnect with voters, and a number of scandals (the financial debacle of the Fast Ferry’s, and Bingo-Gate, spring to mind) which saw the leadership of the party switch from Mike Harcourt, to Glen Clark, and finally to Ujjal  Dosanjh.  Changing leaders was no help however, and they were soundly trashed at the polls in 2001; retaining just 2 seats in the legislature.

Again, the ruling party was tossed from office by the voters who no longer believed anything they said, and who were tired with the scandals that surrounded them.

What also happened, in the time between 1991 and 1996, was the growth of a third party following the decline of the Socreds.  Just prior to the 1996 election, four Socred members, led by Jack Weisgerber, moved to the populist BC Reform Party.  In 1996 Reform duked it out with the BC Liberals, who had a much better organized and better financed machine, for dominance as the center right party.

As history shows, the Liberals won for dominance as BC Reform was reduced to just 2 seats, and British Columbia was once again back to a two party system; one big tent center right party (the Liberals) … and a center left party (the NDP).

With Gordon Campbell as leader, the BC Liberals basically put back together the Socred coalition – they simply used a recognizable brand-name, rather than starting from scratch as happened in Alberta with the Wild Rose Party … or in Saskatchewan with the Saskatchewan Party.

The Liberals governed as fiscal conservatives, and jettisoned any, and all, social conservative policies.

They did well with this for the first 5 or 6 years … however once again the ugly side of politics began to rear its head.  The BC Liberals, and especially party leader Gordon Campbell, began to be attached to a lack of honesty, accountability, and integrity.

Gordon Campbell

They had the scandal surrounding the sale of BC Rail, where serious questions were asked about confidential information being leaked to potential bidders … and there was the HST debacle where just weeks after an election, the Liberals announced the HST would be introduced in the province (despite having said it was not being considered during the campaign).

Gordon Campbell went from being a leader most British Columbia believed in and trusted – to one that took the party to never before seen disapproval ratings.  It ended with him too having to resign.

The BC Liberal Party also went from being fiscally conservative, to one that had huge spending issues.  The government raked up consecutive deficit budgets, and took the debt from $30 billion dollars, to what they themselves now estimate will be in the range of $66 billion for 2014 / 15.

The BC Rail scandal also grew to include issues with regards to the payment of nearly $6 million dollars in legal fees for David Basi and Bob Virk, who were on trial for allegedly giving out confidential government information to prospective bidders --- this despite the fact they pled guilty to the charges.

All this Christy Clark inherited when she took over leadership of the BC Liberal Party, from Gordon Campbell, in the Spring of last year.  Despite a fresh new face as leader however, the BC Liberals have remained mired in controversy. 

The list of issues is a long one, however things top of mind with voters have included Community Living BC where clients needing services were turned away, while management officials receiving big bonuses.

BC Ferries has sunk deeper and deeper into a financial mess with rates increasing, passenger numbers going down, and again officials and management pulling down big salaries -- along with big bonuses.

Many have questioned the future of one of the provinces crown jewels, BC Hydro.   Its financial well-being is being called into question, after years of neglect in keeping up with power generating projects.

And then there’s the Carbon Tax, again imposed on the people of BC with no discussion.  The Carbon Tax was presented to the people as being revenue neutral, however it has been anything but.  The tax has increased costs of every day goods needed by British Columbians from food, to shelter, to clothing and footwear – all of which is transported by rail and truck.  All forms of transportation also pay the carbon tax for the fuel required to bring goods to market.

The carbon tax has also added to the costs of people heating their homes (home heating fuels are subject to the carbon tax) … and it has added to the costs of those who must reply on their vehicles to get to and from work … and to take children to school and recreational activities (carbon tax on the fuel needed to run our vehicles).  Even schools and hospitals are forced to pay the carbon tax – this taken from budgets that they need to provide health care and education services.

Honesty, integrity, accountability all seem to be on the decline, with a government that is now coming to the end of its’ third term.

Again we are seeing a repeat of what happened when the Socreds were tossed from office by an electorate disgusted with them … and as happened to the NDP when they too lost the respect of voters.

Like 1996 however, we have a new third party that is becoming a viable option for voters disillusioned with a choice between the lesser of two evils.

While the NDP now have the support of 45% of voters, many still question how they will govern based on past experience.  The governing Liberals, through their own actions (or perhaps inaction in some cases) have plummeted to now have the support of just one in four voters.

Where has the Liberal support gone?  Well it’s gone to a revived and resurgent BC Conservative Party, which has gained nearly 1/3 of voters who previously supported the BC Liberals.

They have done this by going back to the grassroots and recreating a small ‘c’ conservative party with strong fiscal principles, a belief in being socially responsible, and a call for government to operate with integrity, transparency, and accountability.

They would not say this; however they too appear to have recreated what was once the style of governance by the Social Credit Party … and how the BC Liberal Party initially governed, under the leadership of Gordon Campbell.

BC is now just 10 months away from the next general election.  Several recent polls now have the BC Conservative Party in a tie with the BC Liberals -- each having approximately just under 25% voter support.

While it looks very much like the NDP could win the next election, the question is now becoming, ‘Will the BC Conservatives, under John Cummins, put together the next big-tent party of the center right?’

If the next polls show them pulling ahead of the Liberals (and there is every indication they will do so), then they will be able to challenge the NDP for who will govern the province, and if nothing else, hold them to a minority government.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.