2125 replies to this topic

[todd]

Any negatives though?  

Still the best premier we’ve had

[spanky123]

His successor will be Kevin Falcon.

 

Agreed. Horgan had a chance but the NDP doesn't have anyone who can step in and lead. That is the problem with Premier's and PM's running the Province or Country by themselves. They don't seek strong leaders to support them as they view them as a threat. Instead they load up with faceless backbenchers who will just do and vote as they are told.

[Sparky]

Lana Popham.

[dasmo]

Vote if you thought he was good or not. Scroll down. Ya can’t believe he is at 72% yes. He gutted our museum without asking.
https://www.cheknews.ca/

[AllseeingEye]

Lana Popham.

 

Interesting - you really you think so? I think in the beginning 'team' Horgan pegged her as some sort of rising star but I also well recall her very first on-air televised press conference (or maybe it was a ministerial announcement, I can't remember which) and in a word, she was awful. Beyond awful in fact, it was a disastrous performance and someone - I think it was actually Horgan - literally had to step in and take over after the assembled reporters started grilling her with questions which she was very unprepared to deal with. And I do remember thereafter it was many_many months before we saw her in front of a camera again.

 

After that she seemed to recede into the background as Popham was clearly not nearly as experienced, high profile or comfortable with 'live' media as was/is Horgan, Farnworth, Dix, Eby etc. It will be interesting to see where she winds up in the party hierarchy going forward but I'm going to disagree here, I don't think she has the presence - certainly outside of the south island - to carry the NDP provincially, nor has she accomplished much to raise her profile to that end.

 

I do agree with whoever said above that Farnworth is grumpy - he always seems to have a scowl on his face and looks like he's about to unload on someone at any moment. One trait I do like about the guy however is he is direct, blunt, open and does not pussy foot around spouting all sorts of lame politically correct pablum just so people can feel all warm and fuzzy and loved and respected. He tells it like it is, warts and all. Which is precisely why he probably doesn't get the brass ring. In 2022 being up front and direct are not considered virtues to an electorate that is used to being constantly soothed, and stroked and coddled and told how *wonderful* they are - so he's out IMO.

 

Dix had the unenviable task of being the face of the MoH during the pandemic; overall I thought he handled it quite well but he already had his turn as 'leader' which didn't end so well for him. Besides there are those within the party to this day that refer to him as 'Voldemort', lol. So not certain how much respect he commands within certain elements of the NDP machine. I don't think he has either the stomach for the job (again) nor frankly the desire. If I were him and spent as much time in front of the camera over the past 2+ years as the 'face' of the continuously under siege health system I'd be so exhausted all I would want to do is hit a beach for about 5 years....

 

Which leaves us with Eby. I think he will take a shot if the opportunity presents itself and representing a high profile west side riding in the Big Smoke he presumably has the support of some serious NDP organising muscle. So I'll go with Eby....

[Nparker]

Will today's NDP really follow one straight white man with another as leader?

[lanforod]

I do wonder if Dix will take another swing at it. I do expect Falcon to win 2024 now though

[Victoria Watcher]

Lana Popham.

She might run. But she’s too lightweight to win.

What about our local guy, pot smoking dude?

Fleming.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 June 2022 - 01:55 AM.

[Spy Black]

Lana Popham is a complete flake. 

An abysmal public speaker, she can't think on her feet, and she has zero respect from others in government.

[Victoria Watcher]

Lana Popham is a complete flake. 

An abysmal public speaker, she can't think on her feet, and she has zero respect from others in government.

 

She's not a deep thinker, from what I can see.

[spanky123]

Lana Popham is a complete flake. 

An abysmal public speaker, she can't think on her feet, and she has zero respect from others in government.

 

So you saying she would be a good choice for the NDP then?!

[todd]

His successor will be Kevin Falcon.

I like Brad West

[AllseeingEye]

Will today's NDP really follow one straight white man with another as leader?

 

To that point - because the NDP being the NDP its entirely conceivable they can't stomach back to back SWM's (only in Canadian politics would this even remotely be a 'thing') - Selina Robinson is probably the highest profile female in the party who, additionally, hasn't messed up to the best of my recollection arguably the highest profile portfolio (Finance), comes across as thoughtful, measured, speaks very well publicly and critically unlike Popham doesn't get flustered before the assembled media and gives the strong appearance that she has her act completely together.

[Mike K.]

Carole James was, I’m sure, considered in the top three of successors but her career ended too soon. That does indeed leave someone like Robinson to be Horgan’s replacement.

[spanky123]

^ CJ can always unend her career! She seems to have lots of time for the RBCM board chair duties.

 

Think of it, she could become the first FN leader of a Province in Canada!

Edited by spanky123, 30 June 2022 - 07:38 AM.

[max.bravo]

https://www.bcgeu.ca...eak_down_july_4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 4, 2022

Preparations for public service strike escalate as talks break down

VICTORIA, B.C. – After three days of positive public service negotiations last week, talks between the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU) and the B.C. government's Public Service Agency (PSA) broke down this morning.

Last week, the BCGEU's public service bargaining committee developed a creative proposal that included cost of living adjustments (COLA) and wage protection from inflation, while working within the fiscal framework of the government's most recent wage proposal. Instead of matching union moves to reach a deal, the government came back to the table this morning with an unacceptable "take it or leave it" approach and refused to counter the union's offer.

"To say we are disappointed is an understatement: despite our best efforts to bridge the gap, government has refused to table a proposal that meets our members' key demand of cost-of-living protection," said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU President and chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee. "Our members have told us since the beginning of this round of bargaining that they would not ratify a deal which did not address the increasing cost of living."

The provincial government's revised wage proposal, tabled last week, failed to meet the needs and priorities that our members – 33,000 members in the public service bargaining unit – identified, and would result in what amounts to a wage cut.

"We were surprised that the employer was unwilling to come back to the table with a counteroffer," said Smith. "Our union's revised wage proposal is within the monetary framework that government has laid out, and yet the employer was not willing to budge, notwithstanding over $16 billion in unallocated reserves in their most recent fiscal plan."

In the meantime, the BCGEU will be planning strategic, targeted job action and finalizing essential services with the assistance of the Labour Relations Board.

[max.bravo]

What kind of raise will public servants get? Their last collective agreement gave them something like 2.1% per year increase.

[Stephen James]

Carole James was, I’m sure, considered in the top three of successors but her career ended too soon. That does indeed leave someone like Robinson to be Horgan’s replacement.

Robinson's success comes from a pretty gutless place: say and do as little as possible so you can't be judged.

 

Not hard in the NDP where "finance" is ill-defined, and prudent management of resources (including especially money) is treated as a nice-to-have at best.

 

Selina Robinson should be deeply ashamed of ignoring emails, letters and phone calls begging her to release the study on "shared services" in the greater Victoria area. She did so knowing that over 70% of the population had voted twice to demand a process. This is only one example.

 

She cares very little for democracy unless she's winning and I have no respect for her for this reason. 

[Stephen James]

Robinson's success comes from a pretty gutless place: say and do as little as possible so you can't be judged.

 

Not hard in the NDP where "finance" is ill-defined, and prudent management of resources (including especially money) is treated as a nice-to-have at best.

 

Selina Robinson should be deeply ashamed of ignoring emails, letters and phone calls begging her to release the study on "shared services" in the greater Victoria area. She did so knowing that over 70% of the population had voted twice to demand a process. This is only one example.

 

She cares very little for democracy unless she's winning and I have no respect for her for this reason. 

Having said all that...

 

It's easy to piece together the cruel strategy Eby enacted, with the help of Mayor Helps, to flush Victoria (and Vancouver) down the toilet by concentrating homeless people, with a predictably large segment of very dangerous people, in the city. He's acknowledged as much in the Toronto Star and other eastern papers. He is, and should be, very vulnerable politically.

 

He and Mayor Helps are specifically responsible for unnecessary suffering and death.

[LJ]

Eby is the front-runner by a mile, especially now that Kahlon has said he won't run.

 

Eby will get the support of more than half the NDP mla's.

 

Another activist in the province we don't need.

 

Hope someone more mainstream can mount a credible alternative to Eby.