1986 replies to this topic

[rmpeers]

So, show of hands: who cares enough about a snap election in a pandemic to change their vote away from NDP?

(I don't count, I likely would not vote NDP)

The pandemic timing will have no influence on my vote.

[gstc84]

So, show of hands: who cares enough about a snap election in a pandemic to change their vote away from NDP?

 

The only other party I would consider voting is Green. I'll likely decide based on who the local candidates end up being.

[A Girl is No one]

Is this election going to help bring up new up and coming leaders of the Marxist type, like we have in Victoria? That is the huge question.

[On the Level]

There seems to be some concerns about the Greens and how they have become a bit of a wildcard.  When Weaver left he made it clear that he disagreed with their ideology and called them naïve.  I think they overplayed their hand when they shot down the NDPs attempt to get young people in acute overdose situations into mandatory help.  From what Adam Stirling mentioned on his show today, multiple people in the NDP have had this exact issue with their families and took this very personal.  If the Greens have the same type of extremist ideology as the CoV council, and with Weaver no longer there to manage them, another 12 months of needing Greens support was too risky.   

Edited by On the Level, 21 September 2020 - 12:47 PM.

[A Girl is No one]

Sounds good to me... but won’t those people just migrate and run for NDP? I think the NDP is at risk of picking up the same king of extremist ideologues. There are many of them out there, and not all of them have come out yet.

[m3m]

The NDP needs a relatively large gain in order to get a majority though. Remember that it was the liberals who won both the popular vote and the most seats in the last election. There were far more closer ridings that were won by the NDP over the liberals than the other way around. The 21st century has been dominated by the liberals.

[JimV]

I’m glad to have an election if for no other reason than to show that life can go on, pandemic or no.  Also it gives people some say after being ruled by executive fiat for months.  
 

As for the outcome,  I don’t think previous policy issues matter.  And I doubt that most people care that he “betrayed” the Greens, which Stirling seems quite exercised about.  The only real issue is that in a time of fear and uncertainty people want a steady hand on the tiller.  Horgan looks like the man.  NDP majority.

[johnk2]

People may be pissed off about the call, but for 48 hrs max.

By voting day they will consider how Horgan et al managed the pandemic. I think he gets good marks for that.

BTW, do the Libs have a leader? Has he said anything about anything? Anyone know his name?

[rjag]

I believe the reason he pulled the plug is squarely on Furstenau. Shes bat **** crazy. Consider why when Weaver stepped aside because of his wifes health, there was no reason for him to quit the Party, but he did. He was also quite passively critical of her and would not endorse her.

 

And Horgan would have been planning for the next election the day after the last election, they are constantly watching the weather vane. Consider that most of the flurry of announcements happened immediately after Furstenau was elected. She is impossoble to work with and the CASA would have broken down very quickly and Horgan could not count on Weaver to bring Furstenau back in line. He had to go before she forced him to go

[tanker]

It's pretty hard to make any political news in opposition right now. Any criticism of any policy around covid would be swatted down hard by the press pretty quickly as being anti-science or heartless and mean spirited. There's lots to criticize for sure but for the last 6 months democracy has been suspended. There is no room for policy debate here. 

 

Horgan can win if he manages to keep a lid on any policy discussions for the whole election but I'm guessing the ban on that has to be lifted soon. If Wilson can make this election purely about the optics around calling the election in the first place he could win. Run on "I wouldn't have called this election". It's better than Biden's "blumpf caused corona".

[johnk2]

It's pretty hard to make any political news in opposition right now. Any criticism of any policy around covid would be swatted down hard by the press pretty quickly as being anti-science or heartless and mean spirited. There's lots to criticize for sure but for the last 6 months democracy has been suspended. There is no room for policy debate here. 

 

Horgan can win if he manages to keep a lid on any policy discussions for the whole election but I'm guessing the ban on that has to be lifted soon. If Wilson can make this election purely about the optics around calling the election in the first place he could win. Run on "I wouldn't have called this election". It's better than Biden's "blumpf caused corona".

There it is. You made my point. No one knows the guy's name.

[RFS]

NDP majority and beginning of the end of the BC liberals as a party.  Shaky, dying party 

[rjag]

NDP majority and beginning of the end of the BC liberals as a party.  Shaky, dying party 

 

More likely the elimination of the Greens and the BC Libs reduced to 35-38 seats. They definitely need a new leader as Wilkinson may be a super smart guy but he is totally lacking on the Charisma front

[RFS]

I just don't think the federal liberal/cons centrist coalition makes sense in the age of Trudeau.  I think some kind of shake-up or at least re-branding is required, 

[max.bravo]

Saanich North & the islands could be interesting.

 

Adam Olsen (incumbent, Green) is pretty well liked up here, but I struggle to see the relevance of a Green party in an age when every party cares about the environment. It made sense to rally around Weaver with his science background, but not Furstenau.

 

I think Gary Holman could give Olsen a run for his money. 

 

And if those two split votes, the LIberal guy (Stephen Roberts last time) could improve his standing. In 2013 the three of them were all within a couple % of each other.

Edited by max.bravo, 21 September 2020 - 02:37 PM.

[Rob Randall]

Adam Olsen (incumbent, Green) is pretty well liked up here, but I struggle to see the relevance of a Green party in an age when every party cares about the environment. It made sense to rally around Weaver with his science background, but not Furstenau.

 

Weaver was great with his charts and graphs but a lot of people see Furstenau as someone who fought up through the trenches of the Shawnigan landfill war. 

[TwilightZoneVictoria]

Sounds good to me... but won’t those people just migrate and run for NDP? I think the NDP is at risk of picking up the same king of extremist ideologues. There are many of them out there, and not all of them have come out yet.

Laurel snuck in from the municipal TV to the federal NDP banner, but considering how public health and safety has taken a nosedive lately it'll be interesting to see if that trend will continue for representation. Jeremy Carradonna of Greens might seem more moderate than a police-protesting TV-endorsed NDP candidate. TV is poison in this town now including with a lot of socially minded folks. 

[Victoria Watcher]

North Saanich MLA Adam Olsen, who served as an interim leader of the BC Greens, says British Columbia New Democrats under leader John Horgan are pursuing power over the “health and safety of British Columbians.”

 

Olsen made those comments just minutes after Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin dissolved the provincial legislature following a meeting with Horgan in his previous capacity as premier.

 

“They have taken a look at their polling numbers, and think that they can get a majority,” he said. “Obviously, they have grown uncomfortable with the level of accountability that has been in place over the last three and a half year that have actually made this minority government productive. It’s unfortunate that they have made this decision.”

 

______________

 

Olsen acknowledges that the situation for his party is not ideal. “But we will be running a provincial campaign,” he said. “Thankfully, Sonia has some name recognition. She is a very strong leader and has shown that in the legislature.”

 

https://www.vicnews....h-for-politics/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 September 2020 - 02:50 PM.

[rjag]

Weaver was great with his charts and graphs but a lot of people see Furstenau as someone who fought up through the trenches of the Shawnigan landfill war. 

 

Yup and accomplished very little, the landfill is still there even though they arent taking anymore...but its still there. She's a zealot, there is no compromise, she would have had Horgan's nuts in a vise and he knew it

[TwilightZoneVictoria]

It's pretty hard to make any political news in opposition right now. Any criticism of any policy around covid would be swatted down hard by the press pretty quickly as being anti-science or heartless and mean spirited. There's lots to criticize for sure but for the last 6 months democracy has been suspended. There is no room for policy debate here. 

 

Except for about funding and regulations. Lots of fodder there as there's lots of ways to decide how to spend cash or implement policies.

 

For example for all the chatter about various policies to help businesses the one we haven't heard much about is better EHT relief. Liberals had planned to axe the MSP and not do an EHT and the NDP is the one who brough it in and rubbed it in the nose of businesses (something about businesses needing to pay their fair share)