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cybernaut - Spring Election

Politics in Supernatural British Columbia are almost as breathtaking and logic-defying as the mountain vistas and coastal scenics of the province itself.

Politics in Supernatural British Columbia are almost as breathtaking and logic-defying as the mountain vistas and coastal scenics of the province itself. They have their dizzying heights and low-lying valleys, huge rocky sections and glaciers that move forward and fall back an inch an hour.

To hike through provincial politics is to know endless hardship and frustration, broken up by the odd awe-inspiring moment and the feeling that the view from the peak will be worth all the trouble.

The last three elected Premier’s of the province have been forced to step down in scandal –Bill Vander Zalm in 1991 for what the Encyclopedia of British Columbia refers to as "alleged involvement in questionable business dealings"; his successor Mike Harcourt in 1996 for the "charity bingo scandal"; and his successor Glen Clark for an RCMP "investigation of a friend’s application for a gambling license".

For Ujjal Dosanjh, the caretaker premier who the NDP propped up in Clark’s wake, it hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. Since day one he has been under fire for everything and anything – his suspicious trip to India, the provincial health crisis, his claims that his government was responsible for a $3.5 billion surplus when the real credit belongs to the skyrocketing price of oil and gas.

Now, on the eve of an election, Premier Dosanjh is on the hook for an alleged "scorched earth" policy – spending every free cent on the public in a bid to get re-elected. If this doesn’t work, critics say he will leave nothing but a few IOUs and dust bunnies in the provincial coffers which will handicap the succeeding government.

The Liberals, who won the popular vote the last time around, are acting like they’ve already won this election. While a Liberal majority is as close to a sure thing as you can bet on in politics, it’s too early for politicians to be smug or cocky about the outcome. The people of B.C. are jaded and skeptical after the last roller-coaster decade and it will take some extraordinary measures and all around proof of good government to win their trust back.

Although Premier Dosanjh is cagey about the election call – "I’m running to win the next campaign whenever it’s launched and we’ll pick and day very soon and have a campaign" – we’ll likely have a new government in place by summer.

Since a liberal victory is not a forgone conclusion and may not suit your needs, you owe it to yourself to see what the other party’s are saying.

Note to Gordon Campbell: When the Liberals win the election, at least try to look surprised.

www.bcliberals.com

B.C. Liberal Gordon Campbell is the Man Who Would be Premier, and started campaigning for the job five years ago when the NDP slid in with the majority of seats and a minority of votes. In his efforts to handicap the NDP and present a common-sense alternative to their socialist platforms, he has positioned himself a little further on the right than most people like their Liberals.

The only problem is that the NDP party under Dosanjh is already a little further to the right than most people like their socialists, and as a result the Liberals under Campbell are about as far right as you can possibly be if your name’s not Ralph Klein or Mike Harris.

All of their policies are clearly outlined on the Web site, including their master policy document – A New Era for British Columbia. There is a news and issues section, overviews of Liberal candidates, and a full bio on Gordon Campbell. All you really need to know is that the man was a successful developer for eight years before entering politics, and knows how to close a deal.

www.bc.ndp.ca/

The keg is empty, the pretzel bowl needs filling, and the police have been by a couple of times to issue warnings – the New Democratic "party" appears to be over for a little while. Premier Ujjal Dosanjh is in the bathroom throwing up, wondering what he’s going to tell his parents when they come home to find the place in ruins and a fast ferry parked in the driveway. It wasn’t even his party – Glen Clark started it, but took off leaving poor Dosanjh with one hell of a mess to clean up.

Maybe I’ve taken the metaphor a little too far, but British Columbians are not happy and somebody has to take the blame.

For all intents and purposes, Dosanjh has done a great job cleaning up Clark’s mess, and deserves an honest shot at running the province with a mandate from the people – he’s young, energetic, pragmatic, friendly to businesses and social interests, and seems sincerely interested in the environment. He has had a huge impact in a short time since he took power as Clark’s successor, but it probably won’t be enough.

www.greenparty.bc.ca

Green Party leader Adriane Carr recently spoke at an AWARE meeting in Whistler, and to say that the party is only concerned with environmental issues is grossly unfair. They have platforms on health care, on economic growth, on education, and on every major issue affecting the province. They came prepared.

It would also be unfair to label the Green’s as a touchy-feely "leftist" group when they are as committed to the economic success of the province as the Liberals – just from a different perspective: that growth and prosperity don’t necessarily have to come at the expense of the environment.

Carr is realistic about her chances – "If we even win one seat in the next provincial election, then we’ll have achieved a minor miracle."

What she can do, however, is confront the leaders on issues that voters say are important to them, namely a healthy environment and clean drinking water, and use her influence to keep those issues front and centre throughout the election.

She also wants to win a larger share of the popular vote, to send the message to the legislature that a lot of voters are concerned with the environment and support green policies. It could impact future decisions.

Finally, Carr is interested in election reform and proportional representation – i.e. if the Green’s win 10 per cent of the popular vote, then the Green Party should have 10 per cent representation in the legislature.

Carr suggests a popular vote/regional vote mix, whereby a portion of the seats in the legislature reflect the popular vote and the other portion reflect the votes per riding.

It’s an interesting concept, and could ease the feeling of helplessness most people feel when confronted by a majority government.