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March 27, 2012 - 8:28am
#94
2009 election results
Libs - 49 seats - majority of 14 seats
NDP - 35 seats
Total - 84 seats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_general_election,_2009
Since 2009
Lib Campbell resigned, Lib Clark elected, Lib majority of 14 seats
NDP Bob Simpson now sits as Independent, Lib majority of 14 seats
Liberal Iain Black resigned, by-election April 19, Lib majority of 13 seats
Liberal Barry Penner resigned, by-election April 19, Lib majority of 12 seats
Liberal van Dongen now member of Cons, Lib majority of 11 seats
March 27, 2012 - 11:59am
#97
NorthReport wrote:
Don't disagree with that, as things are looking good for the BC NDP, who are only a year away from the next election.
And it would also be very good to get Independent MLA Bob Simpson back into the BC NDP fold.
But would he? whats keeping him as an indie?
March 27, 2012 - 12:26pm
#98
theleftyinvestor wrote:
I wonder if any Liberals would get alienated in the other direction, upset at Christy's desperation to lean right, and cross to the NDP or at least quit caucus?
The BC NDP is doing well enough on its own not to have to start rutting around in the BC Liberals recycle bin looking for their "rejects and refugees". Anyone who was willing to run as part of the Gordon Campbell team in 2009 - is persona non grata in the NDP!
March 27, 2012 - 12:45pm
#100
NorthReport wrote:
2009 election results
Libs - 49 seats - majority of 14 seats
NDP - 35 seats
Total - 84 seats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_general_election,_2009
Since 2009
Lib Campbell resigned, Lib Clark elected, Lib majority of 14 seats
NDP Bob Simpson now sits as Independent, Lib majority of 14 seats
Liberal Iain Black resigned, by-election April 19, Lib majority of 13 seats
Liberal Barry Penner resigned, by-election April 19, Lib majority of 12 seats
Liberal van Dongen now member of Cons, Lib majority of 11 seats
Funny way to do numbers but thats wikkipedia for you.
84 seats requires 43 to govern. The BC Liberals had 6 seats to spare after the 2009 election. They have lost 2 to resignations and the by-elections are in April. The BC Conservatives have picked up 1. If the government loses the two by-elections it will have 46 seats. If 4 more BC Liberals were to cross the floor to the Conservatives then the government could fall on a no confidence motion.
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In a way this defection is the best of both worlds for the NDP. On the one hand it gives the Conservatives some credibility, thus weakining the Liberals. On the other hand it doesn't give them that much credibility, since Van Dongen isn't the strongest of MLAs. There's the speeding issue, which actually led to his licence being suspended. There was the Fish Farming investigation from back in 2003. Then there's this issue:
Uh, I agree there are serious questions left unanswered. And yet, as a member of the government for the last eleven years you didn't see anything wrong with this until very recently, so excuse me while I question your intentions on this matter and dismiss your sudden objection to the even more unseemly aspects of the BC Rail debacle.
And this:
Integrity includes honesty, ethics and personal character. Integrity is non-negotiable. It is foundational for a strong organization. Most importantly, integrity includes accountability.
True, which is why crossing the house when the political winds are ebbing from the Liberals to the Conservatives, in a riding like Abbotsford, which is as Conservative as Alberta, makes me question his "core values", "honesty", "ethics" and "personal character." It seems to me as if this was done out of political expediency, since it would be easier to get re-elected as a Conservative if the polls are correct. It would be one thing to sit as an independent then run as a Conservative, but like it or not the people in that riding did elect him as a Liberal. Crossing the floor, while legal, isn't very indicative of someone with strong core values, honesty, ethics and personal character.
I actually agree with Rich Coleman (!), in so far as Van Dongen is probably bitter for having been kicked out of Cabinet and not let back in. At least this way, even though he's not part of an official party in the legislature, unofficially (since the Conservatives need 3 more seats for official party status) he is at least the floor leader of the BC Conservatives.