B.C. NDP female MLAs demolish Carole James-Gary Mason spin campaign
Earlier this week, the Globe and Mail's Gary Mason wrote a fairly despicable column about the B.C. NDP.
Rather than recognizing that people within the NDP are deeply concerned about the party losing the next election, Mason suggested that everything was going just fine with Carole James at the helm.
He suggested that there was a "faint odour of sexism" in the opposition to James. "For a party that likes to flaunt its feminist credentials, it’s all really quite unseemly," Mason wrote.
Today, four female B.C. NDP MLAs sent a very powerful signal that the internal opposition to James is anything but sexist.
The party's second-highest ranking female caucus member, Katrine Conroy, quit as the party whip on the eve of the NDP provincial council meeting in Victoria.
At her news conference, she was accompanied by NDP MLAs Jenny Kwan, Lana Popham, and Claire Trevena.
They didn't say anything disparaging about James because they've seen what's happened to others who've questioned the party's direction under her leadership.
MLA Bob Simpson was thrown out without even a caucus meeting. Prior to the last election, Mabel Elmore, who represents Vancouver-Kensington, was publicly humiliated for uttering the word "Zionist". And Michael Sather was kicked out of caucus for questioning the loss of farmland in the Tsawwassen treaty.
James is facing an internal revolt not only because of these authoritarian tendencies. It's also because she has demonstrated a lack of imagination on the policy front and not stood up for B.C.'s poorest residents.
This message has not percolated through to the mainstream media yet. This was despite the devastating final speech in the legislature in 2009 by then-MLA David Chudnovsky about the centralization of power in the premier's office.
Chudnovsky did not seek reelection even though it cost him an MLA pension. It was another signal that all was not well within the B.C. NDP
Kwan, who represents Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, has consistently promoted policies to benefit those suffering from extreme poverty, addiction, and homelessness. She has received very little support from her leader, who has been silent on the need for more supervised-injection sites across the Lower Mainland.
Popham, the rookie NDP MLA for Saanich South, has been an articulate proponent of protecting farmland and promoting food security. She also has received very little public help from the leader on this issue.
Trevena, NDP MLA for North Island, has taken a huge political risk by standing up to the fish-farming industry on northern Vancouver Island. James has done little publicly to help her in these efforts.
James's defenders and their friends in the media, including Mason, can try to dress this up as a sexist takeout of the leader. The reality is very different, as today's news conference clearly demonstrated.
http://www.straight.com/article-360084/vancouver/bc-ndp-female-mlas-demo...
Mushroom cloud of doom settles over B.C. politics
The recall campaign was born of anger over his government's sneaky introduction last year of a harmonized sales tax. A binding, province-wide HST referendum is to be held next September and British Columbians will have an opportunity to reject the tax. By then, the Liberals will have a new leader, and the province a new premier. But that person will be HSTdamaged.
It's no wonder that two people whom polls suggested British Columbians thought could clean up the mess and rebuild the party work outside provincial politics.
But neither Carole Taylor, B.C.'s former finance minister and Chancellor of Simon Fraser University starting next June, nor Dianne Watts, popular Mayor of Surrey, want the role. Both women have firmly, recently, said ''no.''
A current caucus member will likely win the party leadership in February. The task will be to mend internal divisions and to restore public confidence in the party. And to accomplish all this over the course of what will be yet another unprecedented, tumultuous period in B.C. politics: Through an MLA recall campaign and an HST referendum, and toward a provincial election, fixed-dated for May 2013.
That's not a job. That's being strapped to a cruise missile and being shot into space. Betting starts now on when the next Liberal leadership crisis explodes.
Watching events unfold with modest satisfaction is Carole James, B.C.'s provincial NDP leader. Ms. James is not a charismatic politician but she is a person of sound character, compassion and determination. She led her party back from its brink since taking the leadership in 2003.
And her NDP is now way out front in public polls. What seemed unthinkable last year-- when Mr. Campbell won his third successive provincial election with his centre-right coalition -- is now for serious consideration: The possibility of a left-leaning B.C. government, led by Ms. James.
She offers a compelling message. The Liberals have "lied" again and again since 2001. On their promise to not expand gambling in the province. On their pledge to not sell B.C. Rail. On their budgets. Ms. James can campaign into the next election claiming she represents honesty and trust.
That is, if she isn't done in by her own enemies. Knives have been drawn inside her own caucus and in some ridings. Ms. James may herself face an internal revolt.
She acknowledged that this week, in an interview conducted inside her legislative office suite. "There are always critics," she said. The current ones represent just "a small group." She called them "a distraction," adding that NDPers are "better than anyone at infighting."
Well, almost.
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Mushroom+cloud+doom+settles+ove...
Carole lied about the carbon tax and she also said she supported pro rep. 2 pretty big lies actually. She is no saint.
Exactly, and the "get her out" chorus is either those who are NO friends of the NDP, or are too sexist and/or racist to think critically.
I suspect it's a group of people who could have taken the leadership back in 2003 - when nobody wanted it.
Back then, the job of rebuilding the NDP seemed way too hard, far too impossible a hill to climb, so the only contestants were mostly people with little to zero political profile.
Now that the NDP is a contender again (because Carole and others did the work no one else thought possible, or wanted to bother with) the leadership is suddenly a prize worth having.
Or so it would seem. If Carole is forced out, the next leader will come to power in the middle of a nasty civil war. And, as they say - he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. This battle will continue until that leader is pushed out. This current battle is not new, it has roots going back to the Barrett vs. Berger days.
And time hasn't made the battle any less stupid.
Her and her team proved that in spades in the nomination battles in the lead up to the last election. In fighting is definitely the problem with the party. After awhile the red baiting that her and her team and their supporters on this site regularly engage in is counter productive. I think they really need to read what people like Simpson are saying. Standing around waiting for a corrupt government to implode is a marginal strategy for one election it is disaster for two. Yes Carole ran a good first campaign and I supported her because she was effective. Then came four years of playing nice with evil corrupt back room bullies. Who the fuck wants to support a party that can't even fight the most corrupt government in a hundred years.
Ask Kevin Falcon how you damage a good governments reputation, he was a master at it during the last couple of years of Glen's government. Well funded slick and in your face nasty. Bumpers sticker about leaving the province etc etc. In opposition the BC NDP has chosen to reply with lets all share in the sandbox. It doesn't seem to be getting a lot of traction. Note the traction the Zalm is getting by calling Gordo out as the lying asshole he is. Lots of time for Carole and the party to start acting like an opposition to thieves not giving them the room to paint themselves as good government.
It has been a pissing match between the men of the party for far too long, and it is 'the men' who are the top dogs now, who would not take on the leadership back when we were down to 2 seats. And it is 'these men' who want the leadership now.
The male egos at work in the past and currently, are fine examples of systemic patriarchy at work. Which is why I have noted it is sexism at work, on the parts of some.
They are not even recognizing their male hubris and how destructive it is. They have only themselves to blame and not Carole, for the ills of the party.
Remind, today's Mustel poll shows the NDP leading the Libs by only 5%. Carole James only has a 33% approval rating but a much larger disapproval rating at 45%. Carole has big negatives.
With all of the crap that the Libs have dished out, do you really believe that 2013 is still a slam dunk with Carole at the helm with these numbers? You do want to win, don't you?
http://www.mustelgroup.com/pdf/20101119.pdf
again, do put a name forward who would win?
her negatives are being exaggerated and fostered by the BCNDP male egos themselves.
Either of the Corrigans would do better as leader and that is just from the centre of the party.
1) People have put forward names of women they think could lead the BCNDP.
2) In the whole course of this leadership discussion, I've yet to see you address a single point made by Carole's detractors. Could it be that you have none to make?
ya, like they are known throughout the province to take us to win without levelling the playing field any much further for the BC Liars Party....you know people really need to get out of the golden triangle mentality.
Ok, Carole can no longer continue to sweep this revolt under the carpet.
BC NDP caucus whip quits - article in globe today
Poll shows NDP lead over BC Liberals shrinking - article in Globe today
With the complete circus going on within the BC Liberals this is what happens - WTF!!!
NDP lead has gone from 9% to 5%
Not 1 of those women, perhaps except in a small way Jenny Kwan and Dawn Black, outside of the golden triangle, have any type of recognition that they exist at all. They have less chance of winning than Carole does, nor any other wanna be leader.
Moreover, not 1 has expressed interest in leadership of the BCNDP.
Then we have the old boy's club that wants a male leader. Even though not 1 male has a better chance of winning than Carole does.
They have made points? I have yet to see them make one, or name a name that could win....