The words uttered by Andrew Wilkinson, the Oxford educated lawyer and MLA for wealthy Vancouver Quadra who was selected the new leader of the BC Liberal party, make it clear the focus of the Liberal party is on playing politics and winning elections, NOT on statesmanship, governance or the present and future prosperity of BC citizens.
With the Liberals focusing on playing politics and winning elections, and given the high probability the NDP and their Green sycophants will continue to fail to grasp the current economic reality of BC, we are headed to a future in which BC citizens fondly reminisce about ‘the good old days’ when Christy Clark’s was premier.
I had planned to attend the Abbotsford rally for Mike de Jong’s BC Liberal leadership race, but a commitment to 5 & 2’s Seniors cold wet weather shelter had me heading to MCC’s materials warehouse to open the shelter rather than the rally.
…….BC Liberals…….does it strike anyone else as dark, twisted humour that in pot smoking, left coast, hippie BC the ‘Liberal’ party is solidly right of center? That before the relatively recent incarnation of the BC Conservatives the Liberals were the right wing party?
Reading that line put the Mission Impossible theme song in my head, as well as images of the Secretary [or Liberal leadership candidates] disavowing knowledge for reasons of political convenience and correctness.
Personally I found the throne speech a rather inventive, borderline profound, piece of satire and an astute political commentary on the campaign, election results and the state of government and governance in BC.
Recognition of the financial realities of the BC provincial government and the discipline to manage the province’s finances responsibly – within the constraints posed by the province’s income [revenue] – are key skills needed by any party leader to avoid imploding the provinces finances and economy in the short term and placing severe, negative limits on the province’s future economic health in both intermediate and long terms.
Clearly Mr. de Jong’s experience is an enormous asset in terms of effectively and responsibly managing the province’s finances. A task that will only become more difficult, especially in terms of politically popularity, as the costs of our profligate financial behaviours over the past decades come due.
However, those decades of experience clearly serve to narrow Mr. de Jong’s perspective as evidenced by his own words when he speaks of the need to re-energize [give fresh vitality, enthusiasm, or impetus to] the Liberal Party.
