BC Election 2009: post-election interviews (May 20-28/09)

Assessing the May 2009 BC election results, moving forward from here

by Mary P. Brooke:

 

1. John Horgan (incumbent / NDP)

The interview for this article was done by phone, May 28/09.

John Horgan was busy from the moment election results rolled in. One day after the election he was handling constituent inquiries and closing his Cobble Hill office (due to changes in electoral district boundaries). By May 28 he'd already been down to the Legislature in Victoria twice for swearing-in ceremonies. He's been getting details about the upcoming government budget so that, as an opposition MLA, he can comment in detail about how the government is handling taxpayers' money. Up until the Legislature was dissolved for the May 12 election, Horgan was the NDP's Energy and Mines critic under NDP leader Carole James. He may or may not continue in that role for the coming Legislative session.

"The most important part of being an MLA is scrutinizing the expenditures of government," said Horgan. "Taxpayers are getting value with me as their MLA because I'm working hard to ensure that tax dollars aren't being wasted or that a reasonable amount comes back in the form of services," he said in a 35-minute interview.

When asked why other MLAs aren't talking like this (i.e. about assessing tax spending and return via services), Horgan said, "All MLAs have an obligation to find out what is in the best interests of the whole province. As a critic (the role of an opposition member), it's my job to get up to speed on the overall plan before throwing rocks at it. I am able to cross party lines. People voted for me because they believe I can put aside partisan ideological battles of the past." He also was pleased that he has qualified office staff who can deal with the "meat and potatoes of the job -- when people want an answer from government we get the answer for them."

After the election John Horgan said that most of the people he met "gave me their congratulations; they had happy faces and that was a comforting feeling. This means they have confidence in me to do the job. Over the first four years I thought I was on the right track (and the strong vote margin over the Liberal and Green candidates was 'proof' of that)." Horgan felt that many voters cast their ballot for him because they were voting for the person, not necessarily the party. "They weren't active supporters and hadn't directly participated in policy debates, but they came out for me." Voter turnout in the Juan de Fuca constituency was 59% this election (lower than the 1980s level).

Horgan's immediate focus for the Sooke area will be transportation. The BC Government has recently promised $6 million for improvements on Sooke Road between Langford and Sooke, and about two years ago had promosed $12 million for the Lost Creek-Sombrio section. Neither projects has seen much if any progress. For the longer term, "a nature centre could be developed here -- we have an impressive block of wildnerness to offer to the outside world". But the challenge is to be able to get to Sooke" (safely by road) and to have "more accommodation". "Right now we have no sense of how the B&B's are doing," said Horgan. Also in the longer term we could have more small scale tree farms, the MLA said of his view for Sooke's economic growth.

"Government has a responsibility that insfrastructure keeps pace," said Horgan, noting that while residential and commercial construction takes place based on the big dreams and aspirtations of developers, this provides short-term work for young workers. "But we need more to it than that," he said. "While the boom is going on we need stimulus packages for roadways, health care services and educational services. It's the Sooke Council's job to identify the priorities and to work with available resources and levels of government to get things done."

Horgan hopes that the re-elected Liberal majority government will "function for all British Columbians".  "Campbell is keen to have a legacy. Hopefully he will recognize that Vancouver Island is a significant party of the economy. The Liberals lost votes on Vancouver Island because Campbell is out of touch with what the community wanted done (with regard to the Western Forest Products land issues)," said Horgan.

MM

 

2. Jane Sterk (BC Green Party Leader)

The interview for this article was done in person over coffee, May 20/09.

Within days of the May 12, 2009 BC Election, Jane Sterk was already in full action mode toward the election in 2013. Policy development continues, new strategies are underway to find voter support, and candidates will be recruited and trained over the next four years.

"Every party lost votes in this recent election," said Sterk. "The election did not capture the imagination of voters. It became an election about Gordon Campbell instead of about issues and potential solutions," said the seasoned businesswoman turned politician. "The mainstream media is failing. They were uncritical in their assessment of the various parties. There are very few investigative journalists left. The media writers rely on public relations news releases," said Sterk. "The media needed to analyze the platforms to challenge the meaning of what was in the platforms. Understating the deficit by at least $1 billion should have been caught. And then the NDP based their budget on the numbers that the Liberals proposed. There is an unquestioning acceptance of things," said the BC Green Party leader. She acknowledged that many media outlets do not have the time, staff, money or expertise to follow complex news issues in a timely fashion. Where she would like to see in-depth reporting she sees "very superficial reporting". "It's time for some serious newsworthy discussions," even over and above the human interest and unimportant events that she sees reported all the time in the news. "We are in danger of losing the traditional media," said Sterk, noting that radio station interviews and discussions (especially on stations appealing to younger audience) were more lively than the televised debates in this last election.

As for getting a higher voter turnout, Sterk suggests that it's time to try, say, the Australian model where voters are fined $250 if they don't show up to vote. They still have the option to spoil their ballot, but at least they have exercised their democratic rights. In BC and Canada "it's time for electoral reform and campaign financing reform," she said. And also that "it's time to get special interest control out of politics".

When it comes to provincial funding for the infrastructure projects that are so necessary in this economy as well as for the structures themselves, Sterk put forth that municipalities should not be saddled with coming up with half of the resources for projects that will be matched by the federal and/or BC governments if the local municipal funding can be found. Municipalities should be required to live within their means. When they try to co-fund projects that are announced/offered by higher levels of governments, often they must exceed their budgets. However, municipalities are not allowed to run deficit budgets. As a result, some projects never get off the ground and (under the present system) municipalities "have no planning capability because they are chasing after what the province offers".

Sterk proposes that a higher percentage of the federal gas tax should be paid to municipalities. The federal and provincial governments should be paying more to municipalities, she said, noting that "grants in cooperation with federal programs" would be one way to do it. "It has to be recognized that municipalities need substantial increases in funds from other levels of government."

Moving to environmental issues, the BC Green Party leader says there should be a measurable way that municipalities can achieve the "carbon neutral by 2012" goal that has been set by legislation. She noted the collective of people and groups in Sooke that are exploring food security and local food production. "They are working to connect the dots between production, distribution and purchasing." Community gardens and municipal lands are two areas to be explored for opportunities. "How do we create enough food and meanwhile decrease the costs of transportation to deliver that food to consumers?", she pondered.

With regard to BC Hydro, she stressed that "BC Hydro must be kept public". She looks forward to seeing the development of private power production (small producers) and hopes that there will be increased municipal interest in geothermal power development, with excesses sold back to the BC Energy Authority at above market price. She explained that the Run of River projects "are about privatizing the rivers", with the sale of excess energy to the USA, fearing that water will become a scarce commodity soon out of the control of BC and Canada.

At the upcoming BC Green Party leadership contest in 2011, Jane Sterk of course hopes she will win so she can carry on with provincial party leadership. "There is no ego involved. This is the most selfless thing I've ever done in my life." Sterk explained that "the Green Party understands the consequences of continuing with business as usual". "I'm at appropriate voice at this time. The  party has work to do. Under my leadership (our goals) could be achieved." She itemized about finding out who votes green and who supports the Green party. Once found, how are those people prepared to support the party and its goals? On the broader voting issue Sterk said it's important for everyone to find out, "Who is not voting and what would it take to get them to vote?"

Gaps in policy regarding child care, seniors, arts and culture and heritage are other Green party issues that Sterk intends to see come to life in the next few years. The Green Party brand "needs to be powerful".     MM

 

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