Lionbackers.com

Frankly, I don't think it matters what you call a party, it is the quality of people that the whole process tends to attract that I think creates the monster. Politics seems to attract an over abundance of people with a "look at me, look at me" mindset. Sure there are some true public servants but most seem to looking for power and influence and don't seem to be too concerned about who they backstab, trample on, or blatantly disregard to get it. Those that aren't of that mindset either get turned off or never get into politics in the first place. I mean in the last 40 years, how many of our Party Leaders have been looked on as great guys and wish we had them back?

Dave Barrett
Bill Bennet
Bill Vanderzalm (willy wooden shoes)
Gordon Wilson
Glen Clark
Gordon Campbell
Carol James

I mean seriously, do any of these really stand out as a great leader? Some are more accomplished than others but none of them that I remember had a great reputation either currently or by they time they were finished in politics. Scandal dogged all of them or in the case of Carol James, eternal dullness.

The one guy I left out that maybe didn't seem so bad was Mike Harcourt. He seemed to get hung by his parties misdeeds from another era.

the last really good one was bennet sr.

What BC needs is a true Liberal party not this one that the Socreds stole from Gordo #1 when he was distracted by his princess

A true liberal party would draw back Christie Clark , Taylor and maybe Watts.

Leave the zealots to Vander Zalms new party

nelson95 wrote:What BC needs is a true Liberal party not this one that the Socreds stole from Gordo #1 when he was distracted by his princess

A true liberal party would draw back Christie Clark , Taylor and maybe Watts.

Leave the zealots to Vander Zalms new party

Exactly, almost like a BC Conservative Party...

Sir Purrcival wrote:Frankly, I don't think it matters what you call a party, it is the quality of people that the whole process tends to attract that I think creates the monster. Politics seems to attract an over abundance of people with a "look at me, look at me" mindset. Sure there are some true public servants but most seem to looking for power and influence and don't seem to be too concerned about who they backstab, trample on, or blatantly disregard to get it. Those that aren't of that mindset either get turned off or never get into politics in the first place. I mean in the last 40 years, how many of our Party Leaders have been looked on as great guys and wish we had them back?

Dave Barrett
Bill Bennet
Bill Vanderzalm (willy wooden shoes)
Gordon Wilson
Glen Clark
Gordon Campbell
Carol James

I mean seriously, do any of these really stand out as a great leader? Some are more accomplished than others but none of them that I remember had a great reputation either currently or by they time they were finished in politics. Scandal dogged all of them or in the case of Carol James, eternal dullness.

The one guy I left out that maybe didn't seem so bad was Mike Harcourt. He seemed to get hung by his parties misdeeds from another era.

Dave Barrett did some extremely good things in office and of course the bad things that angered the mining industry back then but now even the Federal Tories are doing the same to one prospective BC mine by saying no.

Barrett created the BC Ambulance Service - absolutely the right thing to do to end the scoop and run ambulance issues BC had in urban areas and lack of service outside the urban regions with a patchwork of fire departments running some services. He hit a bit of a downturn in the economy that didnt help.
They did more to improve policing and justice than any other government since BC joined confederation.

I was taken aback at an SFU alumni event when Dave Barrett came up and gave a big hug to SFU Chancellor Joe Segal in the mid 80s while Joe and I were talking. In his speech Barrett spoke of how we lacked enough people like the Joe Segals of the world who are wealthy but who care for others and do good for the community. He said that Canada ran best when the Liberals were in power with a strong Opposition made up of Conservatives who had compassion for people and not just the bottom line and a strong NDP party to keep both sides honest. Of course that was an era where bitterness and hatred of other parties was much less so than now.

I agree Mike Harcourt was pushed out by Glen Clark and gang and the bingo gate issue of Dave Stupich in his govt had nothing to do with him.

Gordon Wilson certainly sounded like a bright smart guy who got on the wrong side of his caucus but he brought the BC Liberals back from nothing.

Nelson is right... too bad we didnt have a real Liberal party here in BC.

nelson95 wrote:What BC A true liberal party would draw back Christie Clark , Taylor and maybe Watts.

zark wrote: Who's next. Colin Hanson had his head so far up Gordo's butt, you could see Kevin Falcon's feet.

SInce Campbell will still serve as premier until the next Liberal convention, the Liberals will not be forced to hold an emergency meeting to elect a new premier right away unlike in 1999 when Glen Clark resigned immediately and the NDP had to elect its deputy premier Dan Miller as the new premier.

If you are going to continue to support the Liberal party, who do you hope will be the new premier after the convention? It will likely be an exisiting cabinet member, and it was only a few days ago on Oct. 25 when Campbell made some cabinet changes. FYI, the current cabinet ministers are: http://www.gov.bc.ca/premier/cabinet_ministers/

I'll say that Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier Colin Hansen has a good chance if he chooses to run for the leadership.

Robbie wrote:

nelson95 wrote:What BC A true liberal party would draw back Christie Clark , Taylor and maybe Watts.

zark wrote: Who's next. Colin Hanson had his head so far up Gordo's butt, you could see Kevin Falcon's feet.

SInce Campbell will still serve as premier until the next Liberal convention, the Liberals will not be forced to hold an emergency meeting to elect a new premier right away unlike in 1999 when Glen Clark resigned immediately and the NDP had to elect its deputy premier Dan Miller as the new premier.

If you are going to continue to support the Liberal party, who do you hope will be the new premier after the convention? It will likely be an exisiting cabinet member, and it was only a few days ago on Oct. 25 when Campbell made some cabinet changes. FYI, the current cabinet ministers are: http://www.gov.bc.ca/premier/cabinet_ministers/

I'll say that Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier Colin Hansen has a good chance if he chooses to run for the leadership.

If Mr. Campbell stepped down tomorrow, they would do what the NDP did and pick an interim leader who may or may not run (usually they pick one who is not a candidate) who would then be sworn in as Premier. It would be normally a Cabinet minister.

I would have to think that the only person with no baggage that could win a convention if called fairly soon as it is would be former Minister of Finance Carole Taylor who did a very good job including settling with the government unions in a brilliant manner. That is leadership and for my money she would be my choice. Her husband and former Mayor of Vancouver Art Phillips if he were still active in politics would have been a good one too but he seems far from politics these days but would be one fine advisor to his wife if she was Premier!

Rich Coleman struck me a few years ago as a guy well liked in his party and who'd play well across the province at least to start. Do not know him and met him just for a second once. Mike de Jong is a bit intriguing.... a decent man it seems as is George Abbott. Hansen I knew from the federal Liberals as a young man. Not sure of his base in their party but he is a decent guy too.

Hmmm would the retired Geoff Plant ever try a come back? He too is a decent guy. Not sure who the party insiders would want to go to as that helps a candidate but if I were BC Liberal and I had a choice of any name I mentioned, I'd vote for Carole Taylor in a milli-second and not give any others a second thought just because I think her leadership qualities are better than the rest.

Toppy Vann wrote:
Dave Barrett did some extremely good things in office and of course the bad things that angered the mining industry back then but now even the Federal Tories are doing the same to one prospective BC mine by saying no.

Barrett created the BC Ambulance Service - absolutely the right thing to do to end the scoop and run ambulance issues BC had in urban areas and lack of service outside the urban regions with a patchwork of fire departments running some services. He hit a bit of a downturn in the economy that didnt help.
They did more to improve policing and justice than any other government since BC joined confederation.

I was taken aback at an SFU alumni event when Dave Barrett came up and gave a big hug to SFU Chancellor Joe Segal in the mid 80s while Joe and I were talking. In his speech Barrett spoke of how we lacked enough people like the Joe Segals of the world who are wealthy but who care for others and do good for the community. He said that Canada ran best when the Liberals were in power with a strong Opposition made up of Conservatives who had compassion for people and not just the bottom line and a strong NDP party to keep both sides honest. Of course that was an era where bitterness and hatred of other parties was much less so than now.

I agree Mike Harcourt was pushed out by Glen Clark and gang and the bingo gate issue of Dave Stupich in his govt had nothing to do with him.

Gordon Wilson certainly sounded like a bright smart guy who got on the wrong side of his caucus but he brought the BC Liberals back from nothing.

Nelson is right... too bad we didnt have a real Liberal party here in BC.

Barrett was probably the least objectionable on my list but then again he only had 3 years to lose the trust of the voters and they never took him back again. That says something right there. He also created ICBC I believe and that on balance was probably a good thing too when one looks at what Insurance rates and coverages are like in other parts of the country or "god forbid" the US.

Gordon Wilson, though smart and articulate had a real problem with integrity. I worked with a member of the Liberal Party a few years back just before the "Wilson knock out punch" in the provincial debate that rocketed the Libs from obscurity. He got to know Wilson fairly well and in the end, basically said the guy leaned towards being a pathological liar. The party probably rightly figured that he wouldn't well survive the spotlight of prominence and they turned out to be spot on.

The Liberal party has now selected their new leader, Christy Clark. That makes her the second woman BC premier and seventh woman Canadian premier.

For those of you who support the Liberal party, are you content with the decision?

It remains to be seen whether the Liberal party would win in the next Provincial Election. Unless Clark promises to repeal the HST, I don't think the Liberal party would win the next election.

Robbie wrote:The Liberal party has now selected their new leader, Christy Clark. That makes her the second woman BC premier and seventh woman Canadian premier.

For those of you who support the Liberal party, are you content with the decision?

It remains to be seen whether the Liberal party would win in the next Provincial Election. Unless Clark promises to repeal the HST, I don't think the Liberal party would win the next election.

I dont have a lot of understanding of the difference between the 4, but I have been told that Clark is the most unlike Campbell. If that is so, then I am euphoric.

Having said that, I still wish for a 3rd major party. A more conservative party. Or maybe the return of social credit?