December 7, 1999
Round One - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER - It'll be a 15-rounder, no doubt.
This Wednesday, at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School, the collective eyes of the media and most British Columbians will descend on Tupper's Auditorium. I forget the comedian who said in show biz, as in life, that timing is everything. Wednesday evening will be exactly one day after the Delta-South by-election, thus proving the second week in December in good ol' BC will be an eventful one to say the least.
At Tupper, at 7:00 PM, hopefully precisely, the 4 declared leadership candidates for the NDP's top job, as well as our provinces, will debate. It will be eventful, not to say significant, because it'll be the first time all four of them will appear together as candidates for the leadership. The debaters? None other than Corky Evans, Joy MacPhail, Ujjal Dosanjh and Gordon Wilson. They are politicians of the highest order, or lowest depending on your opinion. This will be very interesting, because it's never been recorded publicly the way these four act in public together, as candidates for the top job.
Corky Evans has a lot, like the others, to prove on Wednesday night. Is he a viable candidate to sell to the entire province? Or is he just some opportunist? I think he could be regarded as one, since he ran in 1996 against Glen Clark only to secure a cabinet portfolio. But, considering Gordon Wilson is in the race, Evans couldn't be more of an opportunist than that. Gordon Wilson is the most un-NDP of the candidates. He will have to prove on Wednesday that he's more of hack, and that he's really an NDPer. One must remember that it isn't the regular voter who'll vote in the NDP leader, it's the NDP themselves. I think the trio of Evans, MacPhail and Dosnajh will have to somehow discredit or distance Wilson away from them. If they manage to do it, that'll burst the bubble of his chances. Wilson has to hope his fellow NDPers will consider him as one of their own, because if they don't, his chances are toast.
Ujjal Dosanjh is a little more NDP than Wilson, but again he's got a lot against him in that department. In his 3 or so years as the AG, that office has worked almost against him. He's a great candidate and probably the best chance the party could have against Gordon Campbell. But once again we must remember that this race is an NDP exclusive race. They pick the winner and then we'll get our chance after. We won't get out chance to endorse Ujjal, if the NDP rank and file reject him on February 20th. The reclusive nature of Dosanjh's ability to speak his mind, has been the sole responsibility of his office. That will hurt him, because it's a gig like a debate that can make or break one's chances. Debates put the rhetoric on the table, in full view. Hopefully Dosanjh can do that.
If there's anyone in this race that's NDP, its Joy MacPhail. She's got big labour behind her and she's bombastic as hell, in that patented left-wing way. She can joust and she could easily win the debate if not for her contribution to two deficit budgets as finance minister. It's a very tough race, and she’s got a pile of stuff she’s got to defend.
The debate looks interesting and there’s a lot of potential in what could happen: Will Wilson be exposed as a political opportunist? Will Dosanjh falter and fall flat on his face in trying to keep up with Joy and Gordo? Will MacPhail lose the luster in that crimson mop of hers, and end up like the other red head of BC politics, oh say almost a decade ago? Will Evans make a mad dash to the top of the race and woo the voting public? In the world of BC politics I’ve learned nothing is for certain. And Wednesday night at Tupper will prove that. I’m sure.
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .