12 January 2000
Predicting for a new year, and the one’s that’ll follow - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER - I was thinking, ‘hell, if Fotheringham can do it, why can’t I’? So here in this space, I’ll let the thoughts run out of my fingers and do a little predicting. I hate predicting, but the late Marjorie Nichols of the Vancouver Sun, said it well, “Predict early, and predict often.”
In the world of British Columbian politics, Gordon Wilson will win the NDP leadership on February 20th. With the raucous support of Dave Barrett and Moe’s sometime next week, he’s got the race sewn up. But he won’t do it in one ballot. Ujjal Dosanjh will give him a run for his money and we’ll see Evans or MacPhail leave the race and throw their support to Gordo. Wilson will convene the Legislature, as Premier in early April or late April to table a budget to die for. It’ll be chock full of goodies, everything from protecting the environment to ending this “health-crisis” in BC.
He will then schlep his way to Government House and ask His Excellency, Mr. Gardom to dissolve the legislature for a general election in late spring or early summer. Gordon Campbell will form a healthy majority, although there is a possibility for a minority Liberal government with the NDP winning more than they deserve with the balance, as meager as it is, going to Reform BC. Vander Zalm will retire from politics after losing, yet again.
Jean Chrétien will, hopefully retire and the Liberal’s will groom Paul Martin to be his successor. We’ll also see Brian Tobin try to get in, as well.
Lucien Bouchard, if he keeps harping on about a referendum will be gone by June.
If Ottawa keeps talking Clarity Act on the other hand, he’ll stick on and we’ll never see a Quebec referendum on separation in our lifetime. Bouchard will make demands that Ottawa will have to meet, simply to avoid embarrassment. Jean Charest and all Quebeckers will support Mr. Bouchard and Ottawa will have to go down on its knees. (Hello there, Monica.) [Borrowed with great respect from Mr. Fotheringham.] This will be Mr. Chrétien’s final hurrah, as he’s given the heave-ho for sparking, what will be, Meech 3.
Joe Clark will lose an election in his home riding, as well as all respect in himself and resign as Tory leader. The Progressive Conservative’s won’t mean anything to Canadians, anymore.
In America, Elizabeth Dole’s endorsement of George W. Bush, last week, will prove valuable. Knowing the state of mental health John McCain is in, Bush will have no alternative but to give Mrs. Dole the Vice-Presidency.
On the Democrat’s side, Bill Bradley will continue to upset Al Gore in primaries from New Hampshire to Iowa. Even winning, he says cautiously, the Democratic nomination for President.
Hillary Clinton will lose to Rudy Giuliani, in the New York In a Senate race that’ll get more coverage than the Presidential contest. Colin Powell will be offered a high-level cabinet post, if Bush wins the White House, which he will.
Donald Trump will announce next month he wants to run for the Presidency, but he’ll be only fooling himself and not more than a month later say he was just joking. Bill and Hillary will grow further apart and publicly separate.
Down the road, in utter stupidly Canada will not re-visit the issue of the Monarchy. We’ll celebrate The Queen Mum’s 100th birthday, but we won’t look at the possibility of forever divorcing from Mother England. We shouldn’t leave, but we should only make some news out of it.
Canada will look at Ralph Klein’s two-tiered medical scheme in Alberta, and buy into it.
The next Federal election will see the Liberal’s re-elected, much to my chagrin, simply because Canada will turn into regional party-lover. The West will only vote Reform, Central Canada only Liberal, Quebec only Bloc Quebecois and Eastern Canada only Tory. The NDP will be the only true national party left in Canada, winning a sprinkling of seats across the country.
Preston Manning will be looked upon to save Canada, but he can’t and won’t. He’ll have no apparent or genuine reason but to stay into politics until he croaks.
The world will be a better place to live in at the end of the 2000’s, than at the beginning.
Human beings will live longer than before and generally be more healthy, but people will still go to war and go hungry.
That gap between the rich and poor will widen.
None, if not most of these forecasts probably won’t come true, except that, If all else fails, to paraphrase Dr. Foth, the sun will continue to rise in the east and set in the west, children will be born, people will fall in love, and as the 20th Century belonged to America, the 21st will belong to China.
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