Saturday November 6, 2021 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC [Updated Nov 8, 2021]
Editorial Analysis by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
Today the six leadership candidates who are vying to become the next leader of the BC Liberal Party [#bclib22 on social media) gave a series of campaign pitches, each about 15 minutes long, during an online live event on Facebook.
A new leader will be elected on February 5, 2022, so this won’t be the last of them in front of an audience that is, generally speaking, hoping (or at least needing) to hear the emergence of a new edge in where the party is heading.
Not only did the BC Liberals lose harshly to the BC NDP in the September 2020 snap election called by NDP Premier John Horgan (who emerged with the majority that he was hoping for), it was fairly clear the BC Liberals had lost their way in terms of presently a clear vision for the future of the province.
So it wasn’t surprising today to hear most of the six candidates talk about generating a new vision for the party. In particular, most want to see a new articulated framework for where the BC Liberals are heading before they rename the party. Renaming the party sounds like a forgone conclusion but evidently most realize that just a new name alone won’t help them do any better at the ballot box unless they rethink a party that has in most ways become quite out of step with modern times.
Name change proposed:
The BC Liberal Party is a made-in-BC provincial political party that is not affiliated with any federal political party. But the name may not work in their favour any more, as people confuse it with the federal Liberal Party.
In the past year there’s been talk within the party (and in public discourse) about the possible need to rename the party.
Six candidates today:
Here is a brief summary insights about today’s messaging by the six leadership candidates of the BC Liberals.
Most of them had a pre-taped video introduction, some were introduced by others on the stage where today’s session was being livestreamed from (in the BC Lower Mainland), and all spoke directly to the camera live.
For some reason the funding and management of autism care was highlighted frequently. At least one candidate picked on the NDP around roads and transportation infrastructure. There was very little mention of things that otherwise appear to be gripping the world of political ideas and debate, namely the climate crisis and Indigenous reconciliation.
For some reason the only woman candidate was left til last, and she admitted that positioning as sixth out of six made it “a tough act to follow”.
Apparently in the last year or so Kevin Falcon has been eluded to as the presumptive front-runner, but there was a good range of strengths in today’s candidate presentations.
The presentations were delivered virtually but almost all had a BC Lower Mainland flavour, aiming in particular at winning seats in Surrey where the NDP did well in 2020. Vancouver Island (where Premier John Horgan has a strong core NDP base) was never mentioned.
- Ellis Ross – Ellis Ross spoke highly of former Premier Christy Clark and how his First Nation no longer deals with poverty because of economic initiatives taken by the former BC Liberal government. He emphasized the importance of talking with people in small groups in their own communities, as a way to truly learn about their concerns. He wants the party to “take a new direction in 2014”. He lucidly noted that this is a new world, and that things must be done differently, without dismissing the tried-and-true of speaking with people directly and honestly.
- Val Litwin – Coming from a marketing background and being a previous Chamber of Commerce president, for Val Litwin this was all about using current digital technologies to connect with people and bring the party forward by creating “a winning brand”. He talked about the party identifying “core values” before deciding on a new name. He wants to attract young people to the party as “a new pipeline of leaders”. He claims the BC government never talked about “economic recovery” during economic recovery stakeholders meetings in the pandemic. Litwin said the BC Liberals are “evidence based, not ideological”, as a direct swipe against the NDP which he says use a “franchise system” to recruit people to the party (something he says the BC Liberals should copy).
- Gavin Dew – Gavin Dew presented himself as a problem-solver and committed energetic leader. He said he wants to see the BC Liberals become an “urban and suburban” party, as a way to “win against the NDP” and “take the fight to the NDP”. He placed a strong emphasis on the BC Liberals being a party that is big on being a “family”. He gave a lot of air time to his wife and campaign partner Erin Shum, presenting them almost as a duo for the voters, even though of course only one name will be on the ballot.
- Kevin Falcon – Riding on the strength of his long-time connections with the old guard of the BC Liberals and acknowledging the money he has already received to back his campaign, Kevin Falcon said the party needs to “embrace diversity”, including making room for people who are disabled, and women, and that leadership must include inclusivity. He said a lot of fundraising and organizing needs to be done. He made some questionable remarks about the current governing NDP party, including that he “can’t see anything the NDP has done in any part of this province”, even though the NDP have clearly brought many communities forward through boosting people up (including small business with recovery grants).
- Michael (Mike) Lee – Michael Lee wants to broaden the appeal of the party. He wants the membership to know “who they are as a party” and “define who we really are” before there is a party name change. He wants to see increased support for riding presidents and volunteers, so as to “win at a local level” as a way to “win back ridings across BC”. He wants to “think bigger than left/right” dynamics in politics and come up with “real solutions”. He wife Christina was introduced on stage as part of Lee’s speech. A lawyer, Lee says his approach is to be “a bridge builder”.
- Renee Merrifield – Renee Merrifield said being a woman in business and politics has been difficult, yet now she’s made her way to running for the leadership of a major political party. She says the BC Liberal party needs a vision that is more than just about defeating the NDP. Renee Merrifield stated that “society demands to know why they should vote for us”, given that obviously a majority voted NDP last time. She’s keen to recruit new members to the party.
Voting:
The voting process for eligible members of the BC Liberal party will begin on February 3, 2022 and end on February 5, 2022.
Voting will take place using a secure voting system that will require eligible members register and verify their identity.
The deadline for individuals to join the party (in order to be able to vote) is December 17, 2021.
Next debate:
The second in a series of leadership debates will be held on November 22 at 7 pm (PDT), livestreamed on the party’s website.
