-- Download Policy Statements of the BC NDP Leadership Candidates as PDF --
I’d certainly like this to be the year where strong, clear, engaging and relevant policies and not endorsement body counts and dropping vague motherhood phrases are what it takes to become leader of a political party. All the BC NDP leadership candidates are far too vague on policy so far. The party is also far too vague on policy, so maybe that’s why. And it’s not like the party hasn’t been passing policy resolutions for several decades, it’s just that none of them are on the BC NDP website. Instead, there is a picture of Kevin Falcon:
Seriously, I understand what the point is because it links to a page with criticism of a BC Liberal leadership candidate, but where is the policy designed by the BC NDP for the people of BC? I know it exists. I’ve seen it.
And as Stepan Vdovine noted yesterday, the people of BC can handle some policy substance.
Below are links to the BC NDP leadership candidates’ policy pages [ordered by first name, reverse alphabetically, just because], such as they are. Ask yourself a few things when you read each statement:
- What exactly is the candidate proposing, beyond referring to appealing phrases?
- What does this principle/ideal for BC look like to the candidate?
- How am I going to understand that the candidate has succeeded?
- How will the candidate accomplish this?
Granted, the first three questions are the same, but sometimes we really need to think hard to cut through the rhetoric to find out if there is any authentic substance.
And if I’ve missed some key webpages with candidate policy information, please let me know and I’ll update this page.
Nicholas Simons: Policy
Mike Farnworth: Ready to Lead BC
John Horgan: John’s Ideas
Harry Lali: No website or policy statements beyond internal party equity changes
Dana Larsen: Platform
Adrian Dix: Issues
I welcome your views in comments below about the quality of policy statements from the candidates.
More from my site
January 18, 2013 A Not-So-Public Hearing
April 8, 2011 Charging $1,200 to democratically assemble, Vision Vancouver looks to China for advice on (anti) free speech laws.
February 23, 2006 Cartoons and Apologist Bluster
March 25, 2006 CD Howe’s Michael Hart: Inadvertent Opponent of Deep Integration
March 8, 2011 There are times that I can’t believe I study politics.
October 13, 2016 How Far Will Men Go to Keep Their Entitlements?
Stephen Elliott-Buckley
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Thanks For putting out this website. Having tried all the links and read the candidate’s policy statements, I’m glad to see that most candidates are grappling with the issue of balancing economy and environment. However, I’m a bit disappointed to see that not many truly new approaches are outlined, and this suggests to me that a concerted investment in the public education system needs to be in the mix. Fully funding the education system will set the infrastructure for young minds to help our society think its way out of our current and future pickle. We need to develop critical and creative thinking skills. A strong public education system provides opportunities for both individuals and the larger world.