OP/ED: Not a one-horse race after all in B.C. election
By Kyra Hoggan
Hmmmm – it looks like the provincial election isn’t going to be the humdrum rubber-stamp we were all expecting for the West Kootenay region.
Bill Bennett, MLA and B.C. Minister, was in Castlegar today to acclaim Jim Postnikoff as the BC Liberal candidate – meaning two-term incumbent Katrine Conroy (NDP) won’t be just walking away with the win, as it appeared might be the case just last week.
I think it takes some real moxie for a comparative unknown to go toe-to-toe with a well-respected incumbent who also happens to be a member of the party most pundits are convinced will take the election (and thus the government) in a landslide this May.
There was only a handful of people in attendance, which is hardly a surprise, given that the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Who comprised that handful was the more interesting element – I think it was smart to get a powerhouse like Bennett to fire the starting gun on Postnikoff’s campaign. And certainly, if you’re going bring in a thoroughbred, you should give them free rein.
I thought it was unfortunate, though, that Bennett did most of the talking. Postnikoff’s going to have to run pretty fast to cross the line between relative obscurity and a candidate who can outpace someone with Conroy’s profile.
Postnikoff named health care and seniors housing as platform issues for him, which makes sense – I’d question his validity as a candidate if he didn’t – but wasn’t able to say if he’d support building a hospital in Castlegar or what he would do to address the closing of schools in our area. In fact, he didn’t say much at all. In fairness, though, I’d imagine his current learning curve is vertical, and this was only a nomination meeting – he has time to flesh out his ideas and bring some specifics to the local electorate. I just hope he actually does.
I was disappointed that he didn’t come out of the gate at a flat-out run, speaking to specific local issues and how he’d approach them differently than Conroy would.
He has the can-do attitude – but will that be enough for him to be taken seriously his first time around the track?
“I wouldn’t run if I didn’t think I’d win,” he said. “I can get the job done and deliver results.”
Certainly, he has a critical job ahead of him in this election cycle – and I don’t mean winning the seat.
I’m inclined to agree with Bennett when he says the NDP are being told they have a lock on the election, so the campaign strategy is to keep their heads down and their mouths shut rather than risking mistakes that could cost them a mandate.
Candidates like Postnikoff may be just the ticket to make incumbents run harder; to ensure actual debate, and discussion of issues the favourites may not want front-and-centre. I know little of Postnikoff’s politics, but I do know he’s aligned himself with former Castlegar mayor Mike O’Connor, whose daughter Meagan Salekin will be Postnikoff’s campaign manager.
That’s savvy, for a comparative unknown to bring on people who have fairly high profiles in local politics – and who have reputations for mixing it up without balking at how uncomfortable they might make their opponents.
That being said, Postnikoff said he’s not planning on an attack-style campaign.
“Katrine and I had a chat prior to the announcement, and we both agreed to be as fair and impartial as possible,” he said – and Bennett said he expects the more personal character debate to happen at the party and leadership levels, not in small towns in the West Kootenay.
(Of course, he then delivered a character commentary aimed at NDP leader Adrian Dix). Even Bennett allowed, though, that’s there’s a very real chance, should Postnikoff be elected, that he’ll be a member of the opposition rather than the sitting government. I thought that was telling, given how aggressive the campaigning has otherwise been, to date.
At any rate, there’s no question Postnikoff’s the underdog in this election – the real question, for me, is will he use this window of opportunity to really shake things up and raise the level of debate in our communities? Can he go from being ‘underdog’ to ‘dark horse’?
Neither the Source nor the Champion will be endorsing a candidate in this race – but we absolutely endorse a vibrant, content-rich, competitive run to the finish.
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