Election campaign gets under way (BC)

[Minstrel Boy]

Election campaign gets under way

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

VANCOUVER -- Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell and NDP Leader Carole James staked out their positions on the first day of the provincial election campaign yesterday, asking voters to choose between continuing with a government riding a wave of economic prosperity or punishing the Liberals for cuts in government programs and services.

The May 17 election is the first for the province since the Liberals swept into office in 2001, winning 77 of the 79 seats.

The Liberals head into the campaign leading in the polls. But the New Democratic Party, under its new leader, has made significant gains in the past year, driven in part by anger aimed at the Liberals over deep cuts in social programs.

"I think British Columbians face a fundamental question: Do they want to move forward and build on the gathering momentum that we have in the province, or do they want to go back to the policies of the 1990?" Mr. Campbell said at Government House in Victoria yesterday after asking Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo to dissolve the province's 37th Parliament.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050420/BCELEC20/TPNational/Canada


At the starting gate, at least, Liberals ahead


VANCOUVER -- The Liberal Party of British Columbia has a solid lead and crucial momentum at the start of the 28-day election campaign that began yesterday, but voters aren't happy with Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell.

A new poll shows that while the election is the Liberals' to lose, a number of key factors are contributing to voter volatility that gives the resurgent New Democratic Party a chance to make considerable gains.

The poll, conducted by the Strategic Counsel for The Globe and Mail and CTV, found that if an election were held today the vote would be: Liberal, 46 per cent; NDP, 38 per cent; and the Green Party, 13 per cent. Others get only 3 per cent.

That would give the Liberals another majority government, but would likely mean a significant slip from where they stand now with 72 seats in the House, compared with just three for the NDP, one Democratic Reform B.C. Party and one independent.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050420/BCPOLL20/TPNational/Canada

[MrPrax]

1. 'significant slip'

um...losing 5 seats is not a 'significant slip' if they have 77 out of 79 seats.

BC's electoral system has always been out of whack and with the Green vote, the Liberals will probably get all of the seats except the two Van East ridings they already have...

[Minstrel Boy]

2. I think you might have misread the last paragraph.

The 5 seats refers to the standing at dissolution: NDP 3, Green 1 and 1 independent. The Liberals will lose many more than that.

[MrPrax]

4. Nawh...

I didn't misread it...and yeah the Liberals will get 72.

I am originally from BC (born and raised)...the Olympics are coming and BC is perhaps one of the most corrupt jurisdictions in all of North America...

I keep contact with my lefty pals and -- no fire this time -- most won't even waste the time voting. There is no free press there (outside of the Georgia Strait), so whatever James is selling isn't going to see the light of day and will be 'bookended' with Olympic fever type stories or the latest celebrity to buy a loft in Yaletown.

If the Dems were smart, they would take a chance and try to tap the Oly angry up province, especially in the Okanagan. But Hey! even that paragon of parasite poverty pimps Jim Green is LOVES the Olympics...

I have always noticed that when idiotic western separatists bark about independence out on the Prairies, they rarely even mention BC as being part of the Dream...wonder why?

[Spazito]

3. This election is coming across as ho-hum

British Columbians aren't outraged at the Liberals, haven't forgotten the mess the NDP made when they were in power and, one of the most important points made in one of the articles you posted, imo, Carole has not spelled out clearly how the NDP would be different from the Clark government, she has not acknowledged how bad the previous NDP government was. Until she does that, many former supporters will not come back.

I see the Liberals winning a diminished majority and I hope the NDP do gain enough seats to be a credible opposition so they can work toward re-establishing their credibility with the public.

I notice the articles do NOT mention an equally important vote taking place that day via referendum: The question of our system of voting - first past the post or the Single Transferable Vote. I think this is as important as who I vote for as a candidate if not even more important.