Interviews from B.C.’s big exciting premier election
On November 3, 2010, Gordon Campbell, the prime minister of my home province of British Columbia, resigned amid ongoing political fallout from the notoriously unpopular “Harmonized Sales Tax” he introduced last summer.
Under the quirkly succession rules of the parliamentary system, this has triggered an emergency primary for the leadership of Campbell’s Liberal Party, the winner of which will be automatically installed as the new premier to complete Campbell’s term (Campbell himself is staying on in a caretaker capacity till then).
In the aftermath of the resignation announcment, several prominant local politicians threw their hats into the ring, and have formally launched campaigns to succeed Campbell as Liberal leader and premier of the province.
In my capacity as a reporter for one of our local B.C. newspapers, the Metro, I was able to track down and interview the race’s five leading contenders, who will face a vote from the assembled fee-paying members of the provincial Liberal Party on February 26.
I’m spelling all this out in explicit detail not to be patronizing, but because I am genuinely interested in hearing feedback on these men and women from my readers from all across Canada, America, and the larger world.
I’ll post links to my interviews here all week, in conjuction with their published appearances in the Metro.
While I think these things are more fun to read if you’re fairly ignorant of the matters being discussed, if you need a quick summary of B.C. politics I’ve written one here.
THE CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS
- January 10- Interview with George Abbott, candidate #1
- January 11, Interview with Kevin Falcon, candidate #2
- January 12, interview with Moira Stilwell, candidate #3
- January 13, interview with Christy Clark, candidate #4
- January 14, interview with Mike de Jong, candidate #5
- Feburary 8, interview with Ed Mayne, candidate #6
January 11th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Your questions to the candidates were interesting and thought provoking. I found myself thinking about how I would answer the questions if I were in their shoes. Thanks for all the great information.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:08 am
I've never heard of a provincial premier referred to as a Prime Minister before.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
But that's exactly what "premier" means. In British Columbia at least, until the 1970s the two titles were used interchangeably.
January 14th, 2011 at 10:14 am
There are six candidates in this race- do you intend to interview Ed Mayne?
January 14th, 2011 at 10:59 am
He declared too late! The feature was already well underway and approaching deadline by the time he jumped in.
January 14th, 2011 at 11:14 am
I would be available for an interview. I thought your questions were good and would forward to having a discussion with you.
Ed Mayne
January 14th, 2011 at 11:16 am
Sorry, my typing wasn't as good as it should have been. Should have said "I thought your questions were good and would look forward to having a discussion with you."
January 14th, 2011 at 11:17 am
Alright. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Please email me at jjmccullough@gmail.com.
January 15th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
I very much enjoyed reading these interviews. JJ being JJ asked a bunch of republican questions. All 5 of the candidates supported the Constitutional Monarchy, sorry JJ you tried so hard! ;)
I think it was a telling example of the widespread support for our constitutional monarchy. Or at least an example of the lack of support for changing our country to a republic.
It was also good to see they all had reasoned progressive answers to the "Is B.C. becoming too ethnically segregated?" question.
But sad to see none were really pushing for electoral or senate reforms, besides Clark who would have the Senate abolished, which I disagree with.
July 3rd, 2011 at 7:58 pm
h-c-g…
Lovely day for blogging huh…
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