stringtranslate.com

2011 British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election

The 2011 British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election was prompted by Gordon Campbell's announcement on November 3, 2010, that he would be resigning as Premier of British Columbia and had asked the BC Liberal Party to hold a leadership convention "at the earliest possible date".[1] The convention elected Christy Clark as the new leader of the party on February 26, 2011.

Status of the leadership until the convention

Upon announcing his resignation, Gordon Campbell did not state whether he would stay on as premier and party leader until a new leader was chosen, or whether an interim leader would fill this role.[2] However, Campbell soon made it clear that he would be staying on until a new leader was elected. "A smooth and orderly transition doesn't mean you have two or three leaders in a period of two or three months. So I'll be premier until the party selects a new leader. The new leader will then be sworn in as premier, and there will be a smooth and orderly transition."[3]

Voting rules

On November 13, 2010, the Provincial Executive of the BC Liberal Party voted unanimously to call an extraordinary convention to approve new rules for the Party's leadership vote process.[4] The "preferential ballot system" recommended by the Provincial Executive gives each party member a vote and then adjusts the results according to a regionally-weighted point system to ensure that each riding association counts equally.[clarification needed] The first candidate to receive more than 50% of the regionally-weighted points in province-wide round of voting would emerge as the next Leader of the BC Liberal Party. These recommendations were approved by two-thirds of delegates at an extraordinary convention held on February 12, 2011.[5]

Declared candidates

The following candidates declared their intention to run for the leadership:

George Abbott

MLA for Shuswap (since 1996), Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services (2001-04), Minister of Sustainable Resource Management (2004-05), Minister of Health (2005–09), Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (2009–10), Minister of Education (2010).

Support from caucus members: Donna Barnett (Cariboo-Chilcotin), Murray Coell (Saanich North and the Islands), Eric Foster (Vernon-Monashee),[6] Randy Hawes (Abbotsford-Mission), Kash Heed (Vancouver-Fraserview), Gordon Hogg (Surrey-White Rock), Kevin Krueger (Kamloops-South Thompson), Terry Lake (Kamloops-North Thompson), Richard Lee (Burnaby North), Norm Letnick (Kelowna-Lake Country), Mary McNeil (Vancouver-False Creek), Don McRae (Comox Valley), John Rustad (Nechako Lakes), Moira Stilwell (Vancouver-Langara),[7] Ralph Sultan (West Vancouver-Capilano), John Slater (Boundary-Similkameen), Steve Thomson (Kelowna-Mission), Jane Thornthwaite (North Vancouver-Seymour) John van Dongen (Abbotsford South), Naomi Yamamoto (North Vancouver-Lonsdale)[8][9][10]
Support from former caucus members: Bill Bennett (East Kootenay), Bill Belsey (North Coast), Tom Christensen (Okanagan-Vernon), Greg Halsey-Brandt (Richmond Centre), Harold Long (Powell River-Sunshine Coast), Sandy Santori (West Kootenay-Boundary), Ken Stewart (Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows), Katherine Whittred (North Vancouver-Lonsdale)
Date campaign launched: November 25, 2010[11]
Policies: New tax credits for home renovations and health and wellness expenses and moving the HST referendum to an earlier date,[11] holding a referendum on whether to freeze the carbon tax,[12] hold public consultation on reviewing the minimum wage and training wage,[13] creation of 3 new groups (Premier's Council on Resource Development, Northern Development Agency, and Major Projects Secretariat) to accelerate resource development in northern BC,[14] move funding for arts and culture back to 2008–09 levels,[15] and legislate child poverty reduction targets.[16]

Christy Clark

Former MLA for Port Moody-Westwood (1996–2005), Deputy Premier (2001–04), Minister of Education (2001–04), Minister of Children and Family Development (2004).

Support from caucus members: Harry Bloy (Burnaby-Lougheed)[17]
Support from former caucus members: Tony Bhullar (Surrey-Newton), Walt Cobb (Cariboo South), Arnie Hamilton (Esquimalt-Metchosin), Roger Harris (Skeena), Mike Hunter (Nanaimo), Ken Johnston (Vancouver-Fraserview), Brenda Locke (Surrey-Green Timbers), Karn Manhas (Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain), Lorne Mayencourt (Vancouver-Burrard), Wendy McMahon (Columbia River-Revelstoke), Paul Nettleton (Prince George-Omineca), Sheila Orr (Victoria-Hillside), Blair Suffredine (Nelson-Creston), Gillian Trumper (Alberni-Qualicum), Rod Visser (North Island)[18]
Date campaign launched: December 8, 2010[17]
Policies: Hosting open town hall meetings, debating more private member bills, and forming a Caucus Accountability Committee,[19] reverse cuts to the Community Gaming Grants and review the funding formula for gambling grants,[20] establish the third Monday in February as a statutory holiday,[21] redirect proceeds from tobacco taxes to pay for nicotine replacement therapies and cessation products,[22] and establish an Office of the Municipal Auditor General to monitor local government taxation.[23]

Mike de Jong

MLA for Abbotsford West (since 1994), Attorney General and Government House Leader (2009–10), Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation

Support from former caucus members: Gulzar Cheema (Surrey-Panorama Ridge), Patty Sahota (Burnaby-Edmonds)[24]
Date campaign launched: December 1, 2010[25]
Policies: Increasing the minimum wage after public consultation, moving the HST referendum to an earlier date,[25] lowering the voting age to 16,[26] a reduced number of cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries and a reduced Office of Premier, online postings of MLA expenses,[27] and extending the Victoria International Airport runway for non-stop international flights.[28]

Kevin Falcon

MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale (since 2001), Minister of Transportation (2004–09), Minister of Health Services (2009–10)

Support from caucus members: Pat Bell (Prince George-Mackenzie), Iain Black (Port Moody-Westwood), Shirley Bond (Prince George-Valemount), Stephanie Cadieux (Surrey-Panorama), Ron Cantelon (Parksville-Qualicum), Ida Chong (Oak Bay-Gordon Head),[7] Rich Coleman (Fort Langley-Aldergrove), Marc Dalton (Maple Ridge-Mission), Colin Hansen (Vancouver-Quilchena), Dave Hayer (Surrey-Tynehead), Douglas Horne (Coquitlam-Burke Mountain), Rob Howard (Richmond Centre), John Les (Chilliwack), Margaret MacDiarmid (Vancouver-Fairview),[7] Joan McIntyre (West Vancouver-Sea to Sky), Pat Pimm (Peace River North), Mary Polak (Langley), Ben Stewart (Westside-Kelowna),[29] John Yap (Richmond-Steveston)[30]
Support from former caucus members: Richard Neufeld (Peace River North),[31][32] Patrick Wong (Vancouver-Kensington)
Date campaign launched: November 30, 2010[33]
Policies: 12-point public safety platform which includes giving municipality 50% of proceeds-of-crime, requiring pawnshop and scrap metal dealers to report all purchases to police, and expanding the Meth Watch program,[34] extending the rural and oil/gas road building programs,[35] merit pay for teachers,[36] additional language options in schools, and freezing the carbon tax after 2012.[12]

Results

Results of the leadership election. First preference votes by riding are shown on the left side, the final redistributed votes are shown on the right side. Click to expand.

The rounds were counted in terms of points, with 100 points allocated per electoral district.[37][38]

Potential/withdrawn candidates

Potential candidates that declined to run:

Withdrawn candidates:

Moira Stilwell

MLA for Vancouver-Langara (since 2009), Minister of Regional Economic and Skills Development (2010), Minister of Education and Labour Market Development (2009–10).

Date campaign launched: November 22, 2010[39]
Date campaign ended: February 16, 2011, endorsed George Abbott[7]
Proposed policies: Moving the HST referendum to an earlier date,[39] raising the minimum wage to $10/hour,[40] decrease student loan rate to no higher than prime plus 1%,[41] significant new funding for college and university infrastructure, tax incentives for municipalities that reduce or eliminate Class 4 (major industrial) tax rates,[42] increasing the "Passport to Education" program to encourage enrollment into community colleges,[43] and develop the National Mountain Search and Rescue Training Institute in Revelstoke.[44]

Ed Mayne

Mayor of Parksville, British Columbia.

Date campaign launched: January 3, 2011[45]
Date campaign ended: February 17, 2011, endorsed George Abbott[46]
Proposed policies: Free votes in the legislature (except on confidence issues), term limits for premiers, mandatory voting or tax credits to encourage people to vote, increase minimum wage over two or three years,[45] improving the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island, and use universities to develop the green energy sector and attract manufacturing jobs.[12]

Polling

Early polling has shown that Christy Clark is the candidate with the highest level of support among all voters, with a net positive score of eleven versus minus one for George Abbott, minus twelve for Moira Stilwell, minus eighteen for Mike de Jong, and minus twenty-three for Kevin Falcon.[47] This is in line with earlier polls which found Clark with a twenty-five-point lead among all voters as preferred BC Liberal leader and a fourteen-point lead among definite Liberal voters.[48] An update of the poll on February 22, after Stilwell and Mayne had withdrawn, showed Clark still leading with a 67% favourability rating, with Falcon in second at 51%, and Abbott and de Jong tied at third with 46%.[49]

Early in the race, an analysis of social media in the Vancouver Sun, published on December 11, 2010, found that Kevin Falcon had generated the most social media traffic amongst the candidates who had already declared their intention to run.[50]

Debates

Initially, the Party did not intend to hold public debates between the candidates.[51] However, debate forums were eventually announced on January 27, 2011, via the BC Liberals' website:

The BC Liberal Party designed and controlled the debate format, intending for them to be non-controversial. Only registered party members were able to attend, all debate questions were provided to the candidates in advance, and there were few exchanges between the candidates. The debates were criticized as being bland and stifling.[52][53] Following the withdrawal of Stilwell and Mayne, an additional debate was held between the remaining candidates and aired on Shaw TV Vancouver on February 20.[54]

Timeline

See also

References

  1. ^ "Premier Campbell Thanks Supporters". BC Liberal Party. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  2. ^ Fowlie, Jonathan (November 4, 2010). "It's not always popular to do what you believe in your heart is right". Vancouver Sun.
  3. ^ Palmer, Vaughn (November 5, 2010). "Premier may be going, but not for some time". Vancouver Sun.
  4. ^ "Party Moves to Modernize Leadership Vote, Call Conventions". BC Liberal Party. Archived from the original on November 17, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  5. ^ "Party Sets Leadership Vote for February 26, 2011". BC Liberal Party. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  6. ^ "Foster backs Abbott's leadership bid – Vernon News". Castanet.net. December 6, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d "Liberals Mayne and Stilwell bow out in favour of Abbott". CBC News. February 16, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  8. ^ Corbett, Neil (November 29, 2010). "Local MLAs support Abbot for leadership". Archived from the original on March 23, 2011.
  9. ^ [1][dead link]
  10. ^ [2][dead link]
  11. ^ a b "Abbott confirms run for B.C. Liberal leadership". CBC News. November 25, 2010.[dead link]
  12. ^ a b c Environment Low on Agendas of Lib Leader Candidates. The Tyee January 21, 2011
  13. ^ Ward, Doug (November 26, 2010). "Abbott vows to be a 'collaborative' premier". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  14. ^ "Abbott promises northern support". Prince George Free Press. January 13, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  15. ^ Werb, Jessica (December 3, 2010). "George Abbott deepens arts commitment, promises to restore arts gaming grants". The Straight.
  16. ^ Bailey, Ian (January 28, 2011). "George Abbott calls for child poverty reduction plan". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  17. ^ a b Ward, Doug (December 8, 2010). "Christy Clark joins race for B.C. Liberal leadership". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  18. ^ Palmer, Vaughn (January 24, 2011). "Falcon is preferred candidate of B.C. Liberal Party establishment – but is that enough?". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  19. ^ Baily, Ian (January 4, 2011). "Christy Clark calls for more open government in B.C." The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  20. ^ Baker, Rochelle (January 22, 2011). "Christy Clark vows change and stability to Fraser Valley charities in Abbotsford". Abbotsford Times. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  21. ^ Baily, Ian (January 13, 2011). "Clark calls for a B.C. Family Day". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  22. ^ Oliver, Cassidy (January 16, 2011). "Recall in doubt as anti-HST drive stalls". The Province.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ Thomson, Stephen (January 18, 2011). "Liberal leadership candidates meet for B.C. Chamber of Commerce panel". The Straight.
  24. ^ "Who's following the would-be leader". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. February 17, 2011.
  25. ^ a b c Hunter, Justine (December 1, 2010). "Latest B.C. Liberal leadership contestant waves white flag over HST". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  26. ^ Kilian, Crawford (December 15, 2010). "De Jong calls for lower voting age". The Tyee.
  27. ^ Corbett, Neil (January 5, 2011). "De Jong would shrink cabinet". Abbotsford News. Archived from the original on March 23, 2011.
  28. ^ Shaw, Rob (January 21, 2011). "De Jong gets on board runway plan". Times-Colonist.[permanent dead link]
  29. ^ Leyne, Les (February 8, 2011). "Where next premier will find support". Times-Colonist.[permanent dead link]
  30. ^ "Health - Times Colonist". www.timescolonist.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  31. ^ Ward, Doug (January 12, 2011). "Liberal Senator Larry Campbell backs conservative Kevin Falcon". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on January 16, 2011.
  32. ^ Bailey, Ian (January 12, 2011). "Larry Campbell endorses Kevin Falcon for BC Liberal leader". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  33. ^ "Falcon joins B.C. Liberal leadership race". Ctv.ca. November 30, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  34. ^ "Liberal Kevin Falcon plots crime crackdown". CBC News. January 11, 2011. Archived from the original on January 13, 2011.
  35. ^ Hodson, Brent (December 23, 2010). "Pimm, Neufeld, and Dalton support Falcon for Liberal leadership run". Northeast News. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  36. ^ Hunter, Justine (January 7, 2011). "Falcon first to focus on social-policy issue for future". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  37. ^ "Leadership Vote Results". BC Liberals. February 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  38. ^ "Clark leading after 1st ballot in BC Liberal vote". Ctvbc.ctv.ca. February 26, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  39. ^ a b "Stilwell kicks off B.C. Liberal leadership race". CBC News. November 22, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  40. ^ Liberals All Now Believe in Listening The Tyee. December 1, 2010.
  41. ^ Burnett, Stewart (December 7, 2010). "Dawson Creek the first stop". Dawson Creek Daily News. p. A1.
  42. ^ Stanfield, Scott (January 20, 2011). "Stilwell lobbies in Comox Valley". The Courtenay Comox Valley Record. p. A3.
  43. ^ Cole, Yolande (January 14, 2011). "Moira Stilwell pledges support for training at regional colleges". The Straight. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  44. ^ Orlando, Aaron (January 3, 2011). "$10 million search and rescue institute promise for Revelstoke". Revelstoke Times Review. p. 1.
  45. ^ a b Parksville mayor makes bid for leadership of B.C. Liberals. The Globe and Mail, January 3, 2011.
  46. ^ Another for Abbott as Ed Mayne drops leadership bid. The Province, February 17, 2011.
  47. ^ Sinoski, Kelly (December 9, 2010). "Voters favour Christy Clark: poll". Archived from the original on December 13, 2010.
  48. ^ "Clark front-runner for B.C. Liberals: poll". CBC. November 29, 2010. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  49. ^ "Clark's lead over BC Liberal leadership rivals shrinks, poll says". The Globe and Mail. Canada. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  50. ^ Shaw, Gillian (November 30, 2010). "Vancouver Sun blogs 30 November 2010". Communities.canada.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  51. ^ Smith, Charlie (January 13, 2011). "Why the B.C. Liberal leadership candidates are avoiding public debates". Georgia Straight.
  52. ^ Mason, Gary (February 3, 2011). "Stifling debate may suit the BC Liberal party, but it doesn't help voters". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  53. ^ Bailey, Ian (February 5, 2011). "BC Liberal leadership debates should be more exciting, Falcon says". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  54. ^ Bailey, Ian (February 19, 2011). "Clark says only she can bring real change to BC Liberals". The Globe and Mail. Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  55. ^ Hunter, Justine (December 6, 2010). "B.C. NDP leader resigns over party infighting". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved December 21, 2015.