The NDP probably wished it was an April Fools’ joke.
When former NDP leader Mike Harcourt, who was B.C.’s premier from 1991 to 1995, told reporters he was no longer a member of the party, he used harsh words.
The NDP’s decision to oppose the Kinder Morgan pipeline in the middle of the election was “one of the dumbest political moves in the last few decades.”
The party was “really out of touch with working people.”
The party needed to go “beyond Kitsilano.”
MORE: Former premier Mike Harcourt quits B.C. NDP
It put NDP leaders in the awkward position of having to respond without directly criticizing one of only two people to have led the party to power in the last 40 years.
“I talked at length with him in the days before the election, and in those days he was supporting us,” said NDP leader Adrian Dix, at an event ironically in Kitislano, where he was criticizing proposed changes to the Agricultural Land Reserve.
“My only disappointment is I respect and admire Mike Harcourt…He’s decided not to participate, that’s his right, it doesn’t diminish my respect for him.”
Longtime party insider Bill Tieleman was one of many who pointed out Harcourt endorsed Adrian Dix during the 2011 election and publicly supported the party’s stance on Kinder Morgan.
“Now he says it was a terrible decision, so which Mike Harcourt is the one to believe?,” he said on Unfiltered with Jill Krop.
“Mike is correct, the Kinder Morgan decision was the wrong one…but I just don’t understand that he was a messenger, and if he’s changed he’s decision, he should own up to that.”
WATCH: Bill Tieleman and Keith Baldrey discuss Harcourt’s departure from the NDP
Harcourt didn’t address his change of public heart to reporters, but said that whomever replaces Dix in this year’s leadership election would have to find a better middle ground between the environmental and natural resource movements.
“There’s 150 communities outside of Hope that depend on logging, that depend on pulp mills, depend on mining, gas, ranching, natural resources, and you’ve got to respect that. Nurture that. Have it done in a sustainable way, but we’re going to rely on natural resources for a long time in the future,” he said.
“It’s up to the NDP to get a strong leader with a good vision for the province that includes the natural resource communities.”
It’s something the two candidates to replace Dix, MLAs John Horgan and Mike Farnworth, mostly agreed with.
“I don’t find his comments insulting, i find them reflective of how many people felt after this election,” said Farnworth. “In order to win power, we have to have an economic vision that people have confidence and that means bridging that urban-rural divide, particularly on resource development issues.”
The NDP’s results in last May’s election were extremely disappointing to the party, but in line with the 39-46% total they’ve received in every election for decades, save for 2001.
“If you compare my comments in the fall to Mike’s comments today, they’re almost exactly the same,” said Horgan. “But I believe we can change that, that’s why I’ve stepped up.”
While many will debate Harcourt’s decision, according to Tieleman the only one who can fully explain Mike Harcourt’s remarks is Mike Harcourt.
“It does hurt the party, anytime a former premier says bad things about you, you can’t be happy about that,” he says.
“He’s entitled to his position, I just can’t figure it out.”
– With files from Keith Baldrey and Jas Johal
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