Now that the B.C. Liberals have chosen a successor to former leader Christy Clark, the party can begin to emerge from its months-long doldrums that dates to its fall from power last summer.
New party leader Andrew Wilkinson provides Premier John Horgan with a direct foil in the legislature, something he lacked during the fall sitting. I expect Wilkinson to mold his party into a cohesive Opposition party that has a strategic focus, something that has been absent so far.
He will likely push some of the veteran MLAs into the background, and allow the newer faces to come to the fore. And Wilkinson will turn up the heat, and relentlessly attack and challenge the NDP government in ways we haven’t seen since the summer handoff.
Wilkinson is an interesting choice as leader. He was able to emerge as eventual victor not because he was many members’ first pick (indeed, he finished third on the first count), but because his appeal was broader than his rivals when it came to attracting second and third choice support.
And he beat a somewhat lackluster field where no candidate dominated, thus making the path to victory easier.
There’s no question Wilkinson brings some intellectual heft to the job. A former doctor, lawyer and – for good measure – a Rhodes Scholar, he knows complex issues backwards and forwards.
But, as I’ve noted before, he needs some work on the “retail” side of politics. He can come across as aloof or smugly arrogant. The NDP will be sure to paint him as a patrician elitist, and point out he represents one of the province’s richest ridings on Vancouver’s westside.
In fact, one cabinet minister was quick to tell me: “So what do we call him? The Earl of Southlands or Lord Kerrisdale?”
But New Democrats would be wise not to underestimate their new rival. As memories of Christy Clark fade from view, some of the controversial political baggage of the past will undoubtedly go with her.
While the NDP will try to keep memories of Clark alive and attempt to tie Wilkinson to some of the things that went sour under her watch (ICBC, BC Hydro finances, casino money laundering, corporate fundraising etc.), eventually the conversation will turn to a narrative that proves more favorable to the new B.C. Liberal leader.
Now, not a lot of issues work for the B.C. Liberals in the short-term. Education, Crown corporation management, and social services are pretty much off the table when it comes to attacking the NDP, given the B.C. Liberals’ track record on them.
But I’m betting Wilkinson, who has a unique ability to get under the skin of New Democrats, will find some effective issues to throw at the government. And Horgan, who has shed his earlier edgy, angry style for a relaxed, confident demeanor, should take care not to take the bait from the taunts sure to come his way from his new rival.
Wilkinson needs to put his personal stamp on the party and steer it into new territory, breaking from the past and casting aside old demons. Remember, his party won the most votes and the most seats in last year’s election, so the New Democrats better not lapse into overconfidence and get caught napping.
He has zeroed in on one issue – blocking a move to proportional representation – as his immediate top priority, and that will prove to be his first test of effective leadership.
It was obvious at this past weekend’s leadership convention that the caucus has rallied behind and around Wilkinson (something that would not have happened if Dianne Watts had won). While the leadership race was, at times, nasty and personal that all seems behind the caucus now.
Finally, B.C. politics is about to return to normalcy (or as “normal” as B.C. politics ever actually is). Two major, dominant parties ready to do battle for the public’s hearts and minds.
The exhibition season is finally over. The parties are now playing for keeps.
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC. This is reprinted from his weekly column with Glacier Media.