By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved Used by Permission
I haven’t heard the rumour that Stockwell Day will be drafted to lead the B.C. Conservative Party after John Cummins is made to walk the plank, but reporters are writing about it.
You’ll remember that about a week ago, news came out that some B.C, Tories were unhappy with the leadership of Mr. Cummins. Due to what I saw as his poor way of talking about it, I briefly blogged about it.
Well, The Toronto Star’s western Canadian stringer wrote a story on the woes of B.C. Premier Christy Clark earlier this week. In the second half of the story, the reporter mentions rumours that Stockwell Day had been approached to become leader of the B.C. Conservatives. Dismayed voters, who are already giving the Cummins party about 20 per cent in the polls, would unite the right in the next BC election–which must be held in May–and deny the NDP power.
The TorStar quotes former federal BC MP John Reynolds, who says that Day might be a good choice, but doubts that he wants a comeback and that such a comeback would work out as Day might hope.
The Georgia Straight, Vancouver’s alternative newspaper, picks up the ball and runs with it in its paper released today. Their story at least tried to quote Day, and makes note of his social conservatism.
Former BC Liberal leader Gordon Wilson argues that there is a perceived need for a “great right hope” and adds that while Day is not the only possibility, he does have qualities that make him seem attractive.
It has happened twice in B.C. that certain people were groomed to be the great leader of the “free enterprise” forces. [Wilson knows this well, as he was the victim of this when Gordon Campbell took over the leadership of the BC Liberals.]
That I find a possibility. But not a Day comeback. If he were drafted, I doubt that the BC Tories would benefit.
But I do want to note that people are talking about it. This is B.C. we’re talking about after all…
The online Straight story has a “should Stockwell run” type of straw poll question. Currently 78 per cent no
NO …it wouldn’t work
It would split the center-right and give the NDP power. The BC Liberals are on the ropes, but not so much so where a revived Conservative party would buzz past them and the Dippers into power. The NDP is in position to have a whack at the reins thanks to some Liberal klutziness and a revived Conservative party wouldn’t stop that.
What it might do is to bring the Conservatives into the conversation and put them in position for a 2016 or so election that could see them become the plurality party if they do well in opposition. The Conservatives could do far worse than Stockwell Day to manage that, although since he’s an Alberta native and has few BC roots other than having served as MP out of a BC riding, “carpetbagging” could easily be charged (I’m not sure if that term is used up north for someone running for office in territory new to them).
What Mark postulates makes a great deal of sense, as that is what happened in the 1991 election–the BC Liberals came on, but not enough to replace the Socreds. What the boffins would be hoping is that BC Liberals would be totally wiped out so that the “new right” party would take all their votes.
One of the reasons why I think the “let’s find a newhero of the right” wouldn’t apply to Day is that he has been tried before nationally and clobbered there.
I think the last thing BC voters need is a viable Conservative Party led my Stockwell Day or anyone else. It would only serve to split the vote and allow the NDP to take more seats.
Let’s face it, the Liberals blew this one away, just like Glen Clark did with his fudgit budget and home/cottage renovations etc. The writing is on the wall. It needs to happen so that the Liberals can rebuild/re-invent/re energize. It can be very healthy to have a change of Government.
Politicians, especially those in BC, get a little too comfortable and start forgetting exactly how they got there in the first place.