Carole James made the right decision by stepping down as leader of the provincial NDP, according to one of her critics.

“It’s a good thing,” retired politician Bob Williams told the Straight by phone today (December 6). “It took a while for her to finally realize that that was really the only answer. It was the right decision. It would have been difficult but it opened up the whole field now, left and right and centre, in British Columbia. That’s good news.”

Williams, a former senior B.C. NDP cabinet member, has been very vocal about his views of James.

In October, Williams told the Straight that he has “reluctantly” come to the conclusion that James must go.

“I’m sorry, but Ms. James has not shown a real capacity around the economy, and that’s a serious problem,” he said at that time. “It’s a very serious problem.”

James announced today that she’s resigning as party leader pending the designation of an interim leader.

She intends to stay on as the elected representative for Victoria-Beacon Hill.

Asked what he thinks are the desirable qualities of an NDP leader, Williams said: “The qualities of the new NDP leader should be to get out and understand and enjoy the province and listen to the people because the people are aching for something difficult and I think in the Interior especially, that means empowering them.

“Victoria’s too much isolated from the Interior and the North and so I think the NDP has to reflect on that. Having a leader from Victoria is problematic. It’s much too isolated,” Williams added.