Bob Williams prefers John Horgan, Adrian Dix over Mike Farnworth for NDP leader

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      Former NDP cabinet minister Bob Williams isn’t as impressed with Mike Farnworth as he is with a few other potential contenders for the party leadership.

      Farnworth, who represents Port Coquitlam and serves as Opposition house leader, may be the popular choice in opinion polls to succeed Carole James as leader of the NDP, but he’s not at the top of Williams’s list.

      In a phone interview, Williams first noted that the NDP appears to have a good stable of candidates.

      “All of them have their strengths,” Williams told the Straight on January 5.

      He started with John Horgan, MLA for Juan de Fuca and the Opposition critic for energy, mines, and petroleum resources. Horgan hasn’t made a formal announcement about his intentions.

      “Horgan has proved to be superb on the energy file, not as aggressive as he should have been in my view,” Williams said. “But he’s proven he has very substantial research skills and policy skills.”

      Then he turned to Adrian Dix, MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway, who also hasn’t made any formal declaration of his plans.

      “Dix has proven that he can handle any file he’s given,” Williams said. “And he’s very effective and creative as a critic.”

      Williams is also impressed with Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, a declared candidate for leader.

      “Nick Simons brings a range of skills that are interesting,” he said.

      According to Williams, the real challenge is: “Can Horgan show that he has a wider range of interest beyond the energy file and does he really see a vision of the province that’s different? That also applies to Adrian. It’s that kind of thing that will capture the public imagination.”

      The Straight reminded Williams that he hadn’t mentioned Farnworth.

      This elicited laughter from the retired veteran politician, who’s a director and past chair of the Vancity credit union.

      “Oh yes!” Williams exclaimed. “Well, is that a Freudian slip? Nope. Mike is a good warrior, and an effective house leader.”

      However, he said, “I don’t think he’s shown the same level of skills as the other players but maybe I’m just not observant.”

      Asked what skills he thinks Farnworth lacks, Williams responded, “Parliamentary swordplay.”

      But Williams also conceded that Farnworth has “made good work” as the NDP critic for public safety.

      Comments

      22 Comments

      Karm Elita

      Jan 7, 2011 at 2:17pm

      LOL. Talk about a serial endorsement. Bob Williams + Glen Clark supporting Adrian Dix. That's really change we can believe in.

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      David Emerscam

      Jan 7, 2011 at 2:38pm

      I'm going to wait to see who gets (s)elected to be NDP leader and listen to their policies before deciding where to lend my vote in 2013.

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      glen p robbins

      Jan 7, 2011 at 4:29pm

      I went to Reynolds High School with John Horgan - he was one grade lower than me - friends with my bestest body - Greg Booth - growing up - 2 or 3 houses down from the mayor of Prince George -- Rogers

      Good guy - smart guy - always makes me think of Tom Fogerty Rhythm Guitar Creedence Clearwater Revival.

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      Bruno15

      Jan 7, 2011 at 7:50pm

      I'm sure Farnworth is ecstatic not to get slimed by Williams`drive-by socialization. It`d be like one of the Liberal contenders being endorsed by Dick Chenney.

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      Who cares

      Jan 8, 2011 at 6:34am

      Why is the G-S always pushing Bob Williams opinions? Is he your neighbour and therefore handy for a quote?

      Geesh - this guy was a party to pushing the party off the cliff. i say ignore Williams as he is sooooooo old school, old party, old news. Who really cares what he thinks? Not me and so far I haven't seen anyone worth voting for as party Leader let alone someone I could have confidence in as Premier.

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      Max

      Jan 8, 2011 at 8:57am

      The Straight seems to be elevating the NDP nomination race to the status of an event that could change the universe. It seems to me 2 or 3 articles appear here every couple days on this race to nowhere. Regardless of who wins the same bureaucratic claque of liberal elites (i.e union business agents, liberal lawyers, communications apparatchiks) will remain in charge of this "party".

      But it's really important that John Horgan is a "good guy", truly.

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      NDPer.

      Jan 8, 2011 at 10:59am

      John Horgan is a very strong contender for lead. He is very intelligent, seems to be more socialist than liberal, unlike many of the 'new guard.'

      Max brings up a good point however, that whoever the new leader is will have to contend with the liberal insider clique (nion business agents, liberal lawyers, communications apparatchiks) who seem to have infected the party.

      'Who cares' is a prime example of this. Anyone who is not part of the neo-liberal lite is considered 'old school' or 'old guard'. These are the types who continually refer to Tommy Douglas as if he wasn't a socialist. The same ones who think that Obama and Clinton (Hilary) are progressive because they have an analysis that is a shallow as a birdbath.

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      Xed Dumpling

      Jan 8, 2011 at 12:48pm

      @Who Cares Cuz Bob sits like Shelob in her web and is a backroom powerhouse in the NDP still. Are you not familiar with the old boys elite that runs that party? And it truly is too bad that Tom Fogarty has been dead for over 20 years as I'd vote for him and does Horgan have any albums out? And Bruno15... are you saying Farnworth needs to learn to share and not hit the other kids, or are you referring to some other kind of socialization?

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      Tim K

      Jan 8, 2011 at 2:28pm

      Mike Farnworth is part of a right-wing element within the NDP, and it will be a sad day for the working class in this province if he becomes leader of the BC NDP.

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      welldoneson

      Jan 8, 2011 at 5:04pm

      Bob Williams, Adrian Dix, and others of their ilk are old-school NDP hacks from the Glen Clark days, part of the BC NDP that destroyed the economy in the 1990's. They excelled in driving wealth creators out of the province, ruining our resource sector, making the public sector ludicrously high paid, and bringing BC into have-not status.

      And don't tell me "that was then, this is now", because just as little generals like Williams still control the backroom skullduggery of this party, the younger ones have lapped up the "it wasn't the NDP's fault, it was just the commodity market" nonsense. They don' bother to question their elders as to why this market downfall didn't affect the Yukon, Alaska, Alberta, Washington State, or Oregon... just the NDP-afflicted BC.

      Any potential NDP leader had best look at the history of the NDP regarding their treatment of their leaders. Note that both Mike Harcourt and Glen Clark are out of politics. Entirely. On to a different career.

      The NDP, like most on the left, eat their own.
      Don't give them a chance to consume BC's economy again.

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