Adrian Dix promises review of NDP's campaign, plans to stay on as leader
NDP Leader Adrian Dix says he takes “full responsibility” for his party’s defeat in the May 14 election.
“Clearly, our campaign was not good enough,” Dix told reporters at a press conference in downtown Vancouver Wednesday (May 22).
“We did not do a good job prosecuting the case against the government based on their record, and we did not make a clear enough case to British Columbians about what the consequences would be of reelecting the Liberals.”
Dix said the party also did not communicate its platform effectively enough to voters, and that his position opposing the proposed twinning of the Kinder Morgan pipeline "hurt our campaign".
“The way I raised it, raised a number of process issues that stuck with us,” he said. “I hold to the policy I set out with respect to this pipeline. But plainly, I didn’t handle the issue very well. On all these points and others, I take full responsibility—no ifs, ands or buts.”
Despite the defeat, Dix said he plans to remain opposition leader as the party launches a “comprehensive review” of its tactics during the election campaign, and as it prepares to hold Christy Clark’s government to its pledges in the next legislative session.
“I can assure you this review will spare nothing, and no one—least of all me,” he stated. “I will stay on as leader to ensure that our obligations to our members and the public are met over the next few months, that our review of what went wrong in the election ensures that lessons are learned, that the official Opposition does the job that hundreds of thousands of British Columbians elected us to do, and that we are organized to hold the government to account.”
Dix and his party launched their four-week election campaign in April promising to take a “different approach” by running a positive campaign without personal attacks.
The NDP leader said he doesn’t believe what he called an "impossibly disappointing result" for the New Democrats will mean “the end of positive politics in B.C.”.
“Voters expect opposition leaders in particular to hold sitting premiers accountable for their records,” he said. “You have to define the problem before you can persuade people of the solution. I should have done a much better job of this than I did during the campaign.”
The B.C. Liberals swept to a surprising fourth majority victory on May 14, after polls throughout the race pointed to a substantial lead for the NDP.
According to Elections B.C.’s preliminary count on May 14, the B.C. Liberal Party won 50 seats, and the NDP secured 33 ridings. The Green Party of B.C. elected its first MLA to the B.C. legislature, and independent Vicki Huntington was reelected in Delta South.
Comments
16 Comments
RealityCheck
May 22, 2013 at 2:34pm
And the cycle continues...lame duck leader vows to battle on despite crushing defeat...political knives are unsheathed, and infighting ensues until he finally resigns...and then those who topple him are punished at the ensuing convention, resulting in another "safe" NDP leader.
Rebuilding the NDP was an actual possibility if he stepped down seven days ago. Now, it's going to get ugly.
RUK
May 22, 2013 at 3:07pm
What's the hurry? Gregor "the only plausible NDP premier" Robertson's term does not end until Nov 2014.
Dix is said to be very smart about policy and reviews - it is fine to let him stay on for this period of reflection.
bcfoaprez
May 22, 2013 at 3:20pm
Its not a review of this campaign thats needed, but a complete review of the Party and its reliance on special interest blocks. Many of these blocks are in conflict with each other. The Party needs a new direction and that won't happen without a new leader who can grab them by the hair and drag them into the 21st century. I am not a supporter, but wish them luck.....they are going to need it.
Robes Pierre
May 22, 2013 at 3:21pm
Yep, the BC Libs defined Dix and the NDP long before the writ was dropped and then stepped up this tactic during the campaign, so much so that they successfully got many voters to forget that it was the BC-fucking-Liberals who were throwing the mud. That the NDP didn't counter this, at least to the point of neutralizing it, was a key failure which Dix and his hand picked lackeys, along with senior party officials, must wear entirely. And in the process, they must be seen to be doing so by offering to voluntarily put their heads in the lunette.
anonymouse1962
May 22, 2013 at 3:25pm
What should happen to those who forced Carole James to resign from the leadership position? Their actions certainly paid off in electoral victory!
Where are you Jenny?
Arthur Vandelay
May 22, 2013 at 4:23pm
I love when the NDP dredges up the record of its opponent it's called "holding sitting premiers accountable for their records". When the Liberals do it, it’s called negative politics. Dix was an integral part of the worst government in BC history. If he didn’t want to be held accountable for it, he ought not to have run. Did he really expect his new tone of positivity would be enough to stop the criticism of his record?
Next.
Ke Dongshan
May 22, 2013 at 4:58pm
to anonymouse1962: Your analysis is not good. You don't understand that James was unappealing to the voting population and strangling the culture of the BDNDP. As for Jenny Kwan, remember that she was the spokesperson for the Baker's Dozen, and not acting alone. The problem is is that Brian Topp was a terrible choice for campaign manager, and that Dix the bookworm was too naive to go for the jugular.
Arm Chair
May 22, 2013 at 7:02pm
NDP vision and passion was absent throughout the campaign. Hell, even the year leading up to the election, kept wondering why their voice was non-existent. They were practically silent.
Dix didn't bother keeping Liberals to account for anything and rather just seemed to expect to win by default. They had no backbone; just a slimy strategy to slide into power. Maybe having these obnoxious Liberal clowns back in office is the better option.
Dave Harper
May 22, 2013 at 7:26pm
He needs to announce that he will step down as leader as soon as the party can run another leadership campaign. And he needs to take Mos Sihota and the rest if the deadwood out the door with him. Enough already. The review is done. He said it all at the press conference. The question the NDP needs to ask is - do we want to be a "loyal opposition" or do we want to govern? If the latter, then run a winning campaign with a winner. Likely Mike Farnsworth.
seatowne
May 22, 2013 at 10:39pm
That's right Dix and Old Democrat Party supporters, keep being the leader and 'research' why the voters were wrong. I'll be a happy Green next election when the dinosaur party is replaced by us.