George Heyman boosted as next B.C. NDP leader

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      Environmentalist Ben West likes the idea of George Heyman leading a post–Adrian Dix NDP.

      Dix will face a leadership review in the fall, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll continue at the helm following the B.C. NDP’s unexpected loss in the May 14, 2013, election.

      Nonetheless, West indicated that he wouldn’t be surprised if "a lot of people" are already asking Heyman, now in his first term as MLA for Vancouver-Fairview, to consider running for leader.

      With Heyman’s labour and environmental credentials, West believes that "he’d be a great leader."

      "He brings together different social movements that will need to come together and could probably help give an environmental voice to the NDP that in a way really works for the folks at the background in labour," West told the Straight by phone.

      Heyman is the former executive director of Sierra Club B.C. Before joining the group in 2009, he was president for nine years of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union. He had also served as vice president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, and in the same position with the National Union of Public and General Employees.

      West, tar-sands campaign director of ForestEthics Advocacy, also noted that Heyman would the type of leader that the B.C. Green Party "would be happy to have as their own if they [Greens] had the opportunity".

      "I think for that reason, there’s definitely a lot of Greens out there that would consider giving him their vote if he was the [NDP] party leader," West added. "So it’s possible it might mean that some folks who aren’t sure about voting for the NDP might feel more comfortable with that if they are concerned about environmental issues."

      Comments

      8 Comments

      Arthur Vandelay

      Jun 27, 2013 at 6:27am

      Whatever support Heyman would bring from the Greens, he would certainly lose more from the soft NDP support that is seeking moderation in the party. It would be ideologues only, which is never enough to win. Having been a union leader is a huge negative in a general election as it all unionists vote NDP regardless and he will just petrify most others.

      Without Mayor Spongeworthy or a similar business experienced centrist, the NDP will have its nose pressed up against the glass looking in on governing forever. Heyman is exactly what the NDP doesn't need.

      G

      Jun 27, 2013 at 10:13am

      It would be nice if the NDP could find a leader not from the ranks of public sector unions or the corrupt Sihota/Dix party core. They came close with Carole James but her efforts to "reform" the party were opposed by those who benefit from the current structure. James attracted a percentage of the popular vote higher than any NDP leader since 1986 but when the party core believed the 2013 election would be an NDP win they were eager to have one of the faithful in place.

      Political strategy 201

      Jun 27, 2013 at 11:35am

      This story exemplifies why the NDP has a serious identity problem.

      For chrissakes, are they predominantly pro-labour or not?!

      If so, by virtue of this they should be supporting business development almost exclusively. After all, this is what employs labour. Though of course they should do so alongside generous (by comparison) protections for workers and their families.

      Why do they even bother trying to be all-things on the so-called left, e.g. environmentalism, anti-corporatism, etc? Leave those sword-in-the-stone issues for the righteous types, like Greens and the Ben Wests of the world, who if they should succeed on those issues, good on them.

      This is not to say the NDP should support stripping the cupboards bare like some of the robber barons in the BC Liberals camp. Still, they shouldn't project themselves as being much more than being pro-resource and business development, albeit who won't sacrifice the economic security of workers and their families and by extension their communities.

      And this should be the only difference between them and the free enterprisers in which to distinguish themselves come election time.

      It is because of this fractured identity that many blue collar unionists and others abandoned the NDP on May 13, either by voting for the party that delivers their bread and butter, i.e. the dreaded and corrupt BC Liberals, or by not showing up at all.

      The NDP is an ideological mess.

      Instead it should be satisfied in representing the lowly worker moreso than the powerful capitalist, but without of course dissuading the latter too much and thus having most everyone being rewarded for it. That's just the reality of things.

      So while no legitimate political party can be pure - something that the deluded Greens don't worry themselves about - the NDP should rethink what Heyman and his ilk bring to their table, who despite his white collar union cred brings and sows a conflicted identity because of his enviro background, both within and in the minds of those looking in.

      The NDP has to ask what and who they are at their core?

      To answer this, they should look at their roots and remember what they originally were. After all, those roots are why they have electoral strongholds throughout BC, and that these are what keep them relevant.

      And they should know that Point Grey and Vancouver-Fairview aren't them.

      doubletalk

      Jun 27, 2013 at 3:47pm

      Nobody wants a former union representative running things!!

      Teeder

      Jun 28, 2013 at 8:39am

      George Heyman as NDP Leader? He's Christine Clarks fondest dream coming true.

      stuartm

      Jun 28, 2013 at 4:33pm

      If the NDP had had the support of the Green party members in the last election the Liberals would have lost many more ridings. Because the NDP did nothing to bring many smaller groups under the NDP umbrella that the election loss occurred. The incompetence of the party under James and now Dix is staggering.

      lol

      Jul 1, 2013 at 7:19pm

      "Someone the Greens would love to have."

      Take him please.

      Rod McNabb

      Jul 3, 2013 at 7:43pm

      Heyman is a complete non-starter. The leadership answer is staring New Democrats in the eyes if they're smart enough to look (doubtful). Mike Farnworth consistently is rated as the most popular potential NDP leader. Not just by a little bit, but by a wide margin. He's from the suburbs, where the party is weak and needs to win seats to form government, and has demonstrated a strong, no-holds barred approach to taking on the government, while not turning off the public. The last poll had him the most popular New Democrat among NDPers, Liberals and Greens...far exceeding Robertson, Heyman, Horgan.