Adrian Dix offers a hint that he may try to remain B.C. NDP leader
This morning on CBC Radio, Adrian Dix gave the clearest indication yet that he might try to stay on as B.C. NDP leader.
Dix declared that party leaders are often "stronger the second time around and the third time around".
He also pointed out that former Manitoba premier Gary Doer lost three elections before winning power.
"We lost the election, but we received 40 percent of the vote, 716,000 votes," Dix told CBC Radio host Rick Cluff.
He made the comments in an interview responding to Premier Christy Clark's recent meeting with B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair and B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council executive director Tom Sigurdson.
Dix sidestepped Cluff question about whether the B.C. NDP can renew itself with him as leader.
Later in the interview, Dix said it was the third election loss in a row for the B.C. NDP by a four-percent margin, equating his performance to that of former leader Carole James.
James's former chief of staff, Ian Reid, has blogged that Dix must resign in the wake of the NDP election loss.
With Dix as leader, the B.C. NDP captured 39.71 percent of the vote, compared to 44.14 percent for the B.C. Liberals. The party led by Premier Christy Clark ended up with 49 seats; the B.C. NDP elected 34 MLAs.
In 2009 with Carole James as leader, the B.C. NDP captured 42.15 percent of the vote and took 35 seats, compared to 49 for the B.C. Liberals.
In 2005 with James at the helm, the B.C. NDP took 41.52 percent of the vote and 33 seats. The party's 731,719 votes in 2005 were the most it has ever received.
In 2013, the B.C. NDP obtained 715,999 votes and experienced a 2.44-percent drop in percentage of the popular vote over the previous election.
Dix is meeting with the caucus this afternoon following news that the B.C. Liberal government won't be recalling the legislature.
He indicated to Cluff that he will reveal his intentions about the party leadership next week after he has spoken to a few more people.
In the meantime, Dix has written a tribute to former Chilean president Salvador Allende, who was overthrown in a U.S.-backed military coup on September 11, 1973.
Comments
4 Comments
it makes me wonder
Sep 11, 2013 at 11:41am
Yoo Adrian and the old guard running the NDP , if you want to keep the Liberals in power stay on , I'm sure the Liberals are hoping that you do , nothing is wrong , keep your heads in the sand . Where was the emotion ? Where was the fire ? All we got was the monotones of Adrian trying to ACT as a statesman , everything is good I have a 20 point lead (oops our pollsters over-weighted the 18-35 yr olds , the demographic that votes the least) . Where was the outrage of 12 years of Liberal governments ? All the increases in user fees ? Who was decked out in a hardhat at job sites (not Adrian) , sure they were just photo-ops but SHE was there . Surely the NDP must have seen the polling lead declining and what did they do , kept the same message seemingly in doubt the Titanic was sinking . Just once Lucy will hold the football for Charlie Brown as well . Keep letting the enviro members run the party , after all we can build a really strong economy on those $10-$12 an hour jobs that the eco-tourism jobs provide . From the article " Later in the interview, Dix said it was the third election loss in a row for the B.C. NDP by a four-percent margin, equating his performance to that of former leader Carole James." we all seen how well that went for Carole James .
DavidH
Sep 11, 2013 at 11:59am
It's time for Jenny Kwan to resign. As the ringleader who orchestrated the removal of Carole James, she is personally responsible for the election of Dix as leader ... and therefore, the May election loss. Right?
Time for you to say bye-bye Jenny. You can't have it both ways.
Or are you already planning another backstabbing campaign if Dix decides to run for leader again?
Pokem with a fork
Sep 11, 2013 at 4:02pm
The whole NDP party should resign ,they obviously have no clue how to govern and only us dumb dumbs on the rock can't recognize this
Adrian Forever
Sep 12, 2013 at 7:32pm
Keep the Dix... he is the most effective force we have to avoid a socialist 'utopia'.
BTW... jobs eliminate poverty, not welfare.