Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs not jumping into B.C. NDP leadership race

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      Geoff Meggs is having fun as a Vancouver councillor.

      He’s not about to be distracted by such things as running for leader of the B.C. NDP.

      It’s not that this party insider hasn’t been asked.

      “Very kind people have said I should think about it,” Meggs told the Straight by phone.

      But he told them no.

      “I’m having a good time at council,” Meggs said on Thursday (February 6).

      That was the same day that Burnaby-Douglas MP Kennedy Stewart declared that he’s not entering the provincial party’s leadership race in the fall.

      Stewart is the last of the NDP MPs who have contemplated running for the post to be vacated by Adrian Dix.

      Meggs has a deep and long association with the B.C. NDP.

      He was the communications director in the office of then New Democrat premier Glen Clark during the 1990s.

      Meggs worked with Dix, who was then Clark’s principal secretary. He was there when the casino licence scandal brought down the Clark government. He was there when Dix was caught having backdated a memo to protect Clark.

      Meggs’s wife Jan O’Brien was the provincial secretary of the B.C. NDP going into last year’s provincial election that the Dix-led party lost.

      In 2012, Meggs—who was elected in November 2011 to a second term on Vancouver council—sought the party’s nomination in Vancouver-Fairview. He lost to current MLA George Heyman.

      In the interview, Meggs let on that some people actually have “for years” been asking him to go for the leadership of the B.C. NDP.

      Perhaps another time.

      Meggs said: “I’m certainly not going for the B.C. NDP at this stage in my life, but I guess no one ever says never.”

      Comments

      6 Comments

      Westandleft

      Feb 7, 2014 at 3:31pm

      In other breaking news, the earth revolves around the sun.

      Gerry Kachmarski

      Feb 7, 2014 at 10:37pm

      Who are those imbeciles who have been entreating the execrable Meggs to run? Bill Tieleman? Adrian Dix (deceased)? Other unnamed establishment idiots who thought Meggs could beat Heyman? These people are Glen Clark's bum boys. May they all be consigned to political oblivion where they belong.

      Bela Bugliosi

      Feb 8, 2014 at 7:59am

      @ Gerry Kachmarski

      All that emotion and dirty talk is quite revealing. Can we assume that you are anxiously awaiting the day that you too will be chosen to join someone's inner circle of bum boys?

      You can't hide your behind your anger and hate, Gerry. Your aching desire to be somebody's...anybody's bum boy is obvious. Just chill and pretend that your dildo collection is inviting you out for a beer.

      James Blatchford

      Feb 8, 2014 at 10:17am

      Forget skewering, vitriolic, or venomous comments...you haven't really arrived as a politician until you've been Kachmarskiied.

      G

      Feb 8, 2014 at 2:19pm

      Meggs is the ultimate mate political opportunist and there is nothing to gain for him leading the NDP. The guy joined the Soviet line communist party long after Budapest & Prague because it was a way for him to get ahead in the old fishermans' union: becoming NDP leader won't advance him beyond where he is at this point. Meggs is one of the Vision leaders eager to retain power this fall so they can give developers the key to the city and be rewarded with funding for a run at Federal politics or board positions necessary to secure retirement. Meggs will make a perfect Federal Liberal along with the Mayor when Justin comes calling and the election is close.

      Evil Eye

      Feb 9, 2014 at 10:57am

      Geof Meggs is a one man band of self opportunism. Meggs and Vision(less) Vancouver have made a complete hash of it and if Meggs ran for the NDP, it would be back into the single digit, number of seats in the legislature.

      Meggs is like Harcourt, someone who we wish would retire from the scene and not be heard of again.