Login / RegisterBlair Lekstrom loses his lustre
One of the B.C. Liberal government's more popular politicians appears to have lost his touch.
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Over the past decade, Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom has often benefited from more positive media coverage than that of his colleagues. His blue-collar sensibility, penchant for motorcycles, and independent streak have set him apart from the pack.
But things have gone sour over the past couple of weeks as the Peace River South MLA has turned himself into an object of ridicule.
This week when the B.C. Liberal cabinet was holding a retreat in West Kelowna, Lekstrom took the opportunity to announce the "milestone" half-completion of a Highway 97 to Winfield project.
Castanet Media was one of the media outlets that made Lekstrom look like a fool for using government resources for a photo opportunity while he was in the neighbourhood.
Blair Lekstrom gets pilloried.
The previous week, Lekstrom announced a $400,000 government advertising campaign to encourage motorists to use the new Port Mann Bridge.
Last night on Global TV, sportscaster Squire Barnes cracked jokes about not needing an advertisement to know the location of the Port Mann Bridge.
On a more serious note, a commenter on Straight.com, transportation researcher Eric Doherty, put it this way:
Blair Lekstrom launches advertising blitz to get motorists to burn more tar sands oil.
Blair Lekstrom launches advertising blitz to get motorists to pollute Fraser Valley air.
Blair Lekstrom launches advertising blitz to get motorists to cook planet.
Earlier this week in yet another rebuke to the transportation minister, the mayors' council rejected his offer for two seats on TransLink's unelected board of directors.
Lekstrom took a swipe at the mayors by accusing them of seeking total control over TransLink. By implication, he seems to think it's better for the Lower Mainland that its transportation system be totally controlled by an MLA from Peace River South, even though he has nothing to do with land-use planning in the region.
Over the years, Lekstrom has been one of the mavericks in the B.C. Liberal tent, which previously served him well.
In 2010, he resigned from caucus and cabinet over the way the harmonized sales tax was introduced. It turned him into a bit of a folk hero across the province for standing up to the hated Gordon Campbell.
In 2002, he endeared himself to the labour movement, at least temporarily, by voting against government bills tearing up contracts with health workers and teachers. The courts later ruled that those bills were unconstitutional because they infringed on workers' constitutional right to freedom of association.
As the community development minister before the 2009 election, Lekstrom didn't suffer any political fallout for clearing the way for the City of Vancouver to take on a massive Olympic Village debt.
As energy minister, Lekstrom oversaw a massive increase in the fracking of natural gas, which involves the injection of chemicals and massive amounts of water to extract the resource. Despite the negative environmental consequences including potential threats to drinking water, Lekstrom did not endure much criticism apart from some well-directed barbs from B.C. Tap Water Alliance coordinator Will Koop.
After Campbell announced his resignation as premier in November 2010, Lekstrom said that the B.C. Liberals were "doomed for failure" if the next B.C. Liberal leader didn't introduce some real change.
If he was suggesting at the time that "real change" meant holding a photo-op to announce a half-completed highway or spending $400 grand of taxpayers' money to advertise the existence of the Port Mann Bridge, then he can no longer claim to be the King Midas of provincial politics.
One thing hasn't changed. And that's the B.C. Liberal government's insistence on ramming transportation decisions on the region regardless of how they may be received by locally elected mayors.
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The Port Mann advertising thing won't resonate with anybody a few months from now (the bill is too small), nor will the Winfield highway project photo-op (that's mostly of interest to the media and a few NDP partisans), nor will the fracking expansion (only those directly affected really care).
Meanwhile, he positioned himself nicely as the anti-Campbell, anti-HST guy ... which voters will eat up. And, while he certainly hasn't fixed TransLink, it will be tough to argue that he has made it much worse (so far).
Nope, I still see Lekstrom as the go-to guy when the party finally comes to its senses and shows Clark the door. Who else could stand beside Dix in a debate and not look weak and conflicted?
Who asked you to trust him or vote for him? What I said is that he's a decent candidate for leader of the BC Liberals - far better than Clark was and likely better than others who might come out of the woodwork the next time around.
Lekstrom might well be the guy who is able to "unite the right" and that would be very bad for the NDP. So, while it's fun to ridicule him, and emotionally satisfying to hate him, neither approach is going to be productive in the long term. You can't stop a bullet by yelling at it.
The reality is that opposition parties don't "win" elections in BC - governments "lose" elections. That's probably going to happen again next year, to the BC Liberals, just as it happened in 2001 to the NDP ... and just as it happened to Vander Zalm ... and just as it happened to Dave Barrett ...
I believe this is because the party faithful (whichever party) believe that their party - and only their party - can possibily be right about anything. This leads to tunnel vision and political blindness. A party can only remain in power if it recognizes both the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition and its leader (and leadership candidates).
If you don't believe that, just look at the number of "Disagree" votes I received. The voters didn't do that because I was wrong; they did it because they're more focussed on hating Lekstrom ... simply because he's a BC Liberal. Yawn. Old school, predictable, ineffective politics.
Sadly, I think NDP partisans will see a party victory in 2013 as some sort of vindication of policy direction, rather than for what it will be - a rejection of the BC Liberals because of their scandal baggage.
But every government will acquire scandal baggage over time. Yes, it's true - even the NDP! Failure to recognize that, and plan for it in advance is critical. It's not good enough to just ridicule the opposition leader or leadership candidates.
I kept hearing those idiotic ads on the radio (Jack FM) for the bridge. They are just another completely irresponsible waste of tax dollars in order to maintain cash flowing to the media.
When the Honourable Premier Campbell ended drunk up in a filthy stinking cell in Maui the story was on page 17 of the Providunce (Pravda) paper with no picture, but on page one of the Globe and Mail complete with a full mug shot. This was all thanks to local media protection.
People may recall millions were spent in advertising trying to sell us the HST with Gordo saying basically how stupid we are just because we don't understand how fair HST is. .
Of course Pamela Martin and Crusty's Spin Team Dreamers will continue to laugh all the way to the bank for several more decades, along with David Hahn, the controversial CEO of BC Ferries with a $47000 a month pension....
Perhaps the media will start a campaign to end government influence in media through adverting dollars. LOL
Example, the Evergreen Line - $1.4 billion for 11 km.
The Rail for the Valley Group engaged a UK consultant to plan for a reinstated Vancouver to Chilliwack service.
Example, the RftV/Leewood study saw a 140 km Vancouver/Richmond TramTrain to Rosedale TramTrain service costing $1 billion.
What Leckstrom is promoting is an unaffordable $1.4 billion Evergreen line and a $3 billion Port Mann Replacement bridge with tolls on a tax and user-fee tired taxpayer, no wonder the regional mayors do not want to play. No wonder his star is fading.