Login / RegisterDelta MLA Guy Gentner says he’ll endorse B.C. NDP leadership candidate who can win election
With New Democrats left wandering in the political wilderness since Gordon Campbell and the B.C. Liberals came to power in 2001, there’s only one thing that will matter to Delta North NDP MLA Guy Gentner when the time comes for him to endorse a candidate for leader of his party.
“Which one is going to take us to the Promised Land?” Gentner asked in a phone interview with the Straight.
Gentner could have been expressing what’s on the mind of many New Democrats, though some of them, when asked by the media who they will support, have chosen to skirt the matter of winning back government.
But not Gentner, known as a maverick in the NDP.
“I want to win,” he said.
Gentner said that he knows all the candidates, and their strengths and their weaknesses.
“Any one of those candidates will make a good leader,” the Delta North MLA said.
In another phone interview, Nelson-Creston NDP MLA Michelle Mungall said that she’s planning to make an endorsement “in the next while”.
“One of my criteria has been their understanding of rural issues, their understanding of our lack of government services—and the Liberals have absolutely decimated services in our communities—and what it is going to take to rebuild those services, whether it’s health care, forestry, environment, childcare,” Mungall said. “The leadership candidate that I’m looking for will understand exactly what that means and be able to understand what it is going to take to rebuild them.”
There’s one other thing the Nelson-Creston MLA is seeking.
“I’m looking for a candidate who’s...going to be able to reach out to young voters and get them engaged in politics,” Mungall said. “Young people aren’t voting and there’s a variety of reasons for that. So I’m looking for somebody who’s going to be proactive and getting young people involved.”
You want the youth vote - you back post secondary. Education including particularly post secondary is without any question the weakest issue for Christy Clark------------I mean if you can smmmmellllll what glen p is cookin'.
glen is back to scratch an itch, so enjoy your fruity pebbles you yabadaba bitch. (Rock)
Dix has such juicy baggage that we all know the press will just beat him to death with it when he is going to want to be talking about real issues. Horgan has no apparent baggage, and frankly if you are looking for the perfect cut throat wing man for a Premier Dix is you guy! Bring Farnworth along to smooth the ruffled feathers while Horgan handles the Premiers porfolios. If you look to maximize the assets these three bring to government I think their roles are natural. You dont want your pitbull as the Leader/ Premier figurehead. Save him for the back alleys and corridors of the Leg. Put forward you brightest light and let the others play offense and defence. Look at the big picture. It is about whats best for the province and all ego's aside this makes the most sense.
Making news out of straw = media alchemy?