November 13, 2002

"Non-Partisan" Farm Team

Even those of us who don't live in Vancouver should thank the "Non-Partisan Association" for providing comic relief in the last stages of this year's municipal election campaign. We are witnessing the spectacle of a bunch of back stabbers desperately fighting to hang on to what they see as their God given right to rule.

Recall the kickoff of Lady Macbeth's mayoralty campaign as she strolled out on a red carpet at the aquarium with White Wings the dolphin jumping in the background. Going from the majesty of the red carpet to the gutter politics of black and white US style attack ads shows what some candidates truly represent.

It would be fitting if Premier Campbell's farm team is not only beaten by Larry Campbell and COPE but that there is also sufficient backlash to the ads to spill over when Ipsos-Reid is measuring provincial support in early December. The BC Liberals kept their negative ads under wraps during the last provincial campaign but they used those tactics for years leading up to that election. Since coming to power nearly half of their former supporters have given up on them.

Larry Campbell and COPE have taken the high road and have stuck to talking about what is important in Vancouver. Jennifer Clarke and the NPA have tried to re-fight a provincial election at a time when many people realize that the 77 to 2 bunch are less than an open, truthful government.