Remember the arrogance of Gordon Campbell on the night of the last election? He declared that there was no Official Opposition. For months on end, cabinet ministers flippantly answered questions about legislation by saying that the 77 to 2 outcome of the election gave them their mandate, and the election was the consultation process. During the election they never spoke about breaking contracts but afterwards they did. During the election they didn't speak about 30-40% cuts to services but afterwards they did. They gave massive tax cuts to high income earners, although their promise was limited to cutting taxes in the bottom two of five tax brackets.

Imagine what they will say if Campbell forms a second term majority government. Whether the majority is one seat or thirty seven seats, they will say that the electorate ratifies all of their actions since June 5, 2001, and that it gives them a blank cheque for another four years. That's when the secret agenda will be rolled out and, as happened in 2001, British Columbians will see another shift to the hard right as campaign promises get tossed aside.

With three months until the election there is a lot of pressure on Carole James to provide the NDP's full platform. If she did that, by May the media would be asking what's new, since the platform would be old news. Very few people read every word in any party's election platform; people get their information about the platform and the campaign promises from the news media. News stories are based on small, digestible announcements, not on information overload. James is well advised to make announcements during the 28 days of the official election campaign, the period following dissolution of the legislature, rather than three months in advance. Pressure for release of the platform comes primarily from the Liberals who want something to attack, but some New Democrats, including candidates, are anxious that the platform be released. The most important thing James and the NDP can do is to deprive Gordon Campbell of his much desired ratification of the last four years, and his sought after blank cheque to further change British Columbia. Doctors practice by the creed "do no harm". A government that is doing harm needs to be stopped. The best chance to do that is if those who want to stop Campbell vote NDP rather than voting for a Green candidate who would help elect a Campbell clone. From the opinion polls, it looks like most voters understand that.