"Only Nixon could go …"

Imagine what Gordon Campbell would have said as Leader of the Official Opposition in the 1990s if the NDP government had negotiated a five year deal with the BCTF worth 16%, plus a $4,000 per teacher signing bonus! The NDP had the disadvantage in public sector bargaining and other issues of an Opposition that unnecessarily encouraged discontent, led by Gordon Campbell who now governs as if he doesn't share the skin of the person who said what he said a few years ago. It is a good thing, a historic first, that the government and the BCTF proved that collective bargaining can work, resulting in the first ever province-wide agreement for teachers. It's a good thing that the government has come to its senses in dealing with First Nations, and it's a good thing, though long overdue, that it is moving to correct its mistakes with respect to protecting children. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about its rush to expand gambling to the full extent the market will bear.

The second term for the Campbell government didn't get off to such a rosy start, as it was marked by a corporate tax give away for which not one word was spoken during the election campaign. The tax cut occurred in the same September legislative session that saw the government poke the BCTF in the eye with a sharp stick, legislating an end to a strike which hadn't occurred. That was followed by two weeks of job action that was solidly supported by the public. The historic first province-wide agreement for teachers may not have been achieved if they hadn't stared down the bully in last year's confrontation. Whatever the reason, we can hope that a new era has dawned in public sector bargaining, and that Vince Ready may not have to complete his report on an alternative system.

The general rule in politics is that governments defeat themselves rather than oppositions getting themselves elected. With almost three years until the May 12, 2009, general election, it is almost certain that the issues on which that campaign will be fought aren't before us today. Nevertheless, if the Campbell government continues with the style it showed in handling public sector bargaining, the NDP is going to have to challenge the old maxim and try to win seats based on a positive campaign of real alternatives that catch the public's imagination. When you think about it, that would be a far more positive change for BC politics than any tinkering with complex vote counting systems.