BC NDP History

We always made a difference

romarco1 — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:46:10 +0000

Looking back over 60-plus years of NDP history brings to mind a comment by former federal NDP Alexa McDonough, who noted that while the NDP hasn’t always been in government, ‘we have always made a difference.’ It is almost difficult to imagine that when the NDP was formed there was no publicly-funded Medicare-for-all, no Canada Pension Plan, and social services were often seen as money wasted on deadbeats and welfare cheats. Corporations faced little regulation and a much freer hand taking advantage of workers and consumers. Women’s equality, human rights and gender equity were barely discussed. Concern for the environment took a back seat. And fairness for Indigenous Canadians was not considered. Our social democratic movement not only challenged that, but changed it. And while we have not won every battle or every election, we have moved public attitudes and frequently seen our policies adopted as common sense by others. Our determination to build a more fair and just society is now so much more accepted than it was sixty years ago. As social democrats in British Columbia we continue our movement’s mission to represent, not the people at the top, but ordinary people, and to apply the principles of democratic socialism to make life better for all. It’s struggle we invite everyone to join.

Hello world!

romarco1 — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:55:09 +0000

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

A representative Cabinet

romarco1 — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 18:34:12 +0000

The Horgan Cabinet was the most representative in BC’s history. Half the Ministers were women and the ethnic mix more closely reflected the make up of the provincial than ever before. Throughout his five years as NDP Premier, the Horgan government delivered on their campaign promises to make life more affordable and government more representative. And they began building a completely new relationship with BC First Nations, becoming the first government in Canada to sign on to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

BC’s sixth NDP premier

romarco1 — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 18:29:14 +0000

The leadership of the NDP was now taken up by John Horgan, the MLA from the suburban Victoria constituency of Juan de Fuca. Horgan was acclaimed leader in 2014. His folksy manner and focus on kitchen-table issues like child care costs and bridge tolls proved to be just what the NDP needed. In the 2017 provincial election the BC Liberals dropped four percent while the NDP held steady – both parties won 40% of the popular vote, while the Green Party increased their share to 17%. The NDP’s 41 seats, together with the three Green MLAs, was one more seat that the 43 seats won by the Liberals. Christy Clark tried to form a government, but failed. The NDP negotiated an agreement with the Green Party. The Liberals were out, and John Horgan became the NDP’s sixth BC Premier.

Campbell out; Clark in

romarco1 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:23:38 +0000

Campbell’s replacement was Christy Clark, and she built a campaign around LNG development that promised economic growth, jobs and prosperity. Her campaign promised a ‘debt-free BC’ and had no problem with negative campaigning. They attacked Dix from start to finish. Once again, on election day May 14, 2013, the Liberals repeated their 2005 and 2009 result, winning by four percent. It was Groundhog Day for the NDP. The Orange Wave many had hoped for, failed to materialize again. Dix stepped down.

Dix emerges victorious

romarco1 — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 19:01:27 +0000

Following the same-same 2009 election results, the BC NDP Caucus was looking to move past the status quo, but were divided on the path forward. To break the impasse, Carole James resigned as leader. Her replacement was Vancouver-Kingsway MLA Adrian Dix, a talented leader who had a strong distaste for negativity in politics. Dix believed the public wanted positive solutions to BC’s problems and that the NDP should provide them ‘one careful step at a time.’ For much of the lead-up to the 2013 election the NDP led in the opinion polls and it looked as if Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals would soon be out of office. So, Gordon Campbell stepped down.

The 2009 election: Status quo

romarco1 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:42:34 +0000

There was some change in this election, in that it was the first since 2008’s electoral redistribution that increased the number of seats in the legislature to 85 from 79. Other than that, it was more of the same. The 2009 provincial election was a near repeat of 2005. The BC Liberals gained three of those new seats; the New Democrats two – and both parties increased their popular vote by less than one per cent over 2005.

2005: The blip is over

romarco1 — Sat, 23 Apr 2005 17:00:03 +0000

The BC Liberals meanwhile tore up union contracts for teachers and health care workers, broke their promise not to privatize BC Rail, closed hospitals and public services and cut taxes for the well-to-do. Meanwhile, Carole James was introducing and prioritizing progressive policies such as a provincial child care plan (something that finally came to fruition during her time as Finance Minister in the John Horgan government). Despite their actions that hurt average people, the BC Liberals were confident the weakened NDP would pose little problem to them in the 2005 provincial election. But they were wrong. James led the NDP to a remarkable comeback, with 33 seats and 41.5% of the popular vote, just 4% less that the BC Liberals’ tally. Key turning point: During a Leaders debate, Gordon Campbell to Carole James: “Ms. James, you should understand — this is a big job and it is hard to get a handle on it.” This patronizing remark helped ignite the rise in the polls.

The rebuild begins

romarco1 — Fri, 23 Apr 2004 16:50:40 +0000

As we all know, the social democratic movement in British Columbia had always had a strong grassroots base. Carole James, who had very nearly won a seat in 2001 (losing by just 35 votes), was elected the BC NDP’s first woman leader in 2003. And in 2004 Jagrup Brar won a byelection in Surrey-Panorama Ridge.

Wipeout

romarco1 — Mon, 23 Apr 2001 00:00:00 +0000

There is no possible way to sugarcoat this one. In the 2001 election, the BC Liberals won over 57% of the popular vote, and an unprecedented 77 of the 79 seats in the provincial legislature—the largest victory in the province’s electoral history. The NDP went from 39 seats to two. That said… despite not having official party status (four seats were needed for that), Joy MacPhail (Vancouver-Hastings) and Jenny Kwan (Vancouver-Mount Pleasant) managed to keep the government’s feet to the fire. Brilliantly! And through doing so shifted the question from could the party recover… to how quickly!