British Columbia

Jane Sterk

Greg Farries — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:14:10 -0600

Sterk became Green Party Leader on October 21, 2007 at the Party’s annual general meeting and leadership convention. She defeated four other candidates in the Party’s biggest-ever leadership race. Sterk has indicated her priorities are to increase the Party’s revenue and membership, and to make sure its organizational capacity is ready for the 2009 provincial election, including fielding the 87 candidates mandated by the BC Liberal government. As for the Party’s platform, the focus will be on developing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies; policies for health, social and educational services that meet the needs of all British Columbians; shifting to more sustainable resource management programs that focus on diversifying the economy to include more value added, local processing, industries and renewable energy; halting further privatization and reversing, where possible, the privatization of British Columbia’s water, land, services and utilities; and increasing funds for local and regional governments. The Green Party of BC will be supporting BC Single Transferable Vote.

Despite its 20-plus year history, BC’s Green Party has yet to win a seat in the provincial legislature. Adrienne Carr co-founded the party in 1983 and served twice as its leader. She announced her resignation in late 2006 to become Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada. Under Carr’s leadership, the Green Party earned 12 percent of the popular vote in the 2001 provincial election. However, the Party’s support base dropped to nine percent in the 2005 election.

Sterk sits on Esquimalt Council and on committees at the Board of the Capital Regional District (CRD). She also teaches Bachelor of Commerce and MBA courses in Business Environment at University Canada West. Her courses focus on the importance of businesses becoming more conscious of their social and environmental impacts and of changing their business practices so they are stakeholders in finding and implementing solutions to the climate crisis as well as community, social and environmental problems.

For 12 years Sterk was a retail business owner in the computer industry. Her first company grew to employ 60 people full time, while her second company, a small networking business, employed 10 people. During this time, Sterk also had a small private practice as a psychologist. She was formerly a psychologist with the Edmonton Board of Health. Sterk’s first career was that of a public school teacher.

Sterk was born on January 14, 1947 in Edmonton, Alberta. She earned a Bachelor of Education in Secondary School Social Studies in 1968, and a Master’s of Education in the Design of Instructional Materials, also at Secondary School Social Studies, in 1971. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology in 1982 from the University of Alberta. She married John Sterk on June 3, 1967. They have two children, Darryl and Lindsay, both of whom are married. Sterk also has a grandson named Sam.

Wilf Hanni

Greg Farries — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:27:26 -0600

Wilf Hanni is Leader of the British Columbia Conservative Party. He does not hold a seat in the BC legislature.

Hanni joined the BC Conservative Party in 2004, and has served as party leader since 2005. He was appointed Interim Leader after a non-confidence vote took place, casting out then-leader Barry Chilton. On September 24, 2005, the BC Conservative Party decided to take its party in an entirely new direction. Changes included a new constitution, new policies, a new Board of Directors, and a new leader.

The BC Conservative Party now bills itself as a grassroots political organization that continues to develop policies proposed by its members. On March 18, 2006, an election took place to determine the new permanent leader of the BC Conservative Party. Hanni was successful in his leadership bid, and is now leader for the BC Conservative Party.

Hanni was first involved in politics in the 1970s with the Social Credit Party, where he served in several positions, including Regional Director. He also sought the nomination for the riding of Kootenay but was unsuccessful. He returned to politics in 1992, this time joining the Reform Party of Canada. The following year Hanni joined the Reform Party of British Columbia (which was not affiliated with the Reform Party of Canada). He was a Reform Party of BC MLA candidate in 1996, and later served as leader from 1998 to 1999.

Born in 1948 and raised on a farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Hanni moved to BC in 1966. After completing high school, he entered the workforce, securing positions with the Bank of Montreal, Crestbrook Forestry Industries Ltd., and Jones Boys Marine Ltd. In 1978, Hanni began working in the oilfields, establishing his career first as a drilling fluids engineer. In this capacity, he worked in oilfields in Canada, The Netherlands, and Qatar. He then became a drilling foreman and consultant.

Hanni married his wife Anita in 1968. They currently reside in Cranbrook. They have two sons, Jeremiah and Matthew.

Gordon Campbell

Greg Farries — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:26:18 -0600

The Honourable Gordon Campbell is British Columbia’s 34th Premier. He has been Premier since 2001; Campbell won re-election in the 2005 election, making him the first BC premier to be re-elected in 22 years. He was elected Leader of the BC Liberal Party in 1993 and has been a provincial MLA since 1994.

Campbell became Premier on June 5, 2001, after the May 16, 2001 election in which his party earned the largest majority (77 of 79 seats) in BC history. Campbell inherited a dismally weak provincial economy that was among the worst in Canada. Campbell had campaigned on a promise to significantly reduce income taxes. Upon being elected, the new premier introduced legislation to reduce personal income taxes for all BC residents by 25 percent over two years. Cuts were applied across all tax brackets; the tax rate on the first $30,000 of income was cut by two points, from 8.4 percent to 6.05 percent, while the top tax rate (for income over $85,000) was cut by five points, from 19.7 percent to 14.7 percent.

During Campbell’s tenure, the BC Liberal government has faced many pressing issues: the imposition of US government-imposed tariffs on BC softwood lumber imports; devastating forest fires; a growing infestation (particularly in central BC forests) of the Mountain Pine Beetle; and a downturn in tourism following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. However, the province’s economy has steadily improved, and maintaining a balanced budget has been a top priority.

Departing from standard British parliamentary procedure, the BC Liberals introduced fixed-term elections. In addition, the 2001 election had demonstrated the non-proportional nature of the electoral system: while the Campbell Liberals received 57 percent of the popular vote, they won 97 percent of the seats. Consequently, Campbell’s government also founded a Citizens' Assembly, comprising randomly selected British Columbians from around the province, tasked with examining alternate electoral systems for the province. Ultimately, in 2004, the Assembly recommended adopting the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system in future elections. The STV electoral system proposal, however, did not receive enough support in the referendum held in 2005 as part of the election day ballot.

The six-year long tuition freeze for BC colleges and universities implemented by the previous NDP government also ended during Campbell’s first term. In 2004, the government announced that 25,000 new post-secondary places would be established between 2004 and 2010. The most significant areas to benefit from the expansion include the Fraser Valley, with 8,000 places, and the Okanagan/Central Interior, with 6,300 new places.

In the May 17, 2005 election, Campbell and the BC Liberals won a second majority government (albeit with significantly fewer seats). In September 2005, the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) held an illegal strike in violation of Bill 12, which shut down all public school services in the province for two weeks. Campbell and his Cabinet held firm, as did the teachers. The strike did not end until mediator Vince Ready was called in, after multiple contempt-of-court orders were issued against the BCTF.

Campbell entered provincial politics in 1993 when he was elected Leader of the BC Liberal Party. In 1994, he won a seat in the BC Legislature with a by-election win in the riding of Vancouver—Quilchena. In the 1996 and 2001 provincial general elections, he was re-elected as the MLA for the constituency of Vancouver—Point Grey. Prior to that, Campbell was elected to Vancouver City Council in 1984, and then became Mayor, serving in this capacity from 1986 to 1993. During his tenure as Mayor, Campbell was a strong advocate for literacy and literacy issues; he was instrumental in the creation of a new public library and helped bring the Peter Gzowski golf tournament, in support of literacy, to Vancouver.

Born in Vancouver in 1948, Campbell attended University Hill Secondary School. He pursued post-secondary studies at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He married his wife Nancy in 1970. They have two sons, Geoffrey and Nicholas.

Campbell and his wife moved to Yola, Nigeria in the early 1970s, where he coached state championship teams in basketball and track-and-field and assisted in rebuilding the local school library. Upon their return to Canada, Campbell worked from 1973 to 1976 as an Executive Assistant to Vancouver Mayor Art Phillips. Campbell subsequently pursued a career in real estate, joining Marathon Realty in 1976. In 1978, he graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University, after attending the Executive MBA program at nights while working. In 1981, Campbell founded Citycore Development Corporation.

He has been awarded the Simon Fraser University “Distinguished Alumni” Award, as well as the “Man of the Year” Award by the Brotherhood Interfaith Society of Vancouver.

British Columbia Election Info

Greg Farries — Wed, 23 May 2007 12:10:04 -0600

2005 Election Results & Current Party Standings


Political Parties	2005	Voter %	Current
Liberal Party	46	45.80	46
New Democratic Party	33	41.52	33
Green Party	0	9.17	-
Independant	0	0.92	-
Conservative Party	0	0.55	-
Democratic Reform	0	0.80	-
Marijuana Party	0	0.65	-
Other	0	0.59	-

Leader Profiles

Related Features and Cartoons

[block:block=7]

Important Links

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

Jay Makarenko — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700

On July 2, 2003, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge announced that Vancouver would host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This article provides an overview of Vancouver's Olympic bid. In doing so, this article provides discussions on the process and politics by which Vancouver was selected as a host city, opposition to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic bid, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of hosting an Olympics.

Process of Selecting an Olympic Host City

A breakdown of the formal evaluation process

Politics of Choosing the 2010 Olympic Host City

Politics played a role in Salzburg’s early elimination and Pyeongchang’s strong finish

Opposition to the 2010 Vancouver Bid

Politicians and social activists joined forces to oppose the Vancouver bid

Potential Benefits and Drawbacks of Hosting the Olympic Games

The Olympic legacy can range from increased employment to a massive debt

Links to More Information

List of links for more on this topic

*This article was originally written by Rhonda Lauret Parkinson (Sept. 2003), and was subsequently updated by Jay Makarenko (Jan. 2006).

Process of Selecting an Olympic Host City

A breakdown of the formal evaluation process

There are five stages in the process to select an Olympic Games host city:

Selection of the city as the country’s official candidate city.
Preparation of a formal bid detailing the city’s plans for hosting the Olympics and presentation of the bid to the IOC.
An initial selection phase in which an IOC committee examines each candidate city's bid. The committee publishes a report giving each city an overall mark based on its performance in several areas. The report establishes which cities make the short list for final selection.
A visit by the IOC to the candidate cities on the shortlist, followed by publication of a final report.
A final presentation by candidate cities, followed by IOC members voting to choose the host city.

The Olympic Bid Committee (a group of private investors) organized Vancouver’s Olympic proposal. In 1998, the group gained support from Vancouver City Council for an Olympic bid. In December 1998, the Canadian Olympic Committee selected Vancouver (and Whistler) as the candidate city for the 2010 Olympics. Vancouver beat out both Calgary and Quebec City in the competition. In June 1999, the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation was created to see the bid process through to completion. In March 2002, Vancouver City Council formally endorsed the bid.

In July 2002, the IOC Candidature Acceptance Working Group published its report on bids submitted by eight candidate cities. The IOC assigned each city technical marks in a number of areas, including general infrastructure, transportation, accommodation, government support, and public opinion. The report gave Vancouver and Salzburg high marks, and stated that both Pyeongchang and Berne, Switzerland met the minimum benchmark for hosting the Winter Games. (Berne withdrew from the competition following a referendum in which voters rejected taking out loans to co-finance the Games). On November 14, 2002, the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Government of Canada, the Province of B.C., the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee entered into an agreement setting out the rights and responsibilities of each group if the Vancouver-Whistler bid was successful.

In March 2003, the IOC Evaluation Commission visited Vancouver and Whistler. In May 2003 the IOC released its final report. The IOC’s comments on the Vancouver bid were mainly positive, but officials expressed concern over the winding two-hour drive between Vancouver and Whistler. Their evaluation of Pyeongchang questioned whether the plans for building an alpine ski run were feasible. In Salzburg’s case, IOC felt the number of world-class ski facilities had led organizers to spread out the venues to the point where it would increase costs and be difficult to manage.

Politics of Choosing the 2010 Olympic Host City

Politics played a role in Salzburg’s early elimination and Pyeongchang’s strong finish.

The International Olympic Committee announced the host city for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on July 2, 2003. The announcement was made on the first day of the Committee’s 115th session, held in Prague, Czech Republic. It took two rounds of voting, conducted by secret ballot, to select a winner. The results are as follows:

First Round

Total number of votes cast: 107
Abstentions: 3
Number of votes needed to win: 54

Results

Pyeongchang, South Korea: 51 votes
Vancouver, Canada: 40 votes
Salzburg, Austria: 16 votes

Austria was dropped from the list for the second round because it had received the fewest votes.

Second Round:

Total number of votes cast: 109
Abstentions: 3
Number of votes needed to win: 55

Vancouver, Canada: 56 votes
Pyeongchang, South Korea: 54 votes

The final result was not surprising, since the IOC’s working report gave Vancouver high technical marks. However, Pyeongchang’s second place finish was unexpected. Vancouver bid organizers considered Salzburg to be their main competition. The Austrian bid included plans to locate one Olympic village in the world class ski resort of Kitzbuel and another in Salzburg itself, a renowned cultural center and Mozart’s birthplace. By contrast, Pyeongchang did not even have a downhill ski run. In total, the tiny South Korean mountain town would need to build eight of the thirteen venues required for the Winter Games. Nonetheless, Pyeongchang came within three votes of winning on the first ballot. Meanwhile, despite the support of former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, Austria received only sixteen votes and was knocked out of contention.

Analysts believe three factors played a role in South Korea’s favor:

The international political climate
Financial considerations
Future Olympic aspirations of IOC members.

The International Political Climate

Pyeongchang’s final presentation emphasized that the Winter Games could help ease tensions between South Korea and Communist North Korea. Given the ongoing dispute between North Korea and the United States over its nuclear weapons program, it’s not surprising that this had an impact on IOC members.

Financial Considerations

Pyeongchang promised free flights for Olympic teams and cheap accommodation. This type of aid is particularly attractive for poorer IOC member countries, as it increases their ability to participate in the Olympics. Even without the guarantees, accommodation in Pyeonchang is inexpensive compared to Vancouver and Salzburg.

Future Olympic Aspirations of IOC Members

With fifty-eight members, Europe controls a large block of IOC votes. This should have worked in Salzburg’s favour. Instead, it’s believed several European countries chose Vancouver over Salzburg, both to increase their own chances in 2012 and to weaken those of a competitor. The IOC prefers not to hold consecutive games on the same continent. Several European cities, including Madrid and Paris, are bidding for the 2012 Summer Games. A Vancouver win increased the possibility that the 2012 Summer Games would be held in Europe, while virtually eliminating New York City from the competition. It’s also believed that New York City’s hopes for 2012 kept the United States from supporting Vancouver.

Opposition to the 2010 Vancouver Bid

Politicians and social activists joined forces to oppose the Vancouver bid

Despite widespread business community support, the Vancouver bid was quite controversial. Critics argue the B.C. government shouldn’t be spending millions on the Winter Games while it is making significant social spending cutbacks. Furthermore, politicians representing Vancouver’s East Side are determined to prevent a repeat of Expo ’86. Area residents were overlooked for jobs on the World’s Fair site and tenants were evicted from low-rent hotels to make room for tourists paying much higher rates.

Organized Opposition to the Olympic Games

The No Games 2010 Coalition spearheaded opposition to the Vancouver bid. The Coalition’s mandate included creating “an active mobilization against the Olympic bid,” and promoting “the collective vision of a just, democratic society that uses public funds for public priorities.” Their strategy to kill the Vancouver bid included:

Encouraging opponents to write to the IOC voicing their concerns;
Lobbying governments to hold a referendum to allow the public to decide whether Vancouver should host the Winter Games;
Attempting to draw media attention to the opposition; and
Staging demonstrations during the inspection tour by the IOC evaluation team.

The No side had mixed success gaining media attention. (In a CBC interview, a spokesperson complained that the media was showing more interest in the Coalition now that Vancouver had won, than they had during the period leading up to the final IOC vote). Some argue that mainstream media coverage was biased toward the Yes side – CanWest Global, which owns the National Post and both the Vancouver Sun and Province, donated $1 million worth of free advertising for the Games. In contrast, the No side had a very limited budget.

The Coalition’s greatest success came from launching a lawsuit to try and force the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) to return a $1.76 million donation to the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation. The Coalition argued that ICBC acted outside the bounds of the Insurance Act, and was attempting to recoup the donated funds by raising car insurance rates. News of the lawsuit reached IOC members, who were surprised to learn that there was opposition to the bid.

The planned demonstrations during the IOC inspection tour didn’t take place. Instead, organizers allowed groups opposed to the Vancouver-Whistler bid, including First Nations band members and a Green Party MLA, to meet with the IOC evaluation team. While the meeting was brief, the No side felt that IOC members listened to their concerns.

Political Opposition to the Olympic Games

City of Vancouver Olympic Plebiscite

In 2002, newly elected Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell promised that, if the B.C. government refused to hold a province-wide referendum, Vancouver would hold its own referendum on the Winter Games. The Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation opposed any referendum because they were concerned that a “No” vote would negatively impact Vancouver’s chances.

When it became clear that a province-wide referendum wouldn’t take place, and that a citywide referendum was too expensive, Vancouver held a plebiscite. A record 46 percent of voters turned out for the plebiscite, held on February 22, 2003. Sixty-four percent supported Vancouver’s participation in the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Using the Olympics to Help Vancouver’s Dispossessed

Impact of Olympics on Community Coalition

In 2001, several community organizations formed the Impact of Olympics on Community Coalition (IOCC) to serve as a watchdog over the bid process. In August 2002, the IOCC presented the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation with twenty-two recommendations. In response, the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation put together a “2010 Inclusive Inner City Commitment Statement,” stating that the purpose of the Commitment Statement is to “maximize the opportunities and mitigate potential impacts in Vancouver’s inner-city neighbourhoods from hosting the 2010 Winter Games.” It guarantees that renters won’t be evicted to make way for tourists, and commits to converting a section of the athletes' village into social housing and to providing inner-city residents with affordable tickets. The statement was included in the Vancouver bid book.

City Councilor Jim Green

Vancouver City Councilor Jim Green used the Olympic bid and his influence on Vancouver City Council to gain concessions for the city’s homeless. Elected in 2002, Green is a long-time advocate for residents in the Downtown Eastside, a section of Vancouver known for its high percentage of homeless people and drug addicts.

In 2001, the provincial NDP government purchased an abandoned Woodward’s department store building and announced plans to build 245 units of affordable co-operative housing. In 2002, the recently elected Liberal government froze the project. In protest, homeless people picketed outside the store for three months.

Green threatened that, unless the province stuck to the original plan, he would use his council position to ensure the City of Vancouver did not support the Olympic bid. Eventually, the two sides reached an agreement whereby the City of Vancouver purchased the building and the provincial Housing Department funded 100 units of social housing.

Potential Benefits and Drawbacks of Hosting the Olympic Games

The Olympic legacy can range from increased employment to massive debt

Potential Benefits of Hosting the Olympic Games

Job Creation: A winning bid means the creation of thousands of short-term jobs, primarily in the construction or service industry. Transportation systems are upgraded, and sport venues, housing, and other facilities are constructed. Numerous jobs are created in the service industry, including ticket sales. Frequently, the number of jobs exceeds the number of available workers and a massive volunteer effort is required. While few jobs are permanent, the length of preparation time for the Olympics means several years of increased employment for the host city.

Money for Large Scale Transportation Projects: Hosting the Olympic Games allows a city to undertake major transportation projects. Several major transportation projects were undertaken in association with the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, including expansion of the city's light rail transit system (the SkyTrain) and improvement of the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler Village.

Major New Sports Facilities: Once the Games are secured, work begins on high calibre sports venues that remain in use after the Olympics.

Increased Tourism: Hosting an Olympic Games benefits both the host city and the region. Tourists travelling long distances to the Games often take time to visit the surrounding area. However, Olympic organizers sometimes overestimate the benefit to local tourism. For example, in 1988 Seoul had significantly fewer tourists than originally anticipated. On the other hand, Australia experienced a major tourism surge from the 2000 Summer Games held in Sydney.

Enhanced International Profile: A successful Olympic Games can propel a city to world-class status, leading to increased tourism and business opportunities.

Potential Drawbacks of Hosting an Olympic Games

Cost of Living Increases: Staging an Olympic Games leads to rising demand for basic goods such as food, with resulting price increases. The Olympic impact on the pocketbooks of city residents may begin years before the Games, as youth and adults move to the city seeking employment. During the sixteen-day event, prices for everything from restaurant meals to entertainment can skyrocket. In most cases, but not always, the cost of living returns to normal after the Games.

Legacy of Olympic Debt: Every host city wants to have a debt-free Olympics, particularly since the IOC assumes no financial responsibility for any debt incurred from staging the Games. However, it’s easy for construction projects to come in significantly over budget. Labour disputes, overtime pay for workers, mismanagement, inflation, and financial graft can all increase costs. Furthermore, after the Games, sports facilities may be more expensive to maintain than originally anticipated. It takes accurate budget forecasting and careful management to ensure the Games come in under budget.

Money Spent on the Bid could be Spent Elsewhere: A successful Olympic bid requires a massive injection of funds by several government levels. Vancouver Olympic bid critics pointed out that the provincial government committed millions of dollars to Olympic projects at the same time that it was making severe cutbacks to health, education, and other social programs.

Policies Affecting Renters and the Poor and Homeless: Renters as well as the poor and homeless can be negatively affected, both before and during the Games. Poor and homeless people tend to frequent the city’s downtown core, near low-rent hotels and homeless shelters. Consequently, they are highly visible to the media and tourists, and are considered "embarrassing" for a city’s image. Prior to an Olympic event, police often make “street sweeps”: they harass and even arrest homeless people to force them off the streets and out of public view. In addition, landlords of low-rent hotels may evict tenants to make room for Olympic tourists paying exorbitant rates. Apartment owners hoping to increase profits may also try to force out current tenants. Methods used can include eviction, raising rents to the point where the tenant chooses to move, or converting permanent rental accommodation into temporary hotel accommodation.

Links to More Information

List of links for more on this topic

2005 British Columbia General Election

Jay Makarenko — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

British Columbia voters went to the polls on May 17, 2005, re-electing Premier Gordon Campbell's Liberals to a second majority government, and narrowly defeating a referendum on changing the province's electoral system. This article provides background information on the election and referendum, including the key political parties and players, election issues, information on the electoral reform proposal, as well as the results of the votes.

Parties and Players in the 2005 BC Election

Who is vying for control of BC’s provincial legislature?

British Columbia Election Issues

Major factors that will sway voters in BC.

Electoral Reform in British Columbia

What’s at stake in BC’s referendum on electoral reform?

Results of 2005 Election

BC Liberals win a majority government

Links to Further Information

List of links for more on this topic

*Please note: This article was originally written by Scot Fogden (April 2005), and has since been updated by Jay Makarenko (January 2006).

The Parties and Players in the 2005 BC Election

Who is vying for control of BC’s provincial legislature?

The Heavyweights

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal Party

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal Party are the incumbents.

The Liberals ran on BC’s recent economic upturn, a balanced budget, and a general mood of optimism in the province thanks to the 2010 Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver and Whistler. While at various points in history the BC Liberal Party has been considered a wing of the Liberal Party of Canada, Gordon Campbell has led the party to the right of the political spectrum, and the two parties no longer have any official ties.

Carole James and the New Democratic Party of BC

Carole James and the New Democratic Party of BC are the main challengers.

The NDP attacked the Liberal Party’s record on health care and social issues. The Liberals, they argued, irresponsibly sought to privatize many of the province's public services and failed to improve health care.

Other BC Political Parties and Leaders

Adrian Carr and the Green Party

Although the Green Party had yet to win a seat in the BC legislature, many observers suggested that Adrian Carr’s party was playing a significant role in BC politics. Some analysts argued the Green Party split the left-of-centre vote in BC, thereby making the Liberal Party’s re-election bid easier. However, it was difficult to measure which party, the NDP or the Liberals, stood to lose the most votes to the Greens.

In the 2001 election, the Greens captured nearly 200,000 votes – or 12.4 percent of the popular vote – across the province.

Tom Morino and Democratic Reform BC

Tom Morino, a former Liberal Party candidate from Vancouver Island, heads Democratic Reform BC, BC’s newest political party. The party is a coalition of smaller parties that occupies the political “middle ground” between the BC Liberal Party on the right, and the NDP on the left.

There are forty-one other registered parties ranging from well-organized, issue-based parties (such as the Marijuana Party) to marginal parties (such as the Sex Party and the Annexation Party, which campaigns for BC to become the 51st US state).

To view the complete listing of parties, visit Elections BC.

Other Political Players

In BC, political life extends beyond the legislature in Victoria, with media, special interest groups and a sort of political “star circuit” feeding into the mix.

The Liberal Party’s “Star” Candidates

Despite a spate of high-profile resignations – including those of former cabinet ministers Christy Clark (Deputy Premier and Minister of Children and Family Development), Gary Collins (Finance Minister) and Geoff Plant (Attorney General) – the Liberal Party added some “star power” to its candidate list:

Canada’s Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Daniel Igali was nominated by the Liberal Party to run in the Lower Mainland riding of Surrey-Newton where he lives.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Chair Carole Taylor agreed to step down from her position to run for the Liberal Party in the Vancouver-Langara riding.
Justice Wally Oppal, who serves on BC's Court of Appeal, agreed to step down from the bench to run for the Liberal Party in the Vancouver-Fraserview riding.

Trade Unions

BC’s trade unions are particularly powerful by Canadian standards, and often publicly oppose Gordon Campbell’s Liberal government. Even before the official start of the 2005 election campaign, the BC Hospital Employees’ Union launched an ad campaign denouncing the Liberal Party’s record on health care.

Industry and Business groups

BC’s business lobby is not to be outdone by the unions. Although not explicitly partisan, the Business Council of British Columbia launched its own ad campaign lauding the Liberal Party’s economic policies.

The Media and Special Interest Groups

The media are particularly tenacious in BC. Sensationalistic reportage by various media outlets has played an integral role in shining a spotlight on many high-profile political scandals over the years, contributing to the resignations of several former premiers, such as Bill Vander Zalm, Mike Harcourt, and Glen Clark.

Various special interest groups also play a significant role in provincial politics. The environmental lobby is particularly strong in BC, with organizations such as the David Suzuki Foundation and Greenpeace originating in Vancouver.

Municipal Affairs

BC provincial politics are inextricably linked with municipal affairs. A number of BC premiers, including Gordon Campbell, are former mayors of Vancouver. With nearly one-half of BC voters living in the Vancouver area, city politics usually impact provincial elections. Some observers view Vancouver’s left-of-centre city council and mayor, Larry Campbell, as a better counter balance to BC’s Liberal government than the provincial NDP.

Find more BC election information on Mapleleafweb.com’s BC Voter Almanac.

British Columbia Election Issues

Major factors that will sway voters.

The 2005 BC election campaign is infused with both old and new issues that divide the electorate.

Economic Issues

British Columbia’s economy is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance; however, there is debate about how much of this success can be attributed to government policy (as opposed to energy and natural resource market forces).

Nevertheless, the Liberal government has been very active in the economic domain since its earliest days in power; indeed, on its inaugural day in office in 2001, it announced major tax cuts, large cuts in government spending, and privatization of some crown corporations and government assets (such as BC Rail). These initiatives, which then polarized the public, threatened to play a role in the election outcome some four years later.

BC’s finances are improving: the government tabled back-to-back balanced budgets in 2004 and 2005, promising surpluses to come.

Health Care

Health care continues to be a “hot-button” topic in British Columbia. BC’s aging population increasingly burdens the public health care system. One of the Liberal government’s most divisive moves occurred in 2002 when it brought in legislation that broke its contract with the 43,000 members of the BC Hospital Employees’ Union and granted the government the power to contract out their unionized jobs. Consequently, thousands of hospital workers lost their jobs and a province-wide health care strike occurred in 2004. The strike nearly spread to a number of public service sectors, including the school system and transportation.

Leadership

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal Party have encountered several credibility problems and scandals since 2001:

In January 2003, Campbell's personal political future was in jeopardy after he was arrested and charged with drunk driving in Hawaii. However, voters were forgiving due to his teary public apology.
The controversy surrounding the sale of BC Rail was a thorn for the BC Liberals. In late 2003 police raided two offices in the BC legislature as part of an investigation into two BC Liberal Party political aides who may have leaked information about the sale of BC Rail in exchange for jobs with the federal Liberal government. Both men faced charges of fraud, breach of trust, and other charges relating to accepting bribes and attempting to offer influence.

Meanwhile, former NDP party leader Joy MacPhail announced plans to retire from politics in 2005. The subsequent NDP leadership race led to the selection of Carole James, a fresh face on the provincial political scene, as leader. James admitted that her toughest job was winning back traditional NDP supporters who were alienated after a scandalous decade of NDP governments in the 1990s.

Other Potential Campaign Issues

The upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics has brought optimism to the province, in addition to renewed investments in infrastructure and cultural programs, as British Columbia prepares to host the world. Critics insist, however, that the Liberal government’s approach to labour issues reflects a broader contempt for public and social welfare institutions.

Also, Aboriginal issues have featured prominently on the Liberal government agenda since 2001. In the spring of 2002, the Liberal government proceeded with its promised referendum on Aboriginal treaty negotiations, despite strong opposition from First Nations peoples, various church groups, and civil libertarians.

Electoral Reform in British Columbia

What’s at stake in BC’s referendum on electoral reform?

In addition to selecting which party to form the government on election day, voters in BC also had a chance to make history when they voted whether to accept or reject proposed fundamental changes to BC’s electoral system. In December 2004, British Columbia’s Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform concluded its year-long investigation into the province’s electoral system. Its final report made a number of recommendations to revamp the system, including the recommendation to adopt a version of proportional representation known as the single transferable vote (STV) system.

The referendum question posed to the British Columbia electorate on May 17, 2005 was:

Should British Columbia change to the BC-STV electoral system as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform? Yes/No.

In order for the referendum results to be binding, the vote had to meet two conditions:

Pass in at least 60 percent of the ridings across the province
Pass with an overall majority of 60 percent of the electorate.

If the referendum results met those conditions, legislation stipulated the new electoral system would be implemented in time for the 2009 provincial election.

For more details on BC’s proposed electoral reforms, visit Mapleleafweb.com’s feature on Electoral Reform or the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform.

Results of 2005 Election

BC Liberals win a majority government

Results of the General Election

The 2005 British Columbia election resulted in a second majority government for Premier Gordon Campbell and his Liberal Party. In total, the Liberals won 46 seats in the legislative assembly with 46.03 percent of the popular vote. The New Democratic Party came in second, with 33 seats and 41.27 percent of the vote. While the third place Green Party did not win any seats, it did garner 9.11 percent of the vote.

Results of the Referendum on Electoral Reform

The proposal to change BC's electoral system narrowly failed in the province-wide referendum. While it received majority support in 77 of 79 electoral ridings (well over the required 60 percent of ridings across the province), it only garnered 57.69 percent of the total popular vote (just shy of the 60 percent of the total electorate it need to pass).

British Columbia

Jane Sterk

Wilf Hanni

Gordon Campbell

British Columbia Election Info

2005 Election Results & Current Party Standings

Leader Profiles

Related Features and Cartoons

Important Links

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

A breakdown of the formal evaluation process

Politics played a role in Salzburg’s early elimination and Pyeongchang’s strong finish

Politicians and social activists joined forces to oppose the Vancouver bid

The Olympic legacy can range from increased employment to a massive debt

List of links for more on this topic

Process of Selecting an Olympic Host City

Politics of Choosing the 2010 Olympic Host City

First Round

Results

Second Round:

The International Political Climate

Financial Considerations

Future Olympic Aspirations of IOC Members

Opposition to the 2010 Vancouver Bid

Organized Opposition to the Olympic Games

Political Opposition to the Olympic Games

City of Vancouver Olympic Plebiscite

Using the Olympics to Help Vancouver’s Dispossessed

Impact of Olympics on Community Coalition

City Councilor Jim Green

Potential Benefits and Drawbacks of Hosting the Olympic Games

Potential Benefits of Hosting the Olympic Games

Potential Drawbacks of Hosting an Olympic Games

Links to More Information

2005 British Columbia General Election

Who is vying for control of BC’s provincial legislature?

Major factors that will sway voters in BC.

What’s at stake in BC’s referendum on electoral reform?

BC Liberals win a majority government

List of links for more on this topic

The Parties and Players in the 2005 BC Election

The Heavyweights

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal Party

Carole James and the New Democratic Party of BC

Other BC Political Parties and Leaders

Adrian Carr and the Green Party

Tom Morino and Democratic Reform BC

Other Political Players

The Liberal Party’s “Star” Candidates

Trade Unions

Industry and Business groups

The Media and Special Interest Groups

Municipal Affairs

British Columbia Election Issues

Economic Issues

Health Care

Leadership

Other Potential Campaign Issues

Electoral Reform in British Columbia

Results of 2005 Election

Results of the General Election

Results of the Referendum on Electoral Reform

Links to Further Information

General Links

BC Political Parties

BC Government

Media