Former BC NDP Premier Mike Harcourt quits party

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – As the BC NDP ramp up the race to choose their next leader, former Premier Mike Harcourt has blasted the party, and quit.

“Hopefully it’s a kick in the pants to get on with it and choose a strong leader with a vision,” says Harcourt, adding his move comes following several years of disappointment with the party’s actions over the last few years.

“In 2009 coming out against the Carbon Tax which is the backbone of any climate change policy. Then the coup against Carole James which I was very angry about, I thought quite unnecessary and handled very badly. And third, the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was Adrian Dix coming out against Kinder Morgan before the process had even concluded, which blew the election,” says Harcourt.

In the 1980’s and 90’s party members were able to pull together a broad based vision for the province that addressed the environment and resources, according to Harcourt. “That’s been shattered. [The party] coming out against the Carbon Tax alienated the environmental community and coming out against Kinder Morgan alienated the working people and construction and blue collar workers as well as the 150 or so communities that depend on natural resources outside of Vancouver.”

Current NDP leader Adrian Dix isn’t taking offense, but hopes Harcourt will reconsider leaving the party saying it’s a shame to have his voice absent from party debate on how to progress.

Dix did strike back over Harcourt’s comment regarding his position on the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion. Dix points out during 2013’s election campaign, Harcourt was on board with the party’s stance. Dix is baffled by why Harcourt, known for his commitment to sustainability, would have a problem with the party leader speaking out against the proposed expansion. He is entitled to change his mind, adds Dix.

Harcourt’s accusation the party of late has shattered policies also doesn’t sit well with Dix, who claims that’s not the whole story. “As you’ll recall, in that time there were lots of people arrested, there was huge dissatisfaction with Mr. Harcourt by the IWA of the time when he was in government. What’s true is these things have always been issues in place.”

As for how the party is balancing resources and environment issues, Dix says, “this is a debate we have in our province, and as Mr. Harcourt well knows, that was a problem in the 90’s and one of the difficulties the government at the time had that lead to him leaving politics in 1995.”

Dix does admit he is disappointed and surprised by Harcourt’s comments.

Meanwhile, University of the Fraser Valley Political Science professor Hamish Telford says the move is a serious blow, but not enough to end the party.

“I’m not sure the public’s going to take great notice at this particular moment in time since we’re so far away from the election … but I think it’s really going to reverberate inside the NDP.” According to Telford, the three years until the 2017 election is more than enough time for the party to do some reflection on how to reorganize and rebuild the party.

Telford says that’s not going to be an easy task. “Part of the NDP coalition is the environmental wing of the party, that’s under pressure from the rise of the Green Party. But alongside that, the NDP also has public and private sector unions… It’s difficult to harmonize the interests of the environmental and resource sectors that support the NDP.”

Harcourt says he won’t be supporting any other political parties, and if they make the right moves, the NDP can win him back. In the last leadership campaign to replace Carole James, Harcourt endorsed Mike Farnworth.

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