The Best Men for the Job of B.C. Premier are Lawyers: Leonard Krog and Mike DeJong

Now that I have thrown poison darts at Adrian Dix and Christy Clark, let me say something more positive about someone.

As a lifelong observer of BC politics, a political scientist of a decade's standing, and as someone who was a public servant for 5 years,  I have reached the reluctant, somewhat boring and no doubt unpopular conclusion, that lawyers generally make better premiers than non-lawyers. They are simply more 'careful' about what they say and do, and in more than just a 'political optics' sense. Getting things done properly in today's world of government, is a highly legalistic exercise.Process is NOT for cheese, folks. It is the basis of nearly all good policy decisions, especially in this Charter era, and good lawyers are naturally good at it.

Furthermore, if efforts at electoral reform continue to fail,  and we cannot achieve moderation of government by tinkering with institutions, perhaps we can achieve it by changing the character of the leading decision-makers themselves. Tom Berger and David Vickers are not available, unfortunately, but a couple of pretty good lawyers are.

There are two leading candidates who have discharged the responsibilities of electede office after undertaking reasonably successful law practices. While they are not the only potential candidates who meet these two basic criteria, I think that they are the safest bets among the candidates on offer.

Leonard Krog has been an effective parliamentarian, particularly on the BC Rail file. He has done a little more than De Jong both in his law office and in his family life, which should hold him in good stead.

Mike De Jong has been one of the more solid cabinet ministers, holding down a number of sensitive posts with only  a whiff of scandal----he, like Falcon and Clark, was close enough to someone who was close to the BC Rail decisions, and will have some questions to answer.

So, if you want to make a prudent decision, choose someone who makes prudent decisions for a living. Choose one of these two guys.

Bullet-in for Adrian Dix: Don't even think about it

"We need an NDP with progressive policies and a decisive leader who can communicate these ideas to the public."  ---Jenny Kwan

TRANSLATION:


By "progressive policies", Jenny means more left-wing than Carole James's or Gregor Robertson's moderate ways.

By "decisive leader" , she means a return to more centralized strong-arm Glen Clark style governing.

By "who can communicate these ideas to the public", she means the one person (other than Gregor Robertson) who can get on the News Hour on a regular basis.


She means the Hollow Man. That proven  fraud artist (remember the back-dated memo? That was practically the only thing he ever put down on paper), Glen Clark's right-hand man, his partner in crime (Yes, it was Adrian who was lining up those fast-ferry contractors so that therewould be a fait accompli before anyone knew better). That "bright and amiable" fucking thug (I have direct quotes from people who witnessed Adrian blacklisting and firing Corky Evans supporters).

The one person who exemplified what was wrong with the Clark government even more than Clark himself did.


That's Right.  Mr. "Process is for Cheese" himself.

Of course, he might be the perfect opponent for Christy Clark--who has two things in common with him.

First, they both were spectacular failures while they were in government. 

Second, they both stand for the proposition that politics should be about the six o'clock news, rather than the other way around..

God Help Us.

First thoughts about the resignation of Carole James

I thought james lacked the gravitas to be a good premier, but I feel the same way about Jenny kwan. Farnworth, Krog, Simpson and Robertson all have warts but could do the job.


Good thing about Adrian Dix: He is their purest, most professional politician.

Bad thing about Adrian Dix: He is their purest, most professional politician.