CKNW Editorial
for August 1, 2001

The opposition in this Province, as it is in the rest of the country, is in a state of suspended animation. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, it does to oppose the implementation of the Liberal program in British Columbia. In days of yore I used to remark, with some accuracy, that British Columbia was the only place in the world where we held the campaign after the election. Traditionally a party would win an election after a campaign on everything but issues, and then implement their program only to have all Hell break loose.

No one can accuse the Campbell Liberals of not letting us know what we were in for. In fact one wonders why they did considering they could have, in Fiorello LaGuardia’s famous phrase, "run on a laundry ticket and beaten the bums." But they did tell us that no matter what the books looked like, they would implement large tax cuts.

The dangers of the tax cuts are enormous. If, coincidentally with the first couple of years tax relief a world recession hits, the Liberals could look very bad indeed. But, frankly, they had to take the risk they did. I think Finance Minister Collins is quite right to say we are on the brink of becoming a "have not" province. We cannot compete with our neighbours without a dramatically more friendly tax regime. BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair says it is a payoff to the government’s friends – interesting to hear that complaint considering how his party, the NDP, treated their friends even arranging huge golden parachutes for the favoured when the day of reckoning came.

Back when the NDP was a force in this province, government actions brought an instant reaction. Amazingly, groups of "concerned citizens" would spring up all around the province followed by demonstrations, sit-ins on the Legislature lawns and in minister’s offices and sometimes there were even general strikes. If the old NDP were around today, Mr Collins mini budget last Monday would have brought an immediate call to arms which would be backed up by all manner of hell raising.

I couldn’t believe how laid back Joy McPhail was not only yesterday but when she was on my show abut two weeks ago. She seemed like a patient going into the operating room – resigned to her fate. Yesterday she was, to say the least, subdued. Jim Sinclair, while he complained that the mini budget was a political pay-off, was pretty mild compared to Union leaders past. The question is, how long will this go on.

Mind you, the pain hasn’t started. This is a delayed bomb we’re dealing with here. The critical time will be next February when the next full budget comes down and social services are slashed, as slashed they must be.

For all who applaud the new attitude and the extra money in our jeans, there is a day of reckoning. I expect that the cuts to be made will be every bit as severe, or if you prefer draconian, as those made by Ralph Klein in Alberta and Mike Harris in Ontario. This means that by next Spring Gordon Campbell’s Liberals will have as sworn enemies bent on his destruction teachers, health care workers, public servants generally and probably the doctors as well. The steam will build and very little of it will be let off in the Legislature for the simple reason that there is only so much steam two MLAs can exhale. This means that groups of the left, or ones with traditionally left wing leadership will have to do their protesting outside of the Legislature.

Can they do it? is an interesting question. When there is an Opposition Party with a number of experienced parliamentary protesters the rallying of outside forces is much easier. Without that string to their bow, can an offensive be mounted?

I think it will be tough. Huge protests are possible without widespread public support, but they’re difficult to sustain. At present, public opinion is obviously with the Campbell government. With a strong, articulate Opposition as Dave Barrett used to so effectively present, the outside forces are relatively easy to organize. Every NDP constituency is full of eager protesters and each constituency has a recognized leader for that purpose. But now the NDP is in tatters. I don’t think they could even muster up 500 delegates for a leadership convention let alone finance it.

What do I see?

Lots of noise but little action. I just don’t think the leadership or the vehicle of protest is there. Unless there is a sea change in public opinion, the NDP will be in no position to do anything and I doubt the ability of the BC Fed or the teachers to carry the action themselves.

By a stroke of genius, Gary Collins has geared the major goodies for the same time non supporters get it in the old squash thus ensuring that his supporters will be onside and united where the opposition is not likely to be.

If these were normal times you could expect marches in the street and even a general strike. But these times are anything but normal. Even the NDP is mad at the NDP. By luck or good management or perhaps a bit of both, the Campbell kids may get a hugely controversial policy package into reality without anything but noise – and not much of that - coming from the left. The public may have short memories – but not that short. This no doubt accounts for the Left’s passivity which if it remains, will mean that the Campbell revolution is fought and won without a shot being fired.