UPDATE: Can the BC NDP Survive This?

Well, thanks to a facebook friend who reads my articles (thanks Braden) it seems that Corky Evans has really blown the lid off this whole thing. Now, in my previous article I wrote the following:

My take on this is much more skeptical then some dissident members having a difference of opinion from the leader. I think they see the weakened Liberals   and a sure NDP victory as a chance to grab the reins of power. They aren’t afraid what or who gets damaged.

First off, if what Corky Evans says is true, I was dead wrong. It looks as if James was the one responsible for bringing all the media attention to the divide in the caucus that may have actually not been much of a divide if she hadn’t been so opportunistic. It turns out, according to Evans, that a group of MLA’s wrote a letter and came to Ms James in confidence about their issues with her as a leader. These types of meeting, remarks Evans, has happened under previous leaders and that it’s not so unfamiliar. What was completely unfamiliar was Ms. James making the list public within the caucus and setting up the divide herself. She went so far as to black list those who wrote the letter, calling those who DIDN’T “loyal and good” and denying those who DID the right to wear a yellow scarf at the last provincial council meeting. In doing so, she set the divide in place which gave those dissenters little option but to come out publicly on their own in order to preserve their integrity and also what they saw as a blow to internal democracy.

Now, the party council had voted in favor of James and despite 40% of the caucus being against her, it still leaves 60% supporting her. Unless I’m mistaken, that’s still a majority. And whether or not this dissident groups complaints are correct or not, whether Ms. James black listed this group into coming out publicly against her, the fact still remains that such a visible public divide doesn’t bode well for the party. There are many issues abound these days that show internal party democracies are in shambles ie. federal Conservative party riding nominations being written in by Harper despite the will of the constituency association, and this just seems like another one to add to the pile. Should James have made the list of confidential names public? Probably not. Did the dissenters get backed into a corner? Absolutely. The media in it’s right wing bias would like nothing more then to see a fractured BC NDP and so they will do what they can to castigate this group as “opportunist,” “selfish” and “moronic.” Heck, I’ll admit that even I saw them as opportunist. But what this situation really boils down to is the public image and right now, it’s not good.

The dissenters within the party definitely deserve their day in court. That day can come next year when there is a leadership review and I’m sure it can be kept private and quiet. Everyone here is guilty of opportunism though and it will not serve the party in anyway to be seen as fractured. Over the weekend I hope they were able to put their squabbling behind them and consolidate behind Ms James. If not and this continues, I see a drop in the polls of anywhere from 5-15% for these guys. The public has had no problem giving Carole the boot before and they are not to be trifled with.