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'Running Against the System'

Some serious independent candidates explain why they've rejected BC's party politics.

By Crawford Kilian, 15 Apr 2009, TheTyee.ca

David Marley and Vicki Huntington

Going it alone: David Marley and Vicki Huntington.

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Something strange is happening in the B.C. provincial election: Serious candidates are running as independents. One or two of them might even win.

Usually, independents sit in Parliament or a provincial legislature when they've left their party caucus. Ex-Liberals Jeremy Dalton, Paul Nettleton and Elayne Renzinger are recent B.C. examples.

Almost never does an independent run and actually win an election. Getting out the vote without a party apparatus is hard, and most independents know it. They run to make a point -- or, at best, to be a nuisance to the party-backed candidates.

The West Vancouver-Capilano independent, David O. Marley, is indeed trying to make a point, and he seems likely to pose the first nuisance that Liberal MLA Ralph Sultan has ever faced since he beat Dalton, running as an independent, back in 2001.

But Marley is more than a pest. Given his political background, he could have won a Liberal nomination in North Vancouver-Seymour, or any other open riding, just by showing up.

A red Tory without a home

Marley defines himself as a "small-c conservative, a red Tory," inspired to get into politics by his UBC prof, New Democrat hero Walter Young. He's been in politics since 1972, and was executive director of Bill Bennett's Social Credit Party. He also served as director of legal services for the Progressive Conservative Party.

Ideal qualifications for a provincial party that's Liberal in name only, but Marley says he finds no political home in any of our current parties. "The parties have hijacked the political process," he says, "and process is important." He sees the parties as working to advance the best interests of "political bosses, not political leaders."

Marley is proud of having started Fair Voting BC, which supported the single transferable vote in the last provincial election. He wants a political process very different from the one he served for more than 30 years.

"I like Ralph Sultan," he says. "I voted for him. I donated to his campaigns. And when I decided to run, I told him: 'I'm running against the system.'"

Marley says he decided to run last November, but he'd been looking at alternatives since at least the last election, when he worked as a strategist for the Green Party. "Jim Stephenson has a chance in West Vancouver-Garibaldi," Marley says. He adds that he's getting endorsements from the previous Green candidate in West Van-Capilano, Lee White, as well as Jeremy Dalton's widow Leah.

The veteran and the novice

On the other side of Vancouver, two independent candidates are running against Liberal Wally Oppal and New Democrat Dileep Athaide in Delta South.

One independent is a veteran of municipal politics, the other a novice. But both think Delta has been "disenfranchised" by the current system, and both have rejected the present party system.

The veteran is Vicki Huntington, daughter of longtime North Shore Conservative MP Ron Huntington, and herself a five-term Delta councillor. She says she was invited to run as a Green, a New Democrat, and (by Gordon Campbell himself) as a Liberal.

"But," she says, "I've been struggling for six years with the way the provincial government has been imposing projects on Delta."

She lists the projects: the South Perimeter Road, a 17-track rail yard and huge industrial areas to be built on land in the Agricultural Land Reserve, the treaty with the Tsawwassen Band -- and highway overpasses that Delta, not Victoria, will have to pay for.

"How could I accept the Liberal nomination and then turn around to defend projects I'd been fighting against?"

'Meaningless representation'

She agrees with her old friend David Marley that the political system has evolved into one with autocratic party leaders who must be obeyed. "So representation becomes meaningless."

She says outgoing Delta Liberal MLA Val Roddick "had no impact on Delta issues," and doesn't see the new Liberal candidate, Attorney General Wally Oppal, as any better.

"I'm up against a formidable candidate, but he doesn't have a leg to stand on in representing local issues. Oppal may have lived here for 10 years, but he hasn't done a single thing for the riding, as a resident or as a member of the government's caucus -- in fact, quite the opposite."

Promoting 'facilitative democracy'

Huntington faces another independent, Graeme Drew, who shares her view of Delta as victim of Victoria's high-handedness.

"There's a disconnect," he says, "between what people want and what they're getting." He's talked with local Greens and New Democrats, and concluded, "Something is functionally wrong with parties."

In their place Drew would like to promote "facilitative democracy," in which the MLA works to coordinate groups to help them achieve their shared goals.

Drew cites his longtime experience in community efforts in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, business ventures like Gastown's Storyeum tourist attraction (now closed), and many volunteer activities in Delta sports and education. He's worked to shorten "a disgusting waitlist of 6,000 children with developmental needs in B.C.," just as David Marley has lobbied for families dealing with autism.

Three independents among hundreds of party candidates running for provincial office this election may seem negligible. But two of the indies are political professionals, and all three have been involved in community grassroots organizations on the conservative side of the spectrum.

Their break-away campaigns will be watched closely by some wanting to measure the strength of the grassroots support for Campbell's Liberals this time around.

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[Tyee]

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.

18 Comments:

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  • Jeffrey J.

    3 years ago

    Whose Funding the Independents

    It would be interesting to identify who donates to the 'independents' (and even the Green Party). And I'm sure these parties accept the funds, no questions asked. But why would wealthy donors give away their money this way?

    Consider reading the academic journal Thinker, Faker, Spinner, Spy, which examines the expertise the PR industry demonstrates when it specializes in intervening in the democratic process is chilling. http://www.spinwatch.org.uk/book-shop

    Corporate intervention and funding of third parties is now a common and effective technique. And the number of corporate multinationals concentrating on BC's resources is not inconsiderable, including the oil industry and General Electric. If only we had less resources. Sadly, we have too many resources, not too few. And we are seeing the consequences, with many, many forces in play. Great coverage!

  • G West

    3 years ago

    Red Tory

    I don't think so...there were NO red Tories in Bill Bennett's bunkhouse....that's a helluva record for Marley to live down - I wish him luck against Ralph Sultan though.

  • southdeltawalker

    3 years ago

    Independent or In Denial?

    Yes we have two Independent Candidates here in Delta South.

    The one that may actually win is Vicki Huntington. She is counting on the protest vote against the Liberal Government.

    This was a BC Liberal safe seat until recently. We have had probably the worst MLA in history-Liberal Val Roddick-who was barely coherent at best. She was described as "struck dumb" when it came to the big issues in this community.

    Vicki was a very popular councillor and was the poll topper in Municipal elections.
    She ran as an independent then. She has spoken up for our community and has had no problem sharing the stage with many different folks from all political spectrum's who were united on the issues here. {Roddick was nowhere to be seen}.

    Does being an Independent candidate matter? Yes it certainly does out here.
    Will an elected independent candidate make a difference? Who knows? Will she be our Chuck Cadman and have a place in history or ignored like most independents?
    Looks like the voters of Delta South are ready to roll the dice and take a chance.

  • NicS

    3 years ago

    Independant in Delta South Hands Tied

    There certainly are ridings for an independant to run that make sense, but Delta South is not one of them. We have a three way race here between the New Democratic Party, the Liberals and an Independant. This riding went with the Liberals last time and we have suffered badly at the hands of the Kings of privatization. Hospitals, Schools, Transmission lines, Port Roads thru ALR, Golf Courses on ALR lands. The independants in Delta South will have their hands tied regardless of whether the New Democratic Party get in or the Liberals.

    As for the only decent argument for an independant, the Chuck Cadman scenario. He was a one time wonder, who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Like winning the lottery.

  • Grumpy

    3 years ago

    All party MLA's have their hands tied.....

    ......because the Premier is the one who runs the show. MLA's are mere sheep, entertainment for people visiting the legislature. Independents scare the hell out of established parties because they will split the vote or even, in their worst dreams, win.

    In Delta, we have had a 'ghost' MLA, which the only thing going for her was a 'foghorn' voice. Talk about a 'fencepost with hair' because Roddick disappeared when the real issues (power-lines, hospital, Gateway, TFN, Superport, etc) were in debate.

    Grumpy is going to vote independent in this election because the Liberals are so corrupt and the NDP so inept and I am glad there is a independent candidate with Vicki Huntington's caliber in the running.

    In fact I would go as far to say, anyone voting for the Liberals or NDP are morally challenged.

  • Name

    3 years ago

    Hope this is a successful trend!

    This would be a good trend - people are tired of tyrannical party bosses and party politics that require representatives to set aside their principles and kowtow to party obligations.

  • dorothy

    3 years ago

    The day will surely come.

    "If only we had less resources"

    Well, they're working on that. And so, if we can stick it out, we might someday have a home here, when there is nothing to rip us off for other than the renewables, which require real work and patience and harmony with the land. Just don't give up. It's only a temporary thing, as the fox said when he was being skinned.

  • For a better world

    3 years ago

    Good for Democracy

    Having independent candidates with the strong possibility of being elected is good for BC politics. In the days of yore, Scott Wallace, a conservative, provided honest perspectives that are in limited supply today.

    Although Vickki Huntington has conservative DNA, she is socially responsible and cares about the community she represents. In her early Delta years she had to weather the abuse of Queen Johnson and her entourage.

    She has earned the respect of the electorate and will provide a genuine effort and representation.

  • ChrisB

    3 years ago

    A Valuable Opportunity

    I presume West Vancouver-Capilano is a safe Liberal riding, however the people of Delta have an opportunity whose potential should not be underestimated. The political party system everywhere is morally and intellectually spent. If parliaments / legislative assemblies ever had any meaningful role to play in government, clearly they do not today. The real players in fact are contemptuous of the broad base of citizens and taxpayers. They use rhetorical terms like “public interest” and “rule of law” while exclusively serving their own interests and acting as though they are above the law.

    Campbell and James both courted Vicki Huntington because they realized she was the strongest available candidate. They would not hesitate to welcome her into their parties any time after May 12.

    The idea that sitting “independently” in a legislature means one has no voice is ridiculous. The politicians who seek office through party membership rarely have any voice. In most cases perhaps that is just as well, because they seem to have little or nothing to say.

    The people of Delta South have a unique and valuable opportunity. Let's hope they have the wisdom to pursue it.

  • Skywalker

    3 years ago

    dorothy

    When there are no more resources to rip off us then the only thing left is our labour. Believe m it will be cheap. That is what is left in places like Indonesia and they are being ripped off. It will all be in the interest of remaining competitive - the euphemism for working for less.

  • midnightsimon

    3 years ago

    Under the proposed BC-STV

    Under the proposed BC-STV system in which voters get to rank candidates, independents would have a much more likely chance of success. By giving voters more actual choice amongst candidates, STV would keep the parties on their toes, and a lot closer to the ear of the actual citizens.

  • greenfirefly

    3 years ago

    Read a little

    I wish people would read just a little, page 66 of the Green Book for 2009.

    Building a Better Democracy
    The citizens of BC are eager to participate in making our
    democracy work better. However, dishonest politicians, the
    excessive influence of narrow interest groups, corruption, and
    strict party control have led to distrust and disillusionment
    among citizens. Quite simply, BC can do better.
    The Green Party has a comprehensive program to restore
    participatory democracy in BC and build a more cooperative
    and effective government that works for the benefit of all British
    Columbians.
    Key Goals
    • Ensure that voters receive fair election results
    • Reduce the influence that special interest groups can gain
    over government with their campaign contributions
    • Encourage free votes in the Legislature
    • Reduce the concentration of power in the Premier’s office

    Stop reacting to sensationalist independent candidates who have no platform other than their dislike for party politics.

  • G West

    3 years ago

    greenfirefly

    That's not a comprehensive program, it's a 'mission' statement - the kind of thing that cost nothing, means less, and is best framed handsomely and hung on the wall of your local bank.

    The Green Party is a joke - any vote for them is as good as voting for Gordon Campbell.

    Let's get STV passed (despite its many flaws it is better than FPP) and then you'll get your chance to elect a member or two and prove that green principles actually 'mean' something.

  • greenfirefly

    3 years ago

    G West

    Take you head out of the stand what is the most likely thing an independent would want to do to end party dominance with centralized leadership?

    Hmmm let me think

    FREE VOTES IN THE LEGISLATURE.

    Without that an independent becomes a de facto member of a Party! Marley supported Sultan previously. You CANNOT pass legislation without a majority. A two year old child can understand this!

    Read that mission statement as you call it again! Point 3 free votes in the Legislature!

    I find your disregard for the Green Party to be very disrespectful and cynical. You actually discourage voters.

  • greenfirefly

    3 years ago

    85 Independents would make

    85 Independents would make for an extremely dysfunctional legislature. What would happen in this scenario is once they are all frustrated with each other and the endless negotiations they would form voting blocks.

    With parties and free votes you would have a consistent set of goals for each party that would result in compromise between party groups. This is demonstrated well south of the border where moderate democrats and republicans cross the floor to vote with the other party.

  • G West

    3 years ago

    Independent votes

    My view, the most likely result of STV will be the election of a member of the Christian Heritage Party in one of the huge ridings in the Fraser Valley and a Chinese Heritage member in Delta/Richmond.

    Despite its glaring flaws, I’ll vote YES – but only because an election or two with STV will likely lead to a change4 to real MMP – which is the gold standard.

    Which is all well and good but not much use to the whole of the province.

    I believe STV is better than FPP the post but nowhere nearly as good (and much more subject to manipulation and gaming) as true Proportional Systems.

    A mission statement is nothing but a mission statement - real politics is hard work - if you knew anything about how difficult it is to craft workable legislation you wouldn't be so sanguine about what'll happen with even a few rogue independents in the house.

    There should be some clear floor limits before any member gets seated in the Legislature - Israel is an excellent example of the kind of dysfunctional mess a country can get into when any tom/dick or benny can get up a 'party' and scrape up enough whacko voters to get a seat in the Knesset.

    As for the US system, please, have a look at who really pulls the strings for those supposedly independent folks in both the donkey and the elephant party.

    They're even more bought and paid for by special interests than Gordon Campbell is.

    I can provide you with references if you really believe this rot.

    And yep, I am disrespectful of green party supporters who drink Campbell's phony carbon tax Kool ade - it's exactly what they deserve and what they've earned.

    By all means, let them all spoil their votes in the pretext of standing for a
    'principle' and a phony and meaningless mission statement - I hope they'll all be really happy with the province once the CEO has had another four years to beat it up.

    Oh, and that carbon tax of Gordon’s that you all love so much, maybe you missed this report:
    http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090416/national/greenhouse_gases

  • dorothy

    3 years ago

    Except that...

    "When there are no more resources to rip off us then the only thing left is our labour. Believe m it will be cheap."

    Maybe, maybe not. Methinks we might not deliver the numbers that will make it profitable to move the raw materials here. If profiteers are faced with moving both raw materials and additional labor, to make it cheap, to here, then it might just be possible they will choose some other locale for their 50 cent sneaker factories, where people do not (yet?) have the wisdom to put a cork in it, mightn't it?

    The whole cheap labor plot rests on labor being available in unlimited numbers of units. So, all we need to do is not give 'them' the numbers, and not support their attempts at preventing family planning from getting a foothold in large parts of the world, e.g. Indonesia. Fat chance with the foggy-minded theocracies planning to win supremacy by outbreeeding the rest of us. North Korea and their giant rabbits etc. I bet they don't know about rabbit starvation. Nice con game, that. As if 'they' would ever allow that to happen!

    As I said, for the enduring, there is the hope that once the era of ripoff is over, there will be backwaters around the place, where the meek can indeed inherit the Earth, as in Lif and Lifthrasir crawling out from the branches of Yggdrasil and starting over. I am not laughing at the old legends, and I see Ragnarok in full trot approaching. The seeress asked 'would you know more, or what?' I am sure all kinds of dummkofps need to 'know more'.

  • DNA

    3 years ago

    Independents

    Ah, why do we have political parties? We have them because society needs to be governed. That is, compromises have to be made, action plans have to be agreed upon, decisions have to be made. A legislature full of 100 Independents tearing off in all directions could not, would not, govern. Likewise, anyone elected as an Independent to a legislature has very little, if any, influence (except in the extremely rare case of a legislature split down the middle). The idea that independently elected MLAs, acting rationally, debating wisely, can make better decisions is a noble one, but the world does not work that way. That's because people in society have interests, and interests are not amenable by rational debate. I want this, you want that, how do we decide (and not end up punching each other in the nose)? This can only be done by agreeing to compromise. Can independents compromise? Well, yes, of course. They can get together in groups and decide on a course of action. They can even plan together. They can even run together, promising to do what they'd agreed upon. They can the money to run together. They can, in short, become a political party, and--if finally elected to power--actually do something. And then independent, idealistic people who don't understand how the real world works will run against them as Independents.
    That said, allowing people to run independently is a good safety valve, and I'd always want to see it.

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