uhhm gender and ? quotas for

uhhm gender and ? quotas for electoral office?

Please, this is why Carole james never made it. Tell me this is not happening again.

Where was BC Rail and corruption?

What? Adrian didn't mention political corruption and how it is time to clean up government and the scoundrels that inhabit the upper echelons. Guess that's not important to voters? What a schmuck! If you don't have credibility then you don't have any respect. Be prepared for the worst voter turn out in BC history Adrian...atta boy.

Deja Vu?

"Making the economy the primary issue in the next election is what we're going to do," Dix said.

"It's the economy, stupid": Bill Clinton's campaign slogan for 1992 Presidential election.

At least there is no hiding exactly what Dix stands for -- a right-of-centre capitalist without a fundamental fix in his game-book.

Too bad there isn't an honest politician on the scene who can simply and clearly convey to the people, at large, that a truly democratic government is in place to serve the people, not the economy.

But I digress ... with Rick Salutin

Economy

Adrian Dix is exactly the type of leader we need. He knows that he has to make the economy work for the average wage earners, so they can actually make a living. There is nothing inherently wrong with the economy, except that it has been hijacked by the large corporations. This not only sucks the lifeblood out of wage earners, but also out of small and medium sized businesses.

Keeping the James flaws going

Guess that Dix will be the last male leader of the NDP?
Assuming the averages, we will see all vacancies filled with female candidates in a decade.
Guess by then the proverbial fencepost with hair needs to have that hair set up in curlers?

For a politician who has carefully planned the course of the NDP, Dix overlooked the fact that female candidates generally are not as successful.

Further he is scrapping good people by banisheing them regardless of their qualifications.

In my riding we are stuck with a female member who has the appeal of a shrieking witch, and no possibility of replacing her with a more acceptable person -- bad policy DIX.

Alive mentions a female

Alive mentions a female candidate with no appeal. I don't understand his concern. And to blame Adrian Dix is a bit of a stretch. He wasn't the one who insisted on the gender equal thingy. The members decide. I liked the article and especially the bit where things take some time to sort out. He is head and shoulders over the hot liner MS. Christy, who loved to do photo ops then move on to somewhere else

Dix can jump up and down to

Dix can jump up and down to please the multinational corporate mafia. If the NDP gets elected they'll do their best, from day one, to wreck BC's economy, as they have done it in the 90s, to "prove" that they're the only solution.

They have been given so much power by various pimp governments that we're now living under their dictatorship, using imaginary money as weapons of conquest and enslavement.

Ed Deak.

BC Rail

The honest citizens of BC, want and deserve a complete and thorough official examination of the entire BC Rail robbery and show trial.

Unless and until the NDP clearly state, unequivocally, that they 'will' initiate such an inquiry, they will not get my vote or support.

When they do, my cheque will be in the mail.

THE ECONOMY SUCKS!

The school of economics, born in Chicago in the 60's has been sucking the life blood out of our social order for the last 35 years. Government is supposed to be a social organization not a business, a business set up to keep that economic ideal going. In this case Mr. Deak, you are wrong when you say "If the NDP gets elected they'll do their best, from day one, to wreck BC's economy, as they have done it in the 90s, to "prove" that they're the only solution." B.C.'s economy has already gone to hell in a hand basket driven there by the corporate drivers of our economy and the shills they are getting elected. Will the N.D.P. be any better? Probably not. Will we make any real gains in the next election? Only if they are social gains and not economic ones. The economic gains will only continue to keep food from the mouths of hungry children right here in or wealthy province of B.C..

Let's vote for the "economy" and damn the poor, the marginal, the old, the ill, the working poor and anyone else that doesn't support this false economy that feeds a corporate machine, that has no head, no heart and no social conscience.

Dix is doing a good job

A year ago the NDP ousted Carole James amid cries that she wasn't left-wing enough. "Anyone would be better" us James loyalists were told.

Well, now we have people complaining about her successor too because he's following many of the same paths she did.

I'm happy with Dix, he's the smartest guy that we'll have ever had as premier and he's got a very strong record on social justice.

But if people would prefer not to vote because Christy Clark isn't so bad that's their right.

I will add that there's always an alternative for those of you not happy with Dix, you can run your own candidates and vote for them or even yourselves. That does require more time and energy than posting to a forum however so I won't hold my breath.

Gender balance

As has been pointed out, the membership of the NDP voted for this policy.

NDP brand

Did anyone hear Moe Sahota on CBC yesterday. I thought he did a crappy job addressing the biggest problem for the NDP: the "branding" issue. They have been unfairly branded as poor stewards of the economy, when they were no worse than the Liberals, and poor fiscal managers, when their last two budgets were balanced. The other two panelists brought up this branding problem while seeming to agree that the branding was accurate. Did Moe address this? Naah, he was more interested in irrelevant political strategizing re: the BC Conservatives.

I hope the NDP can stick to the message, and hit back on the phony branding issue. Otherwise, get ready for a 4th Liberal Government.

HUH?

"The B.C. New Democratic Party convention last weekend was a public display intended to show voters it's ready to govern moderately......"

Then why on earth did the executive bring in a couple of ultra left wing-nuts from the US to speak ?? Oh, I get it! "Something for everyone". And a unanimous "election" for "Moe", the paid for big labour puppet.
Sorry, I think the "Party of Mixed Messages" lost some much-needed credibility with that convention shin-dig. Something they just didn't need to do.

The fraudulent

The fraudulent Austrian/Chicago School monetary economic theories of von Hayek and Friedman, now used to brainwash students with everywhere, have pushed the world to mass murder, destruction and impending mass disaster, with an accounting system that uses no debit, or liability columns.

I was on the ecological economics list of the U of Colorado some 15 years ago, where we didn't hide behind false chickenshit names, but used our own and addresses.

Many contributors have warned about this coming disaster even then. I also received a number of offlist comments from students, who complained that they knew that what were were brainwashed with was garbage, but had no choice, they had to use it in their term and exam papers to please the professors, if they wanted to pass.

Of course, once they received their degrees they were employed by major corporations who demanded the same BS answers.

The most pathetic note I received once was from an instructor at the U of Waterloo, who complained that they had to teach the crap, if they wanted to keep their jobs. There was also a large campaign in US universities at the time, weeding out instructors who didn't toe the official line, with a number of them fired.

What we have now are economists, even in the NDP, who have been brainwashed by the same junk science, ignoring tomorrow and concentrating only on the monetary figures of today, albeit with packages of Band Aids in their pockets. They may know that something is badly wrong, but are so hooked to the system that they can't change, or dare to tell the leaders, called the SEIC, the Steely Eyed Inner Core, by disgruntled members of what really is going on.

As a long time NDP member myself, hoping and waiting for a miracle of awakening, I've been trying to find out for years what plans the party has to save people when the crash comes ?

No official answer, albeit when I had a private meeting with Carole James in the summer of last year, I was surprised that she knew all the problems and the answers, but never talked about them in public. Sihota was and is nowhere.

This is the same problem all over the world, with nobody daring to stand up and call a fraud a fraud.

A world class professor friend in the sustainability field asked me to write a paper for his PhD candidate students for debate. Haven't had any answers yet, but it will be interesting to see what they will be ?

Interesting article on post autistic economics, going on since the '60s:
http://www.paecon.net/HistoryPAE.htm

Ed Deak.

My problem with the current NDP

My problem with the current NDP is Moe Sihota. I lean towards NDP or true Liberal, not BC Liberal, policies but I do not agree with Moe Sihota being involved. He sours the mix and I am unsure if there is enough push against him to satisfy myself and a lot of other people. Adrian Dix I would give a second chance to but Moe burned that bridge a long, long time ago.

yeah I am now looking for another party

Well I have to say my friend Adrian Dix though I do support you and feel you would be a good premiere, I cannot support the BC NDP anymore due to the denigration of my gender.

I can't support a party that feels my gender is a problem ipso facto.

As a white male I do fit in the under-represented category not for that biological, innate, unalterable fact, but because of life experiences.

But still even if I could eek in there, this policy is simply not acceptable for any man with a brain or political ambition. It's the instalment of a matriarchy, men are bad and oh look we are right back in the middle-ages where all men were sinners and the only solution is mother (church).

Well Mr. Dix as someone who was emotionally, financially, educationally and sexually abused by his own mother I can assure you the idea that women are better than men is simply outrageous.

Insanity. It squelches all male voices. It kills us politically. It elects The BC Liberals. Period.

You force us to condemn you simply because of the hatred your party expresses for men who are simply born that way. Not a choice, like the one your party made in condemning me and others. A choice to hate us.

The same choice James made that kept the Libs in office.

Where do I go now, what a question to face to be forced to face..........

2013

By election time the collapse of civilization's planetary ponzi scheme will be all to self evident, so the voters will be choosing guns or butter. By that I mean a province that lives in fear, or lives within it's means. Not only are we never going back to the frivolous 90's, it's going to take some considerable effort not to go back to the '30's.

Adrian Dix will inherit a financial mess...

...just like Harcourt did in 1991. He will spend all his time trying to please everyone including the business sector, just like Harcourt did. The media will crap all over him for not cleaning up the mess left by Christy, just like they did Harcourt. All the others will crap all over the NDP because they can't do everything they want because there is no money to shift when you are running deficit budgets. Same as with Harcourt. The media will give Dix a honeymoon until his first budget not like with Campbell and Christy which still have a honeymoon period with the media.

I will agree with Michael T. The gender thingy is a stupid idea based on the false notion that all these years women have been excluded by the party constitution from any involvement. That is utterly false as anyone who has participated knows. It would turn me off if a good person was not able to run for the candidacy because of gender. I just wouldn't vote period.

thanks Skywalker

I kinda feel a little lonely at times with these things.

and I did not vote in the last election I regret to say exactly as you wrote. My riding, Fairview went to the Libs after being NDP.

Selection by gender is

Selection by gender is definitely a stupid dictatorial policy, against all forms of democracy.

As a lifelong fighter and supporter of women's rights and equality, married for 60 years, 2 daughters, 4 granddaughters 1 great granddaughter, I have to admit that the idea must have originated with the traditional prejudice against women and too many stupid males in politics, but that's something that can only be cured by the education and logical promotion of women and not by any gender based enforcement that backfires very badly.

Ed Deak.

And another thing.

"he party had gone too far in the 1990s under premiers Mike Harcourt and Glen Clark when it introduced hundreds of new acts -- "too much legislation" he said."

What a crock of bull. It is time to stop dumping on the folks who worked hard in the 90's. The Harcourt government inherited a deficit of $2.5 Billion not a surplus like the liberals. Harcourt still did not balance the budget on the backs of the poor as business wanted him to do. It took time and that cost him and Glen Clark support. The media hounding both out of office. Remember what they called Harcourt?

Every NDP government has inherited a deficit whether it is financial or social. They take over after years of neglect in some sectors that are not the concern of right-wing governments. To crap on fore bearers because they "did too much" is repeating the same bullshit mantra that the MSM pundits have been feeding us for years.

So my message to Dix and Tieleman is, stop dumping on the people who worked for the party to get elected in the 90's. Trampling over their political carcasses isn't going to help you with those that count. They worked for years, long before you, for the cause. Make it on your own merits and don't fuel the myths of the 90's. That is a damn good way to turn off loyal supporters.

It's futile to pin our hopes

It's futile to pin our hopes on the ndp, led by Dix or whomever. If Dix was a leader genuinely concerned about the economy he would contribute to the debate by asking, why is there so much debt? How can all governments be in such lousy financial positions? And he would say that his government would petition and demand that the federal government provide interest-free funding to all provinces by having the Bank of Canada be the sole purchaser of their bonds. Now that would be leadership.

Without money reform nothing will change because nothing _can change under the present tyranny. And the situation is not only worsening, it's darkening.

Moe Sihota, a true Social Democrat

Those attacking Moe with baseless criticisms only have their own racism and bigoted minds to fall back on.

Moe Sihota needs to have a word with Adrian Dix...

See Adrian Dix gave unqualified, total support to the Occupy movement: http://youtu.be/pWZBO12PE-o

Guess what? Does that mean Adrian endorses Occupy giving hell and urine to organized labor? Does Adrian endorse cracking down on keeping public spaces public and crushing freedom of expression + media freedoms? Does Adrian endorse vandalism?

Serious questions. It is the best gift Adrian could give to the BCLibs that quip and apparently somebody made a YouTube about it: http://youtu.be/pWZBO12PE-o

Right then and there, Adrian blew the election. Right then and there.

Dix is learning from the past

The biggest problem the NDP had through the nineties was not so much policy, as the increasing isolation of those running the show from both party membership and the public. As a result, many of the grassroots supporters and campaign workers who had helped elect the party twice lost any motivation to do the same in 2001. You do not lose an election by a 77 - 2 margin by being sensitive and responsive but by being arrogant and out of touch!

Having said that, and including Adrian Dix in my list of those who were in charge of the party's direction in the 90s, and admitting I did not support Adrian for leader, I must say he has not only impressed me with his approach and style, but has given environmentally concerned party members and others good reason for hope - and reason to work hard for the party - not least by putting his leadership rivals in key positions and addressing issues they brought forward. As a result, gains in the polls have been made at the expense of the Green party, and despite the dire predictions of a year ago (hello, Frank) the party is in good shape heading towards the next election and the Libcredit party is in disarray, having rearranged the deck chairs while ignoring the leaks in their ship.

By showing he has learned from past mistakes, both his own and those of others, he has demonstrated a potential for growth that is all too rare in politics and won over some skeptics including this one!

P.S. Alive and DPL: Dix is about POWER

His Ruthlessness is quite comfortable with having pliant backbenchers who are chosen for reasons other than talent--and for making it a bit more difficult for a Nathan Cullen or a Gregor Robertson to find a future seat in the Legislature.

Sorry but,

I can't disagree more with Frank Lee and Stewart MacKenzie. Adrian was one of the few who made the James opposition look like and opposition. Most of the comments about him as a person are really describing any BC liberal we have had inflicted on us since 2001. You lose 77- 2 by the manipulation of the corporate media which controls BC political discourse like no other province. Almost everyone I discuss issues with today recognizes that they were conned.

What you had after 2005 was a bunch of recent arrivals who had bought the MSM line along with some who were part of the 90's and these people all found it easier to dump all over the folks who were active in the 90's rather than push back at the same clowns who were peddling the same old mantra about the NDP.. The irony is that it will be these same people (the ones who didn't get what they wanted, when they wanted it) who will be snapping at Dix's arse right after he forms the government. He's being set up for it now.

so?

As it happens Frank Lee, being all about power is a nice change from James who was all about being nice!

Nice people do not win elections!

If in doubt follow the path of a certain Mr. Harper and you will see that ruthlessness works!

Maybe it is time we use the same tactics?

Adrian Dix: no kerb appeal

Sorry to say this, but Adrian Dix will never be premier of BC. He lacks the looks and has no charisma. Appearances are everything in politics, regardless of what everyone migt say. Boo-hoo...

I hope you are not suggesting ...

...that Christy Clark has kerb appeal? Maybe before she opens her mouth.

Choices

In simplistic terms, we've got 3 options to choose from, IMO.

1. Support Dix and vote NDP
He's not perfect and will screw up, but the average BC'er will likely be better off with him in charge

2. The hell with Dix and vote Liberal
After 10 years of deceit I don't know how posters manage to reconcile that for themselves

3. Don't vote at all and wait for the Occupy movement to find its' momentum and force change.

For me personally, I'll be backing Dix all the way to the ballot box and hoping the Occupy movement gains strength. I think Dix is very capable, but at this point I'd vote for the 'fence post with hair' to ensure the Liberal's demise.

It's all about choices, none of them are perfect and never will be.

Here's a choice 4 kootenay

4. Join the BCLibs and demand change & reform from within. The Occupy Nuts are violent, Dix and the BCNDP really screwed BC last time with the PacifiCats, Carrier Lumber and sky high taxe$ that made people leave BC.

That said, the BCLibs have to fix CLBC... clean out Christy's clique... and get back to cutting gov't waste.

The PacifiCats have at least

The PacifiCats have at least employed BC people, not bought in another country, and their cost was chickenfeed compared to the 300% increase of deficits under the "fiscally responsible BCLibs" from $39 billion to over $100. billion.

Much of it on idiotic PPP schemes, the public has to pay for through the nose, but not accounted as debts.

Brilliant accounting.........

Ed Deak.

Cynic

Cynic, I'll go one further and state unequivocally that it's futile to pin our hopes on Party politics, particularly under our form of governance.

Bigger problems that Dix's indoctrinated distractions

Frank says, "Dix, he's the smartest guy that we'll have ever had as premier", which may be true but oh, so sad.

But here's the barn burner:

I will add that there's always an alternative for those of you not happy with Dix, you can run your own candidates and vote for them or even yourselves. That does require more time and energy than posting to a forum however so I won't hold my breath.

What makes you think the next progressive step is going to be at the ballot box? Here we have the indoctrinated Parties all suggesting we try to squeeze the last few drops out of the capitalist cow before it drops dead. It is complete distraction. A sideshow to reality.

Meanwhile,

PM Harper's controversial crime bill to build a hostel of new prisons is at this early date suggested to be $19 billion;

and the Federal government's F-35 conytroversial fighter jets another $30 billion;

and our shameful yet memorable G-20 hostage-styled detainment of 1000+ innocent peoples by the state under illegal laws and in flagrant contravention of civil laws;

and with our horrific and escalating adventures abroad in illegal warfare;

and Canada's recent signing of the $1 billion 'Beyond the Border" agreement with the USA with "Canadian business leaders praised the deal and calling it the most important agreement since the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement", and with Harper ringing the alarm bell once again saying "The key that locks the door against terrorists also opens a wider gate to cross-border trade and travel ... Canada has no friends among America's enemies .. What threatens the security and well-being of the U.S., threatens the security and well-being of Canada" but marketed to us also as a good way to stop Employment Insurance fraud: Another LINK ...

(cont below)

(from above)

...and with our American despots to the south passing s.1867 to the National Defense Authorization Act which allows indefinite detention of Americans or others without charges;

and the USA's use of spy drones across our border and into our airspace now also spying on Americans from the sky

...these are just a few ways the global security state lead by the USA Empire and its toady, Canada, is tightening the noose around our necks.

And we do what? We bicker over an obviously failed economic model, which is profoundly gamed for the very ruling few, instead of overthrowing these corporate crooks who have hi-jacked our nation. And we go vote for them, religiously for some, without thinking for a moment how that supports their crimes against us all.

And what we all need to know, stated again and again ...

because far too many listen to the words but never hear the message, never think they are the one's being played for the sucker.

The men who own the corporate press are fighting a class war, seeking, even now, to defend the 1% to which they belong against its challengers. But, because they control much of the conversation, we seldom see it in these terms. Our press reframes the major issues so effectively that it often recruits its readers to mobilise against their own interests.

http://www.monbiot.com/2011/12/12/unmasking-the-press/

And speaking of that, consider the much beloved Sir Winston Churchill's famous quote "the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with a voter". Like a lot of political talk, it is Orwellian doublespeak. T

he citizenry takes it as a warning but then proceeds to do nothing about it.

Churchill states it as a fact, a fact he and others can exploit, while he laughs at us all for being told the truth but never hearing the message.

Except for Igbymac most of

Except for Igbymac most of you fall right into the media trap..Quotas, gender, blah blah blah..

The gender policy affects 2 ridings...2 fucking ridings..

Bill Good has been groaning all day Monday about gender,and today, and tomorrow he`s bringing in Alise Mills and two other females to bash the NDP some more.

BC Liberals are corrupt, period!

John Les..Jane Thorthwaite..Kash Heed..Gordon Campbell..Shirley Bond/uneducated solicitor general and attorney general...Are you kidding me!

Go ahead, vote BC Liberal...Vote John Cummins.

Seems to me corporations became rich in the 70s and before, even at 30% or 40% tax rate, and Governments weren`t broke..

You fools who buy the bullshit...Oh my, our population is getting old, the dreaded medical costs..

And no country has ever had that problem, really!..What abunch of saps.. and what happens after that?..Population gets younger..Imagine that..Oh but healthcare costs are unsustainable?..really, what about after WWII..We have thousands without limbs/eyes/faces...And we had families having a basket full of kids, there was plenty of money for all.

Iceland told the bankers to fuck off and die and their doing fine.

Most of you jokers and clowns are controlled by media but are too stunned to realize it.

Global economy, an excuse to make you slaves....Enjoy the shackles losers!

Enbridge has had over 800 pipeline spills ...

800 pipeline spills in the last decade...

What does that have to do with this thread..

The answer is simple.

Enbridge have made so many messes they couldn`t clean up that they learned how to create the illusion...

That`s what the media has done to you people, created an unreal illusion..

Think I`m kidding?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlnri_scklA&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gXaYZVGw44&feature=player_embedded

A few responses

OccupyDix said : "Adrian blew the election. Right then and there."

You're wrong [COMMENT ASSUMING KNOWLEDGE OF ANOTHER COMMENTER'S IDENTITY REMOVED. -MODERATOR.], if you check the last major poll the NDP looks to be ahead of the Liberals and Conservatives and its lead has widened since the poll before it.

Cynic, no provincial premier is going to tell the federal government what to do with the Bank of Canada. Its not going to happen.

Frank Lee : "-if by the grace of God, we can lose the next election, it could be a blessing in disguise"

The last 3 elections must have brought you a lot of joy then.

Stewart

The NDP selected a James loyalist, so no, the sky didn't fall.

A Real Difference

Voting for the NDP has to be more than throwing out the current bunch of crooks. The NDP has to show that they are the people's party, not the party of the top 10%. There is no point in swapping pigs at the trough unless there is going to be real change.
First off, promise to restore taxes to the pre-Campbell rates; that should bring in an extra $1,000 million per year; then tell us how you plan to spend this extra cash.

Not Much Hope for Change

Here we are faced with the Triple E crisis - economy, energy and environment, and this is the best the NDP can do? Sounds to me like the party brass have drunk a lot of the neoliberal cyanide Kool Aide...

igbymac

So you think you want a revolution? Will you be leading it then?

Some of us want to play nice and make change from within the system, not pick up arms and face it all with violence and murder as history has shown it to be.

As far as I can see, the NDP is the only party that will be any sort of government for the people. Dictatorships are for Harper and Clark.