BC's Era of Polarized Politics Is Over: Brown

The blood sport of B.C. politics has long been steeped in the party of free enterprise versus party of Big Labour narrative, and few political operatives have been more effective at exploiting this theme than Martyn Brown.

The chief lieutenant to former BC Liberal premier Gordon Campbell was, in his own words, a "take-no-prisoners partisan." Brown pleads guilty to have promoted the "politics-as-war" mindset. He sanctioned attack ads such as the one that played on the New Democrats' acronym in the 2005 election -- "Negative. Destructive. Pessimistic. The same old NDP."

These days Campbell's consigiliere says that B.C.'s long-running "free enterprise versus socialist" dichotomy is bunk, and he's been trumpeting his revisionist view in a new ebook and media commentary.

"It is an anachronism that now seems comically out of step with the times," writes Brown, in his book, Towards A New Government in British Columbia.

He now believes that B.C.'s old ideological divisions have no relevance to about 60 per cent of the electorate, especially young people.

In his new incarnation, Brown is arguing for a more civil politics -- an about-face, which he admits in his book, "stands in glaring contradiction to my past actions."

Doubtless, some who worked with Brown will find his call for a more collegial politics ironic coming from someone who didn't hesitate to flex his muscle in the backroom. In his book, Brown alludes to how he was more than just a quiet advisor. "A 'yes man' I was not -- a fact that often earned the ire of those I so clumsily contradicted, frustrated, and argued against, sometimes out of turn, or beyond my status."

Brown is persona non grata in certain quarters of the BC Liberal Party, which he served as campaign director for three successful elections in a row.

In a recent interview in Victoria where he lives, Brown smiled when asked how some of his former BC Liberal colleagues have reacted to his apostasy.

"How do you think? They are not happy," said Brown. "Nobody has been rude. But it's fair to say that I am not on their Christmas card list. I'm not surprised by that."

'Not out to settle old scores'

But many people have been surprised at the swipes Brown has taken at the party, in which he was the ultimate Karl Rove-esque insider for over a decade.

The former BC Liberal backroom tactician has criticized Premier Christy Clark for, among other things, her "hyperbolic fear-mongering." A few weeks ago Brown fired off a media release, demanding that Clark resign for the good of the party, over the ethnic outreach scandal.

Brown, 56, is now quasi-retired, though he does some non-political strategic policy consulting, along with his recent pre-election, counterintuitive round of punditry. He's fit-looking with grey hair, a well-trimmed beard -- and, clearly, a thick skin.

Brown said he doesn't care if people think his attacks are a form of revenge against Clark. Shortly after taking office, she fired Brown from his position as deputy minister. He left with a $416,000 severance package.

"I know that a whole lot of people doubt my motives and my intent. They made up their mind a long time ago about who I am. What I'm doing is what a lot of people wouldn't do, and that is run the risk of criticism.

"But I am not out to settle old scores or acting out of bitterness. It's because I wanted to say some stuff that nobody else is saying."

Brown said he gave Clark a year in office before he decided to speak out. "I wrote the book because I wanted to impress on the BC Liberals that these are the ways you are failing, and it's still not too late to do something.

"Maybe not win the election. But enough to restore confidence in the party. But she didn't do that."

There was no Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus moment, said Brown, of his conversion to a gentler politics.

"However I've been characterized ideologically, I've always been much more pragmatic and open to new ideas."

New era of centrism

One of his big new ideas is how triumphant liberalism has dulled the ideological edges of Canadian politics, bringing most parties into the same middle-ground. Both the BC Liberals and the provincial New Democrats are centrist, small-l liberal parties, he argues, who believe in free enterprise and a host of state-funded social programs.

"The ideological pendulum still swings this way or that with the tenor of our times," writes Brown, in his book.

"But its amplitude is more restricted than ever, and its point of equilibrium is always the centre in Canadian politics. Especially here in British Columbia."

As Campbell's chief of staff, Brown says he preferred to base his campaigns around the former premier's leadership and ideas, and that he never used the ideological rhetoric epitomized by former Social Credit premier W.A.C. Bennett's iconic "the socialist hordes are at the gate."

But Brown acknowledges that he was always aware of the potency of the "free enterprise-socialist" division as a wedge issue; one that implied the NDP couldn't "run a popcorn stand."

The new Brown sniped at the BC Liberals for holding a "Free Enterprise Friday" at their convention last year, writing in a newspaper column that while "I am not a fan of the NDP, it is nevertheless a 'free enterprise' party that is no less committed to growing the economy, to stimulating wealth creation and to fostering job creation through private enterprise."

While serving Campbell who he continues to deeply admire, Brown kept his growing distaste for bare-knuckled partisanship and the free enterprise versus socialism narrative mostly to himself. "I didn't express it before because I didn't think it was appropriate for a servant of the government and also a campaign director to be saying stuff."

Brown said his reluctance to use negative ads grew over time, because they increasingly didn't work.

"We are not the United States," he said.

In the 2005 election, Brown found that the anti-NDP attack ads were hurting the Liberals. "I know because I was getting nightly tracking results from the polls," recalled Brown.

The negative ads reinforced the view of many voters that Campbell was mean-spirited, he said. The third-party attack ads against NDP leader Adrian Dix are similarly undercutting Clark's ability to come across as a new kind of politician, he added.

Brown, in a newspaper column, said the "insufferable" anti-Dix ads launched by Jim Shepard, a former corporate CEO and Clark advisor, and his group, Concerned Citizens for B.C., "simply highlight the contrast in leadership styles that are today very much working against Christy Clark, especially in alienating women voters."

Brown faults the BC Liberal leadership for still believing that waving the venerable free-enterprise banner "is the single biggest galvanizing strategy they can imagine and they are wrong.

"It's certainly galvanizing for the party diehards, but that is not who they have to persuade."

Brown believes Clark's combative style has cost her the authenticity factor she'd earned through her years as a radio talk show host.

"She's been acting in ways that are contrary to her innate values. All of her early overtures to the Conservative Party and trying to pretend that she's the Iron Lady of B.C. is disingenuous -- and most people understand that."

Dix's 'social license'

The former BC Liberal strategist, in contrast, has praised NDP leader Dix for his civil tones and his promise not to resort to personal attacks. "Whether it's just politics or not -- I don't suspect it is. He's more of a pragmatist and bright enough to know that when things don't work you have to do them differently."

Brown said that Dix, by being upfront about his tax increase proposals, has been trying to develop public trust, or what the ex-strategist calls "social license."

Brown, in his ebook, says that the Campbell government made a fatal error when it failed to build the "social license" or mandate necessary to win acceptance of the Harmonized Sales Tax.

Brown also said that Dix is deliberately and wisely "suppressing the expectations" of his base. "His supporters will demand instant change that he is not capable of delivering, and he knows that." Dix has also done a good job telling the business community what it can expect from a NDP government, he added.

However, said Brown, Dix may have "boxed himself into a corner" by limiting himself to raising the corporate income tax rate to 12 per cent and to only raising income tax hikes for people with incomes over $150,000.

"I think he is going to need to raise more money, more revenue, than he thinks he is," said Brown, because of enormous cost pressures, including rising health care costs and new public sector employee contracts.

Brown said he expects the NDP's upcoming pre-election platform will project a first-year deficit of about $500 million, "but I won't believe it.

"I know that many people in the media are saying that is what he has to do to be smart. Maybe so. But it's not honest."

Brown said Dix should be "upfront" about the funding challenges the government faces and try to gain some "social license" for his plans. "What they should do -- to be consistent with Dix's new approach -- is be honest about this," said Brown. "Otherwise, they'll have a credibility problem after their first budget, and they know it."

Brown said that Dix, if elected, should avoid trying to do too much too soon in the manner of his mentor, former premier Glen Clark. To gain public trust, Dix should adopt a "moderate, incrementalist approach that might also be very visionary on two or three big ideas."

A NDP government could also play to its ideological roots, said Brown, by arguing for lthe "progressivity" in tax policy, whether it's income taxes, or user fees such as MSP premiums, road tolling or any number of licenses.

"There could be some income distribution slanted to help those with lower incomes, at the expense of those who are at higher incomes. But it will be a very modest and incremental move in that direction, I think."

Brown said he expects public sector unions will gain modest wage increases. "It's not realistic to expect that public servants should work with no raise for four years."

Brown also thinks Dix will eliminate the secret ballot vote in the union certifications, returning B.C. to a card-check process in which certification is automatic if enough workers sign a union card. "But I don't think you'll see wild swings in the labour code or Employment Standards Act."

Brown mocked a Province article, which claimed to have uncovered a strategy by the B.C. Federation of Labour to influence the NDP platform.

"Seems the unions still want to elect an NDP government. Who knew?" chortled Brown in a column for the same Province.

He went on to ridicule the BC Liberals for saying the Province article was proof of a secret NDP agenda.

"Stupid me. I still tend to believe Mr. Dix when he says that he will raise corporate taxes a hair, possibly increase personal income taxes on those earning upwards of $150,000 to $200,000 a year, and tinker with the Labour Code and employment standards, in ways that will cause little widespread consternation."

On change and maturity

Brown's willingness to cut Dix considerable slack could stem from his awareness of how people can change after being ensnared in a scandal. Dix was forced to resign as former premier Glen Clark's chief of staff for back-dating a memo related to the awarding of a casino licence. Brown was a high-profile witness in the BC Rail corruption trial in 2010 when his common response under cross-examination was "I don't recall."

Looking back on that experience, Brown said: "When you've been through a scandal like Dix suffered, and partly caused, you have a very different perspective.

"And when you sit on the stand as I did often over seven weeks in court, you really get reflective about what you did in office and how you can affect meaningful change. You change to some degree and mature."

Brown said that he knew very well during the trial that his faulty memory about incidents that occurred many years before was something that many people would not accept.

In his ebook, Brown wrote: "That unpleasant experience taught me a lot of how little we truly remember or absorb of the myriad events and interactions that fill our daily lives."

But the introspection that came with the trial put him in mind to write his book and the counter-intuitive commentary that followed it -- an experience he's enjoyed.

"After nearly 25 years of running my tail off and, certainly in the last 10 years, not having a moment to think, this has been very cathartic and liberating."