We have to give Lorraine Brett, the New Westminster Liberal candidate, kudos for attending the all-candidates meeting on Tuesday night.
Brett is no stranger to the local political scene. She’s run as a city council candidate and been known as a Liberal supporter for awhile.
While Liberal candidates in other ridings have been avoiding all-candidates meetings, Brett was a feisty player at this one.
The city has been an NDP stronghold for years and the feeling that belonging to that political party gives you a ticket to the inner circle is one that persists.
As Brett said: “I feel it is very unhealthy for a close-knit community like the Royal City to be so completely dominated by a single political party. Frankly, there is a strong undercurrent of intolerance toward political diversity. Let’s face it, if you’re not part of the NDP, you’re not very welcome here.”
Brett said she has a “large and growing base of enthusiastic support,” but you wouldn’t know it from the signs because, she says, people are actually afraid to put B.C. Liberal signs on their lawns because of the potential backlash.
Johina Campbell, the Green party candidate, kept mum on the subject, probably for good reason.
Campbell plunged into local politics with the backing of the local District Labour Council, which has a fairly consistent pattern of endorsing NDP members.
Campbell didn’t say if she’s getting the cold shoulder from former NDP supporters, but we’re guessing she’s heard some muttering behind her back on the campaign trail.
There’s no question it’s a fascinating race in New West this time around.
In 2013, NDP Judy Darcy garnered nearly half of the votes to win. She received 48.70 percent of the vote. Liberal candidate Hector Bremner received 8,944 (33.44 per cent) and the Green candidate took 2,241 votes (8.38 per cent). Conservative Paul Forseth took 4.89 per cent and independent candidate James Crosty took 3.90 per cent. The Libertarian only got 189 votes.
Campbell is running a strong campaign, and Brett is head-butting the NDP. Darcy is hoping voters will reward her for a lot of hard work in this riding. But, as usual, a lot of winning elections is still about the simple mechanics of getting the vote out. And, of course, whether voters want to have a beer with Horgan, Clark or Weaver.
At this point in time, we’re not placing our election bets on anyone in this city.
