When John Horgan announced in January that he wouldn鈥檛 run for the leadership of the sa国际传媒 New Democrats, he said the party should look to the 鈥渘ext generation鈥� for a leader who would inject fresh blood into the party.
He has changed his mind about running, but that doesn鈥檛 change the fact that the party still needs a revitalization and an infusion of new ideas.
A party that hopes to convince voters in the 2017 election that it can govern has to be a credible and vigorous opposition in the interim. And it has to show that it is in tune with a broader spectrum of the electorate than it has been in the past.
Confirming rumours that have circulated for weeks, the Juan de Fuca MLA announced his candidacy for the party leadership Monday, making it 鈥� so far 鈥� a two-person race. Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth announced two weeks ago he would seek the leadership.
So much for new faces. Farnworth and Horgan contested the 2011 NDP leadership, coming second and third respectively to winner Adrian Dix. (Marijuana advocate Dana Larsen placed a distant fourth.) That contest was fairly low key, as the top three contenders had few major platform differences.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to get a lot of division from us tonight; we are united on these issues,鈥� Horgan said during a leadership debate in Victoria. 鈥淥ur values are identical.鈥�
So this year鈥檚 production features two of the same actors. If that production is to be successful, those actors will need a new script, one that will draw in younger players without alienating the older base. The party needs to examine its policies and philosophies, and figure out how to tailor them to current realities.
The two candidates are already operating under the assumption that British Columbians are concerned about the economy. Dix鈥檚 surprise Earth Day announcement that the NDP would oppose expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline is considered one of the significant factors in the party鈥檚 loss to the sa国际传媒 Liberals.
鈥淲hat we want to do first is show a positive economic vision,鈥� Farnworth said as he announced his candidacy for the leadership.
鈥淩ight now, the province has the worst private-sector job creation in the country. People are concerned about things like education and appalled by a government that鈥檚 prepared to force a [teachers鈥橾 strike.鈥�
Horgan acknowledged that Dix鈥檚 move likely spooked traditional NDP supporters because 鈥渨e did not articulate a message of balance that put them in the equation. We said protect and preserve [the environment], but we did not say promote and enhance [jobs].鈥�
Strengthening the NDP isn鈥檛 just about the party. A governing party facing weak opposition will become arrogant, unresponsive and sluggish, and its members will tend toward a burgeoning sense of entitlement. An effective opposition helps keep the government honest and alert.
If the New Democrats are to convince voters they can form the next government, they need to do more than oppose, though. They need to show they can form better policies, that they have fresher ideas.
鈥淲e have to excite people about the prospect of changing the government,鈥� Horgan said this week.
During the last leadership campaign, he said: 鈥淲e need to rid ourselves of the Liberals, not by saying: 鈥榁ote for us; we鈥檙e not them,鈥� but by saying: 鈥榁ote for us because we have ideas.鈥� 鈥�
That will take new faces and broadened support. That will take building up the public鈥檚 confidence in the NDP鈥檚 abilities to tackle problems and work constructively on economic challenges. It takes more than words.
If the same actors follow the same script, they face the prospect of being booed off the stage again.
