From The Province – April 2, 2011

by Cassidy Olivier

They joked around about what kind of salmon they would be, drew big
laughs with their self-deprecating humour and elicited cheers from the
packed auditorium with their directed jabs at the governing Liberal
Party.

But the main message coming out of Saturday’s B.C. NDP
leadership debate on environmental sustainability in Vancouver was a
serious one: The province needs a government who makes the environment a
top priority. And that’s what they promised to do.

Like the
previous six leadership debates, the five candidates vying for the top
job differed little on the policy issues — ranging from water
stewardship to pollution taxes — raised at the Creekside Community
Centre in the former Olympic Village.

All agreed that the
province’s environmental assessment process needs beefing up, that
issues of ­poverty and sustainability are inextricably linked, that
damaging practices need to be stopped and that the controversial carbon
tax needs rejigging.

Similarly, all five said they were against
Site C, the proposed mega-dam on the Peace River, the cross-province
Enbridge Pipeline project and offshore drilling.

They also expressed a need to take a closer look at B.C. Hydro’s IPP contracts.

As
John Horgan, MLA for Juan de Fuca, put it in a line borrowed from
himself Thursday in Victoria: “It’s another love-in, as you can see.
There’s not a lot to divide the five of us with respect to policy or the
issues of the day.”

The differences, then, were found in the way
they performed and the themes they pushed forward as part of their
ultimate goal of convincing party members that they are the right choice
to lead New Democrats into the future, and the best bet of beating
Premier Christy Clark at the polls.

Vancouver-Kingsway MLA ­Adrian
Dix, one of three perceived front-runners, spoke passionately about the
need for environmental assessment legislation that was “worthy of its
name.”

He said the carbon tax shouldn’t be revenue neutral and promised a rollback on the tax to fund transportation and education.

Dix also tossed the most vitriol at B.C.’s new premier, saying in his closing remarks that he “couldn’t wait” to take her on.

Earlier,
he questioned Clark’s decision to lobby the federal government on the
proposed Prosperity Mine near Williams Lake, after the feds had said the
province’s environmental assessment had been inadequate.

“Stephen
Harper’s government said no. Then the new premier of B.C. demands that
the federal government overturns its decision,” said Dix.

“You got to be pretty far out on the political fringe to be on the right of Stephen Harper.”

Mike
Farnworth, MLA for Port Coquitlam and another perceived front-runner,
spoke frequently of unity — both in terms of uniting the province under a
shared vision and progressive voters who are desperate for change.

Farnworth
spoke of ­adequately funding the Ministry of Environment so that “they
can do what they are supposed to do” and of a government that looks at
sustainability, as it applies not only to the environment, but also
public policy.

“Our best days, our best public policy is when we
do what we do best which is bring the people together,” he said. “We
don’t divide the people, we bring them together.”

Horgan, who
appears to be making a late push and arguably drew the most laughs of
the day, said the Liberals aren’t adequately protecting the province’s
resources.

He said more science needs to be applied when making
decisions that have environmental impacts, and spoke of putting forward a
strong agenda based on sustainability that the voters are proud of.

Nicholas
Simons, MLA for Powell-River Sunshine Coast, also spoke of the need to
bring in experts and seek differing opinions when making policy
decisions.

In perhaps the most eloquent close of the afternoon,
Simons, a cellist, likened his role as leader to a conductor in an
orchestra.

Marijuana activist Dana Larsen said it was critical
that we move away from a carbon-based society to one that uses more
renewable energy such as hemp.

B.C. NDP members will vote for a new leader April 17.

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