Tag Archives: humility

#BCPoli | BC NDP | Snatching Victory From the Jaws of Near Defeat

BC Election 2024, BC Politics, BC Votes 2024, Canada, canadian politics, News, Politics, Vancouver, , , , , ,


A troubled British Columbia Premier David Eby wondering how his government will hold power.

Save the judicial count of ballots in the ridings of Kelowna Centre — where a mere 38 votes separate BC Conservative candidate Kristina Loewen from her NDP challenger, Loyal Wooldridge — and Surrey-Guildford, where incumbent NDP MLA Garry Begg staged a tentative come-from-behind victory once the mail-in ballots had been counted, at present and before the judicial recount takes place this upcoming weekend, finds himself leading by a gargantuan 27 votes — judicial recounts rarely change the outcome — the 43rd British Columbia provincial election may well be considered to be all but over, with a bare majority of 47 seats in the 93-seat BC Legislature having been won by British Columbia New Democrats, the surprisingly robust, upstart BC Conservatives almost prevailing on election night, currently holding 44 seats in the house, with two Green MLAs rounding out the contingent of electeds who will sit in the BC Legislature through the next election.

While the BC NDP have prevailed, and will now form government for a record third consecutive time for an incumbent BC New Democratic Party — no mean feat that, given the strong desire expressed by the electorate for change — there’s no getting away from the fact that the 47th British Columbia election campaign run by the BC New Democrats was a botch job from beginning to end, despite the bare win, the most mundane, lacklustre, lethargic, utterly enervating, tone deaf, and uninspiring campaign the BC New Democratic Party has waged in its glorious 91-year history.


What good speech-making sounds like in the midst of a campaign. David Eby has to up his game.

And, who’da thunk that David Eby would prove to be such a terrible campaigner, or as former Chief of Staff to Premier John Horgan, Geoff Meggs, boldly stated on the Hotel Pacifico podcast during the course of the election campaign …

“During the campaign, David Eby was reasoned and lawyerly, when what was required was an impassioned and inspiring provincial political leader fighting for the social good,” said Geoff Meggs, “David Eby and the BC NDP waging a battle to represent all British Columbians, against a ne’er-do-well crew of bunko squad racist, misogynist, homophobic QAnon conspiracy theorists. How did the BC NDP not consign them to the dustbin of history?”


What a decent ad, a moving ad can do to motivate people. There are lessons to be learned BC NDP.

The BC NDP campaign for office was further harmed by the worst conceived voiceover campaign ads VanRamblings has seen in a generation, devoid of compassion, with no human faces ever shown, with no focus whatsoever on key issues — like the BC Conservative plan to scrap rent caps, which would detrimentally affect 600,000 households who rent, across the expanse of our province — with negative and utterly irrelevant backward focused campaign ads, rather than a forward focused campaign for government that would state “this is what we stand for, this is what we’re going to do for you, we’re the change you seek, we’re on your side.”

Had BC Conservative leader John Rustad had his wits about him — yes, a tall order we know — rather than choosing to run a troubled Bryan Breguet in Vancouver-Langara, when the popular former BC United candidate, Jamie Stein, would have won the riding in a walk; or had Rustad allowed popular Lumby Mayor Kevin Acton to run in the riding of Vernon-Lumby, rather than parachuting his Kamloops friend Dennis Geiesbrecht in as the BC Conservative candidate in Vernon-Lumby, the BC Conservatives rather than the BC NDP would have won a majority government, a majority which would have been further enhanced by allowing former BC United Richmond candidate Jackie Lee to run in Richmond-Steveston.

Is VanRamblings unhappy that our beloved British Columbia New Democratic Party — and leader / Premier David Eby, who we love with all of our heart — eked out an undeserved win in the 2024 British Columbia provincial election? Nope, despite our kvetching, we’re kind of over-the-moon. We believe the BC New Democratic Party to be comprised of kind and passionate human beings, as well as very bright, forward thinking Members of the Legislature who, universally, mean well for our province. We continue to believe that David Eby is a once-in-a-generation visionary leader who means much good for our province. So, colour us very happy, indeed.

In tomorrow’s column, we’ll focus on where the BC New Democratic Party government goes from here, and what the party and its elected members must do to remain in government — which we believe will be a much much easier task for the BC NDP to achieve than most political pundits currently believe may be the case.

Note. Humility, collaboration and consultation must carry the day going forward.

#VanPoli | Humility | Critical, Yet Missing, in Our Municipal Electoral Politics

#CdnPoli | Canadian Politics, #VanPoli Civic Politics, BC Politics, BC Votes 2024, canadian politics, Essay, Politics, Vancouver, VanRamblings

In the era of Donald Trump and Pierre Poilievre, humility has become so out of fashion as to almost have been forgotten. Nonetheless, it is worth articulating why humility is an essential attribute of civic life.

Genuine humility and good governance is defined by grace and an intense interest in the lives of others. The perspective of the public, our neighbours, must always be taken into account in the taking of decisions in the public realm.

In the fabric of democracy, humility will always stand as a cornerstone that fortifies the integrity and efficacy of electoral processes and the governance that ensues.

At the municipal level, where governance directly touches the lives of citizens in their communities, the significance of humility becomes even more pronounced.

Humility plays a critical role in the electoral process and among elected officials at the civic level, in fostering trust, co-operation, and effective leadership.

If we in Vancouver have suffered in the civic domain for most of the past quarter century, bereft of an otherwise recommendable civic administration of conscience, the central failure of governance in our city has occurred as a consequence of an unremitting arrogance, and a certitude that what is being done is right and in the collective interest, whether or not community consensus has been achieved.

Humility in the electoral process serves as a linchpin in maintaining the democratic ideals of fairness and equality.

Municipal elections are the bedrock of local democracy, where individuals come together to choose representatives who will voice their concerns, make decisions, and shape policies that directly impact our day-to-day lives.

Humble candidates prioritize the needs and aspirations of their constituents over personal ambitions, engaging in genuine dialogue and actively listening to the diverse voices within their communities. They eschew grandstanding and instead focus on authentic connections and constructive discourse, thereby fostering an electoral environment that is characterized by respect, civility, and inclusivity.

Once elected, those persons who are elected to City Council, Park Board or School Board bear the weighty responsibility of representing the interests of their constituents, while navigating the complexities of policy making and administration.

In this capacity, humility serves as a guiding principle that grounds officials in a recognition of their fallibility and the limitations of their knowledge.

Humble leaders understand that they do not possess all the answers and thus remain open to diverse perspectives, expertise, and feedback from both constituents and fellow stakeholders.

By embracing humility, elected officials cultivate an environment of collaboration and collective problem-solving, transcending partisan divides and fostering innovative solutions to the myriad challenges facing their communities.

Furthermore, humility engenders trust and credibility among constituents, essential elements for the legitimacy of municipal governance.

In an era marked by heightened skepticism towards traditional institutions, humility offers a powerful antidote to the erosion of public trust in government.

Humble leaders prioritize the common good over personal gain, earning the respect and admiration of their constituents through their humility, authenticity, and commitment to serving the public interest.

The challenges confronting municipalities require leaders who possess the humility to acknowledge the complexity of these issues and the willingness to collaborate with diverse stakeholders to address them effectively.

Fostering trust and cooperation to promoting effective leadership and governance, humility serves as a guiding principle enriching the fabric of local democracy.

Let us be very clear here: we as a voting public in Vancouver do not want more arrogance in civic governance of our city.

We do not want holier-than-thou elected civic officials, whether they are with the so-called “progressive coalition” or the nominally right-of-centre ABC Vancouver civic party dictating what is best for us, and ignoring our voices. We’ve had a quarter century of that, and that is more than enough.

In Vancouver, to be a respected, successful and admired politician, one must know what one stands for and what one is fighting for, to know how to work with others, to listen to the public and be a voice for change for the better.

If you’re an elected official, you better darn well listen to the public, bring them along with you, and not find yourself sitting back on your high horse telling the public …

“Oh, deary, I know what’s best for you. Oh sure, I know you think you know what’s best for you, but believe me, I know better than you what’s good for you. Just trust me. And even if you don’t trust me, I’m going to go ahead and do what I damn well please, anyway.”

That’s a recipe for electoral disaster, and a very pissed off public — and if you’ve got any caring, compassion and humility at all, you don’t want that.

Take heed elected officials. Should you fail to do so, you proceed at your peril.