A host of familiar faces and friends were at Carlson Community Club on Wednesday, January 5 to greet Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, and wish him well in his bid for leadership of the BC NDP (New Democratic Party).
In a town where everybody knows his name, if not the man personally, Simons, discussing his bid over beer and fish and chips, was in friendly territory. It will probably be the easiest stop he makes as he heads out on a “snow-tire tour” of BC to shake hands, give talks and convince people to sign up for the BC NDP so they can vote for Simons and help him reach the top of the party.
He’s not a flashy politician and outside of his own riding Simons will have his work cut out for him to get on most people’s political radar. Simons recognizes this but rather than being discouraged he sees the situation as an opportunity to pitch a new style of leadership to party members and promote change.
The word “new” is a key component of Simons’ campaign rhetoric. In an interview with the Peak he spoke of bringing a “new voice” and a “new approach” to provincial politics. Simons said that he believes public policy should represent the public and that this hasn’t happened with the current Liberal party in power. Simons would like to see more research and consultation behind the decisions government makes, alluding specifically to the HST and the Motor Vehicle Act amendment (drinking and driving penalties) as instances where the current government failed in that regard.
Simons is focusing on sustainability, public consultation, crime prevention and child protection as key points in his campaign. He said the key to crime prevention is providing proper support services to residents at a young age through family and child services. Simons also wants to get rid of the HST, a tax he believes was brought in behind voters’ backs and without proper consultation or foresight.
Nearly all early reports of Simons’ bid for the leadership have alluded to his role as one of the “dissidents” that forced the resignation of outgoing NDP leader Carole James. For his part Simons maintains that the label does not fit. Simons worries that there is a misunderstanding out there of what exactly happened and is disappointed with having been labelled the bad guy in the situation. By his account he and the rest of the “baker’s dozen” were the ones done wrong by after their inter-party concerns were made public without their consultation, forcing them into a position where they had to publicly pick a side.
“I had the choice at that point between my blind loyalty and my integrity,” said Simons. “I sleep well at night knowing that I didn’t do any wrong.”
His hope is that the party can move past the last couple of months and members can start to focus on rebuilding and coming together to work toward their common goals. Time may be the party’s biggest obstacle right now, said Simons, with the deadline for signing up new members on January 16 and the vote for leadership on April 17. The crunch means that there’s no time for looking back, said Simons, and the party needs to focus on what they want to achieve in the future.
Simons said he has no illusions about his bid for leadership. He knows that bigger names within the party will be joining the race. Despite this Simons is excited to be running and to provide another option for people who might be looking for a change.
“Ultimately, the odds makers will make their odds and the pundits will do what they’re best at and meanwhile I’m just going to present an alternative or an option for people to choose from,” said Simons. “It’s one thing to be a dark horse but I’m on the track.”
Juan de Fuca MLA John Horgan announced he was entering the leadership race on Monday night, January 10. He joins Simons, MLA Harry Lali and marijuana activist Dana Larsen in seeking the top job.
