B.C. NDP leadership contest starts to simmer

Potential B.C. NDP leadership contenders are slowly startingto admitor at least not deny their interest in the job,one day after party leader Carole James ended her struggle with a dissident caucus faction and resigned.

Among those tipping their hand Tuesday was Harry Lali, MLA for Fraser-Nicola, who was among the "bakers dozen" of MLAs openly opposed to James's continuing leadership.

"Well, yes, it is a consideration," Lali said. "And I know some of my colleagues are also in the same process."

Carole James supporter Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake, went onlyas far asacknowledging that others were expressing interest on his behalf.

'No, no, no. No interest.' Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, on theNDP top job.

"I think a lot of people are getting calls, myself included. I'll think carefully about everything," Fleming said.

Others seen as possible contenders were even less forthcoming without ruling anything out.

"I think it's too early to say those sorts of things," said Vancouver-Kingsway MLA Adrian Dix.

Surrey-Whalley MLA Bruce Ralston: "Anyone who's seriously thinking about that would have to take some time to reflect."

And Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth, while not saying 'no,'claimed to have more pressing matters on his mind.

"All I know is there are three weekends left until Christmas. I have a lot of Christmas shopping to do."

Not interested

Some other high-profile politicians both inside and outside the NDP caucus wasted no time taking themselves out of contention.

When asked if she had any interest in the top job, New Westminster MLA Dawn Black laughed.

"Absolutely none. Zero," Black said.

One-time MLA and now Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson alsoemphatically put therumours to rest.

"No, no, no. No interest," said the mayor.

Vancouver-Mount Pleasant MLA Jenny Kwan, who delivered the final blow to James's leadership last week, also was clear.

"I'm not interested in running, and I don't have leadership ambitions," Kwan said in her constituency office Tuesday.

Kwan released a scathing open letter Dec. 1 that criticized James's leadership at length, precipitating her resignation Monday.

Shealso said emails and phone calls to her office since James quit have run 10-to-one in favour ofherrole, but she did not underestimate the possible negative effects of what she and her fellow dissidents have done.

"The road to reuniting and healing is going to be a difficult one," Kwan said. "But I also think that New Democrats will rise above that."

A party divided

One keen observer of the provincial political scene, University of Victoria political scientist Michael Prince, had a different opinion, suggesting the leadership race is going to be a minefield.

"This is a party that's badly adrift, and is, in a way, taking on water" said Prince. "How fast they can bail to save it from sinking is still an open question."

That concern was echoed by former NDP cabinet minister Paul Ramsay, who said the dissidents staged a mutiny under the mistaken belief their perceptions were more important than the wishes of the majority of caucus and the party executive.

"I'm at a loss to explain why this very disparate group of people decided that their individual perceptions were more important than the wishes of caucus and the wishes of their party," he said.

"It really shows to me a misunderstanding of the role of MLAs in a caucus and in a party and assuming to themselves authority that they really didn't have," he said.

Ramsay believes the governing B.C.Liberals have as much internal discord in their party as the NDP but they've shown more discipline in not airing their dirty laundry. He says forcing Carole James to resign probably cost the NDP the next election.

"The odds have shifted from a probable NDP win to a probable Liberal fourth term, and it's gonna be very difficult to turn that around for whoever leads the New Democrats next year,"

Ramsay says the party's only hope is that the Liberals do not call an election before the next required date in 2013, which would give the NDP time to heal internal wounds and regain public credibility.