STORY-3-ITEM-1
 
Mike Farnworth
 
THERE isn’t a single NDP MP in B.C. who really has the calibre needed to inspire and reenergize the demoralized BC NDP!
 
That’s the gospel truth.
 
So I suggest that MPs Nathan Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley), who is also the party’s House Leader, Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) and Fin Donnelly (New Westminster-Coquitlam) as well as Jinny Sims (Newton-North Delta), who have all expressed some interest in the past, just back out and stick to their Ottawa jobs.
 
As it is, Sims told me in September: “Even though I am being pressed by many I am really committed to my federal work.”
 
Cullen is playing stupid politics by trying to delay the leadership contest until 2015 using the pretext that he’d be at a disadvantage in a 2014 race because the MLAs who are interested in running already have their campaign machine and strategy in place.
 
But, as some have noted, Cullen seems more interested in keeping his options open as the federal election will also take place in 2015.
 
Besides, if Cullen is really such a hot shot, he should enter the race. If he can’t inspire the NDPers now, then he’s hardly the kind of leader that British Columbians would like to vote for.
 
But you never know with the top NDP guys who royally screwed up in the provincial election. They may just decide to postpone the leadership contest to 2015. If they do that, then they would deserve to be held in contempt by all NDPers.
 
The leadership contest should include only the present MLAs. As I wrote back in September, the only NDP guy who’s not an MLA but really seems to matter is Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. But he doesn’t seem to be interested in the leader’s job for now.
 
Mike Farnworth, the Port Coquitlam MLA who should have been the NDP leader instead of Adrian Dix, deserves to be elected the leader this time around – or you can expect the NDP to remain the political wilderness for a long time to come.
 
– RATTAN MALL
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