26 VANCOUVER MAY 2005 GREGORY CROW politics Left to Centre Can Carole James convince voters to forgive the NDP? Can she move her party to the middle? Can she get some attention? BY KATHARINE HAMER It’s a ceived to lie primarily with the labour move- cold January night outside Lucy Mae Brown, ment. Still, her supporters see James as with a slivered moon and three-day-old someone who can build consensus. snow going grey underfoot. Downstairs in “I’ve found her to be intelligent, warm, and the bar, the woman who wants to become she doesn’t get distracted by the clutter of pol- B.C.’s next premier is preparing for her itics,” says Doer. “She seems very calm, entrée into Vancouver society. It’s an unof- which is a very important characteristic.” ficial campaign kickoff for the provincial A calm political leader? Are we really New Democrats—and although she’s headed ready for this? There does seem to be a new the party since November 2003, few people energy here tonight, a party atmosphere that know anything about Carole James. can’t solely be ascribed to the free-flowing The faithful are squeezed in elbow-to- Chardonnay. James is smiling and unruffled elbow, at $175 a pop, for an audience with as she’s wheeled around the dingy space by James and the guest of honour she hopes to an unending stream of handlers, all of whom emulate: Manitoba premier Gary Doer. are dressed like the cast of Men in Black. The premier, who was personally urged by Former party leader Joy MacPhail, less well Gordon Campbell not to attend this known for being calm, is bobbing between pil- fundraiser, takes the microphone to welcome lars next to the bar. “When I was a kid, about the crowd to a “family event,” where he five or six,” she confides, “me and my siblings intends to offer “family advice.” If not for used to get so excited about Christmas that the fact that newly minted Surrey-Panorama we’d vomit. I’m feeling like that again.” Ridge MLA Jagrup Brar is addressing peo- ple as “brothers and sisters,” you’d be for- “I DON’T THINK anyone expected the given for mistaking this gathering for a NDP to recover from 2001 as well as they bible seminar instead of a gathering of did,” says University of Victoria political sci- (moderate) socialists. ence professor Norman Ruff. “Those that Doer takes the stage to tell the assembled thought the NDP would recover saw a two- crowd: make promises you can keep. Slim election scenario.” The party has been in an your priorities down to a handful: health care, upbeat mood ever since Brar won his leg- education, the environment, ending privati- islative seat in a by-election late last year— zation. Doer doesn’t believe that party poli- an event that the MLA describes as one that tics should be divided along labour and big “certainly gave a lot of energy to the NDP business lines; he’s banned campaign dona- troops … I think there’s a very common tions from both in a bid to get them working understanding when I talk to people now. together for the betterment of his province. [They] actually say to you, ‘We made a So far, it seems to be working: Doer is one of mistake. We don’t have a strong opposition.’ the most popular premiers in the country. That’s a very strong feeling in this province.” This centrist path is the one James wants Brar’s win boosted the battle-power of to follow, though she’s faced opposition even MacPhail and fellow MLA Jenny Kwan, the from within her own party. The notion of duo who’ve been solely responsible for nipping business and labour putting aside their dif- at Liberal heels in Victoria. “People were ferences won’t be an easy sell in a province writing our obituary three and a half years that is notoriously polarized in its politics, ago,” says MacPhail. “The party has spent a and where NDP loyalties are often per- lot of time renewing, learning, modernizing. Carole James: “She seems very calm,” says Manitoba premier Gary Doer. Are we ready for a calm political leader? MAY 2005 VANCOUVER 27 politics The key is to examine the past and learn from be forgiven by voters for the Clark era? social services unless the economy is work- our mistakes and grow. We did all that, even “Well,” says Ruff, “There was an old gothic ing. So it’s a bit of a Catch-22: which comes though it was painful.” Part of that modern- rock song—I think it was by the Sisters of first, which comes second? The situation ization meant jettisoning MacPhail as leader. Mercy: ‘We forgive as we forget.’ It’s so true we’re in today is that the economy is finally Though her tenacity has been widely admired, in politics. The Liberals are still harping on The starting to work, and the dollars are start- her attack-dog style and links to the Glen Clark Dismal Decade, and I think it’s no accident that ing to be there so that you can do those things era mean she has “very high negatives,” the Liberal platform is The Golden Decade. on social issues that we all care about.” notes Vancouver Sun legislative columnist It’s meant to be a not-too-subtle contrast.” Balancing social issues and the budget is Vaughn Palmer. “My sense of James is that a tough job, and there have been many on her personal qualities, she’s quite likeable.” questions about James’ intent to do so. Kevin Evans, chair of the Coalition of TO HER SUPPORTERS, James is the embod- B.C. Businesses, says many of his col- iment of compassion, commitment and leagues fear the NDP is still too closely tied moderation. Her opponents are more skep- to organized labour to meet business needs. tical. Former deputy premier (and outgoing He points to lingering figures from the MLA) Christy Clark maintains that James Clark years such as Corky Evans and was chosen for her malleability. “I don’t Mike Farnworth. “You’ve got a number of think she’s in control of her party,” says those people still hoping to get into a Car- Clark. “I think she’s the face of the party. The ole James cabinet, and that does not make decisions are made by people behind the people feel warm and fuzzy,” he says. He scenes.” Already, Clark and James have gone does concede, though, that the business head-to-head on the issue of women can- people who’ve met James have found her didates. Clark points out that 28 percent of to be “a very impressive person.” Liberal candidates are female, while James, she says, has squandered a huge opportunity THE CLAMOUR OVER CAROLE to bring more women on board. TAYLOR’S BID FOR OFFICE Both parties would like you to believe that SURPRISED EVEN TAYLOR: “I WENT this campaign will not involve taking pot- BACK TO BED AND PULLED THE shots. But that’s a tall order, considering that COVERS OVER MY HEAD,” SHE the foundering of the NDP under Glen Clark It’s also no accident that— SAYS OF THE LAVISH COVERAGE. and the stringent budget cuts under Gordon after announcing Olympic Campbell are obvious fodder. “The Liberal gold wrestler Daniel Igali as a nominee—the “As far as I can tell,” says Paul Ramsey, struggle is going to be around the meanness Liberals brought Carole Taylor on board. a James supporter and a cabinet minister thing with Campbell,” says Palmer, “the feel- That’s Carole Taylor, former Vancouver under Glen Clark, “the Campbell govern- ing that he went too far, that people don’t like city councillor, former chair of the CBC, ment doesn’t want to run against Carole. his style. They don’t feel they can entirely trust holder of the Order of Canada—and defi- They’d much rather run against (B.C. Fed- him. The NDP struggle isn’t going to be nitely high-profile. The media fell all over eration of Labour president) Jim Sinclair and around James, it’s going to be around the NDP. themselves to write up Taylor’s bid for Glen Clark, and neither of them are on the It’s either going to be around the issue of how office, touting her as a “star candidate” who ballot. It’s an interesting strategy. It’s like, ‘We much power will the unions have in their gov- could make up for the Liberal loss of more can’t really poke a hole in her because in ernment, or it’ll be around to what degree are centrist cabinet ministers like Christy Clark, many ways she’s mainstream, so we’ll just we going back to what we hurled out of Gary Collins and Geoff Plant. attack her as Jim Sinclair and Glen Clark.’” office in 2001.” The clamour surprised even Taylor. “I went “I think some people would think that she At the Chinese New Year’s parade through back to bed and pulled the covers over my might be too soft, but she’s not soft at all,” the Downtown Eastside in February, James head,” she says of the lavish coverage. “I just says Donna Michaels, now school superin- walks mostly unrecognized through the see this as my tiny way of trying to make my tendent for Brandon, Manitoba, who held crowd. Midway along the parade route a community a better place.” It’s Taylor’s com- the same position in Victoria when James gaggle of fans waves to her peach silk-clad mitment to community issues that has pundits was head of the B.C.