If you still haven’t made up your mind on who to vote for in the federal election, many of B.C.’s living former premiers would like to bend your ear with their opinions.
The unusual display of public endorsements has played out over the last couple of weeks as four former premiers of various political stripes made their opinions known about who they are backing on April 28.
First out the gate was Christy Clark, B.C.’s Liberal premier from 2011 to 2017, who made it known early on that she was backing Liberal Leader Mark Carney, following her decision not to run against him in the federal Liberal party leadership race.
Since then, Clark has been touring the country, helping raise money and profile for select Liberal candidates from B.C. to the Maritimes.
Most recently, she was in Kelowna (a riding Liberals hope to steal away from Conservatives) praising candidate Stephen Fuhr, the former MP who is trying to make a political comeback.
“When Stephen was your member of parliament he delivered a lot,” Clark told supporters, according to Global BC.
“I worked with him in the past when I represented West Kelowna. He delivered $25 million for West Kelowna’s water treatment. When you think about the region, he has delivered $185 million for the region here.”
Clark called it “the most pivotal, probably the most consequential election in my lifetime.”
Meanwhile, Clark’s former boss and predecessor, Gordon Campbell, was endorsing Conservative candidate Tracy Gray in the same Kelowna riding.
Campbell, who was B.C. Liberal premier from 2001 to 2011, is firmly in the camp of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. In an op-ed, he attacked Carney for “magical thinking” and leading a Liberal government that has failed the country.
“Our country has been weakened as a direct result of Liberal mismanagement of immigration, health care, education, housing, the cost of living and the economy,” wrote Campbell.
“Clearly, we cannot afford another term of Liberal government, no matter who the leader is,” he added in a second op-ed.
Carney also picked up unexpected support from Mike Harcourt, who was the NDP premier from 1991 to 1996.
Harcourt refuted Campbell, calling his opinion “hysterical, untrue and unfair” before praising Carney’s extensive economic and business experience, including his stints as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, respectively.
“So for all these reasons I’m supporting Mark Carney to be elected April 28 as prime minister, hopefully with a comfortable majority government, despite Campbell’s misgivings,” he wrote.
The endorsement was a bitter blow to the federal NDP, who are struggling to retain seats in Vancouver and could have used the former mayor’s backing. Harcourt did include one line at the end suggesting voters support NDP incumbents — but it felt like a tacked-on afterthought at best.
More loyal to the NDP cause was former premier Glen Clark, who wrote a full-throated endorsement of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
Clark wrote that Carney “has literally stolen many Conservative Party policies” and “is not likely to change the status quo or challenge corporate control. He comes from that world.” Poilievre, Clark wrote, is simply selling a “brand of rage.”
“We need New Democrats in Parliament now more than ever to keep fighting for social justice — to keep the pressure on — no matter who wins,” wrote Clark.
Clark’s op-ed was mostly a broadside attack against business interests, which was odd considering he for many years had a successful post-political business career alongside B.C. billionaire Jimmy Pattison.
As for current NDP Premier David Eby, he’s offered a halfhearted endorsement of only NDP incumbents in B.C., while making it clear that unofficially he backs Carney.
In other news
• As Premier David Eby mulls one day relaxing short-term rental restrictions, experts say that one year after he brought the changes in, results are mixed.
• You know the policies and platforms of the federal leaders — but have you looked at the way they sign their signatures? Columnist Kirk LaPointe with a lighthearted look at how the graphology of Carney and Poilievre impacts his opinionology.
• B.C.’s decision to end the consumer carbon tax will save businesses and consumers money, but it also brings several major financial consequences to the provincial treasury. Veteran economists Jock Finlayson and Ken Peacock take a look.
Rob Shaw has spent more than 17 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio.
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