This one-party town may see some competition November in the civic election - and this is good.
Democracy is just an abstract social studies subject if voters don't have real choices on the ballot. In the past, the Burnaby Citizens Association has faced competition, but that competition has often imploded before or during the campaign.
It's no small feat to take on the BCA party. They are well-organized, disciplined and share specific policies and goals with the NDP. They are, as the expression goes, a known "brand." They have also managed to avoid any huge missteps or scandals over the years.
Potential voters may feel a little uneasy having a one-party run city, but they seem to accept that it is - for the most part - working for them.
So, the fledgling Burnaby First Coalition has an uphill battle. The coalition is a diverse alliance of former Green, Burnaby Parents' Voice and TEAM civic party followers and candidates. Throw in a couple of federal political hopefuls and you have a very politically diverse group whose common ground is basically to break the BCA's monopoly on civic seats.
And there lies the problem. The coalition is made up of a wide spectrum of political ideologies. Can a single common enemy hold together this coalition?
TEAM was largely made up of right-leaning candidates, and they had trouble holding their ranks together. Imagine a discussion on school policies between former Parents' Voice candidates, Greens and Progressive Conservatives. The coalition says it wants a more diverse representation on council and school board. And it is willing to forge an alliance with disparate ideologies to achieve this. But even if they manage to keep all of their members in their tent, what will voters be voting for? How will they know what this party stands for other than a plan to break the BCA monopoly?
The new coalition deserves a chance to get on its feet, but with that chance comes a duty to tell voters exactly what its candidates stand for and what they intend to do if elected.
