In his concession speech Tuesday night, NDP Leader Adrian Dix urged supporters to accept the results of the provincial election, to respect the fact election day is all about the voters.
We could not agree more. In light of the results Tuesday, we believe there are some clear facts the people of B.C. and Parksville Qualicum Beach should strongly consider accepting, if they have not already:
• A clear majority of British Columbians, and even more so in Parksville Qualicum Beach, believe in a free enterprise model of governance. Full stop.
• Premier Christy Clark’s position at the national table, especially when it comes to dealing with Alberta, has been strengthened, and that is a good thing for British Columbians. A lame duck, weak-mandate premier, regardless of political stripe, would have less bargaining power during all meetings related to important interprovincial issues.
• We would not want to be a salesperson for a polling company today.
• British Columbians believe resource extraction, and the jobs that go with it, are important for the future of the province.
• Despite our pleas during the campaign, local issues were not going to get any attention, and did not, in the Parksville Qualicum Beach constituency. Sometimes, no matter how much a newspaper wants to focus on what tangible benefits could come from the election of a party or candidate, it’s more about broader, provincial issues.
• Safe, say-nothing, do-nothing, sit-back-and-enjoy-your-lead strategies are bad. Ask Dix. Or the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• Michelle Stilwell is a winner, no matter what she pursues.
• This government has a clear mandate from the people of the province.
We look forward to what this Liberal victory will mean for B.C., and we endeavour to keep tabs on what the governing party does in relation to what it promised. And we are hopeful both the Liberals and Stilwell can bring this home a little more than they did during the campaign and better explain how the tax dollars shovelled to Victoria by the people of this region will be used in Parksville Qualicum Beach.
— Editorial by John Harding