Tuesday, 04 March, 2003
Recalling the recall in Delta South - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER – Being the fine columnist and muckraker that he is, Vaughn Palmer, nearly a week before Elections BC revealed the fate of the Delta South recall campaign on MLA Val Roddick, revealed that it had failed. Roddick, elected in the winter of 1999 in a by-election that buried former premier Bill Vander Zalm's hope for a political comeback, went on to reclaim the seat with 67% of the vote in 2001. However, by the time the recall organisers handed in their petitions, they claimed to have over 13,000 Delta South constituents signed up, all (supposedly) wishing that Ms. Roddick either resign or face another test at the ballot box. Alas, some 2,000 signatures were declared invalid, as they were duplicates, not on the voters list or ineligible for one reason or another. The number of signatures valid? Well, an astounding 9,999. Nearly 10,000 residents of Delta South, think that Ms. Roddick should be recalled. That's a good chunk of the constituency if you ask me.
Ms. Roddick is safe, as the law states the recallers needed more valid signatures to oust the MLA in question. However with nearly 10,000 not in particular enamour of Ms. Roddick and her government's policies, surely Premier Campbell and the BC Liberals can't snuff off this exercise as the work of special interests, namely organised labour or the NDP. The recall effort, fronted by a doctor, was spearheaded by Delta South residents who were upset with the closure of a local hospital. Also, one of the more outspoken critics of the shutdown of Delta Hospital was the widow of one Fred Gingell. Gingell, was the predecessor of Roddick's, who prior to his death in 1999 was Gordon Campbell's mentor.
Irrespective of political affiliation, it is safe to assume that "special interests" were not necessarily involved here. The proposed ouster of Val Roddick was surprising to begin with considering Delta South is one of the more safe Liberal seats provincially. It's a right-wing seat that has never gone to the NDP, and prior to Gingell, was a Socred seat for eons. People were rightly concerned about the closure of their hospital, as well as I'm sure there was some questioning of Premier Campbell's policies. They got organised in Delta South and they sent a message.
BC Liberals, as well as NDPers, have questioned Recall's effectiveness in the province. There are those that think only voters who voted Liberal in the last election, have the right to sign onto a recall campaign. True, as non-voters or voters who voted for other parties may capitalise on the situation and exert undue influence. Then again, how do you figure out who voted for whom in the last election? Keeping a record like that would be undemocratic in itself. And basing the threshold on mere numbers is open to speculation and further questions. Were the Liberals to embark on recall reforms now, the process would be smacked with political interference considering their Ms. Roddick was flying by the seat of her pants for the last little while.
Personally, I'm hesitant over the whole recall thing. In a true parliamentary democracy, the citizen's opinions should be canvassed only at the ballot box, every four or five years. However we all know we don't have any semblance of a parliamentary system in this country or this province. Recall like this, even with its prohibitive costs to ward off cheap politicking and/or fraud, is activism that surely could be open to opportunism from all sides. What the experience in Delta South has shown us though, is that as flawed as the system is, they took advantage of it and sent a message.
However from what I've heard from the Premier and the MLA from Delta South, Val Roddick, is that it'll be business as usual. Oh, she'll try her best to mend fences, yes, but with the direction of the Premier and this government unmoved, why shouldn't those ten thousand voices be heard? Why shouldn't there be something done to placate the vast discontent in the riding of Delta South? To do anything less would sincerely be arrogant, ignorant and disingenuous to democracy itself. Even as flawed as it is in this part of the world.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .