Bob Simpson, the Cariboo North MLA who was booted from the NDP caucus this fall, announced Wednesday he is formally leaving the NDP and will run in the next election as an independent.
"As an Independent, I believe I will be free to raise issues of sustainability, social justice, and progressive economics in a manner which will challenge all parties and all MLAs to address these issues rather than simply fight with each other," said Simpson, a former forestry executive who lives in Quesnel.
"Today, I am also calling on every leadership candidate and hopeful from both parties to commit publicly to fundamental reforms to our democratic system," he said.
Simpson said he hopes to drive an agenda using his new-found freedom from the party system, and increased research funding available to him as an independent, to drive an agenda using, in part, private members' bills.
He said he may work from time to time with other independents, who include Vicki Huntington, on issues of mutual interest.
He said he hopes to prove before the next election slated for 2013 that he can represent his constituents effectively in this manner.
Simpson says he will also make an attempt to drive government reform.
He says the party system is to blame for declining voter turnout and mistrust and cynicism towards politicians.
Simpson is calling for electoral reform, election-finance reform and legislative reform.
Simpson's suggestions include a free vote in the legislature on all matters except those of confidence. He also suggested the public should be re-engaged in an informed discussion of alternative voting systems.
The province twice turned down a switch to the single-transferable-vote system (STV) from the current first-past-the-post system in referendums held in 2005 and 2009.
The STV system incorporates both proportional representation and preferential voting. Under STV, votes are initially allocated to an elector's most preferred candidate and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or unused votes are transferred according to the voters' stated preferences.
Simpson has twice been elected to the Cariboo North riding, defeating his Liberal opponents by several hundred votes each time. Simpson had been the Cariboo North Liberal riding president in the mid-'90s and a supporter of Premier Gordon Campbell until he broke with him over the party's direction.
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Now that Bob Simpson has declared his intentions, it leaves one other northern B.C. independent MLA to announce his electoral future.
Former Liberal MLA Blair Lekstrom, now sitting as an independent representative for the riding of Peace River South, has not publicly chosen a path, but he gave The Citizen some hints on Wednesday.
He said if he sees some policy changes as a result of the Liberal leadership race, he might consider a return to the party. Lekstrom broke with the Liberals over their handling of the introduction of the harmonized sales tax.
He is optimistic, however, the candidates are capable of uncorking some new party paths.
"I think all of them have some good ideas. They will all share some similar visions. I'm going to wait and see which one brings what I like to the table," he said.
He is not endorsing any of the candidates, who include Moria Stilwell, George Abbott, Kevin Falcon, Mike de Jong and Christy Clark.
- Citizen reporter, Frank Peebles
