What is leadership?
Particularly, what is good political leadership? Who has it and who doesn't?
These questions are kicked around on a regular basis by politicians, pollsters and literally everybody who grouses over the failings of our current leaders, while contemplating the hoped-for Messiah-like qualities of those who would replace them.
In our province the qualities of good political leadership are particularly relevant as British Columbians compare the record of current premier Christy Clark and the Liberals with the budding popularity of NDP leader Adrian Dix. By next May we'll have a winner and within two years of next May - or maybe sooner - we'll know if we made the right choice.
On the federal scene, the Liberal leadership is slated for next spring and the Eastern press pundits are tripping over themselves with the news that Justin Trudeau may throw his hat into the Grit leadership ring. Watch this one closely, even if Trudeau doesn't enter the Liberal race for the roses. With a federal election a long three years down the road, and given the ever-grumpy mood of the Canadian electorate, the winner of next year's Liberal leadership could just become Canada's next Prime Minister. Stranger things have happened. After all, who expected the federal NDP to become the official opposition?
Canada has an excellent record of electing strong leaders. Indeed, our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, had the skills and vision that led to the British North America Act, the founding legislation giving birth to Canada as a nation. Macdonald had enormous foresight and his determination to unite the country coast-to-coast was fulfilled by our coming of age as nation on July 1, 1867. From humble and precarious origins, Canada under Macdonald went from being a small colony to a nation covering over half of North America. Macdonald also oversaw the construction of a transcontinental railroad and the formation of a national economic policy.
In British Columbia, we owe a lot to the vision of W.A.C. Bennett. Bennett was the first B.C. premier to see the development potential of the British Columbia Interior, the B.C. beyond Hope. Bennett connected British Columbians with a massive highways program, along with the establishment of B.C. Hydro and with it the economic benefits of a stable, secure energy supply.
Looking at the careers of Macdonald and Bennett, there are two common elements, first, vision and second, genuine commitment. Both leaders saw what had to be done. Both convinced the electorate - and their political colleagues - that it could be done. Then they did it.
More recently, W.A.C. Bennett's son Bill Bennett had that vision and commitment, not to the extent of his father, but he had a good handle on what was in the best interests for British Columbians and he stuck to it. Bill Bennett will be well remembered for his restraint budget and his war with the union movement over that issue. But how many remember that under his administration, B.C. was the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce mandatory seatbelts? The interesting side to Bill Bennett was his low-key and not particularly warm persona. Though effective, he was a reluctant politician, yet he handily won three elections.
Former Premier Gordon Campbell tried. He had vision, he had commitment, but too many times he took the electorate for granted, a fatal flaw in politics.
Locally, former Mayor Colin Kinsley enjoyed a successful four-term run. Although Kinsley had some rough edges, no one could criticize his total dedication to the job and our city. Against tough criticism, Kinsley was one of the first municipal politicians to travel to China and promote the purchase of B.C. lumber. Those exports sales to China have kept our industry alive. He also initiated the proposal to establish the newly opened District Energy System. By any measure, Kinsley had vision and commitment and he was duly rewarded at the polls.
Gearing up for our May 2013 provincial election, and using vision and commitment as the test values, who is best to lead our province for the next term: Christy Clark or Adrian Dix? So far, neither candidate is lighting a fire in anyone's imagination. Clark is OK, but we've seen little in the way of vision or commitment. That paucity of solid policy development no doubt explains her continued drop in the polls. How about Adrian Dix? He's trying to appear competent, yet we've seen little in the way of ideas or novel proposals. If anything, Dix is winning by default, a sad situation.
As Sir John A. and W.A.C. have shown us, great nations and provinces, are not built on mediocrity but by a studied and expert look into the future.
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