Liberal dinner high on unity

VICTORIA

First onto the platform at the premier’s fundraising dinner in Vancouver were business leader Ryan Beedie and former MP John Reynolds, co- chairs of the annual event.

Both supported second- place Kevin Falcon, not winner Christy Clark, in last year’s B. C. Liberal leadership contest. Both circulated warnings that if the party chose her, it could split the governing coalition and spark the revival of the moribund B. C. Conservatives.

Neither claimed prophet status on that score Tuesday night, needless to say. But as evidence of things coming together in other ways, they did manage to let slip that 1,700 tickets were sold at $ 350 apiece for a gross of $ 600,000, making for the richest fundraiser in party history.

Next up was the personification of the unity theme, Falcon himself.

He paid tribute to the woman who beat him for the leadership by describing how she’d backed him every step of the way in the drive to hold down spending and keep the province on track for a balanced budget next year.

All by way of what he regards as a winning economic and fiscal theme for the coming election, namely, “This is not the time for taking a risk on our future.”

The polls? “Ignore the polls,” said Falcon, reminding the audience how in the past two years in this country, “we have seen every incumbent government re- elected.”

He then introduced “the best salesperson in the country” — the premier. Clark returned the tribute in similar coin, praising Falcon as one who “sweats the details” on fiscal matters, “putting in the late nights away from his family.”

She, like many in the audience, was doubtless wondering how long he will continue to pull the long hours and what signal it would send if he decides to retire instead.

Clark then plunged into her own presentation with a major emphasis on jobs and growth. Mentioned the day’s big news, how Shell Canada struck a $ 4- billion deal with TransCanada Corp for construction of a pipeline to transport natural gas from the northeast to a proposed export terminal in Kitimat.

Did not mention the rival liquefied natural gas proposal from Apache- EnCana- EOG, which might be a sign that the partnership, ranked until recently as the most likely to go ahead, is struggling to secure a long- term deal to sell the gas into Asian markets.

On the partisan front, Clark went after New Democratic Party leader Adrian Dix for adopting the anti- resource- export “Dutch disease” rhetoric of his federal counterpart Thomas Mulcair.

“Paging Dr. Dix,” she taunted. “You’re trying to cure a disease that doesn’t exist.” Moreover, the medicine could end up “killing the patient,” meaning jobs and businesses here in B. C.

Debatable, to be sure. What aspect of economic policy is not?

But more apt than going after Dix for his presumed role in the last NDP government and the mocking tone drew the strongest response of the night.

Elsewhere, the speech was not without its faltering moments.

Hard to fathom why she thought it inspirational (“they believed”) to cite the example of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, which crushed the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round of the playoffs this year. But she can’t be accused of pandering to the homers in the audience.

She also announced the departure from her office of Jim Shepard, the former executive with Finning and Canfor, who has been serving as a $ 1- a- year policy adviser on job creation, development and trade. But she neglected to specify what he’d be doing.

Shepard, after prompting from the news media, subsequently supplied the answer. He’ll head up Concerned Citizens for B. C., a group of “private citizens” seeking to promote a better image for Clark — “she has not been identified as a competent premier” — and the importance of re- electing the Liberals.

Going back to the speech, the overall response was polite and not overly enthusiastic. But after attending a number of these fundraising dinners over the years, I found that more or less typical.

Big crowd. Dispersed in an even bigger hall. Plus many of the tables are purchased by a senior partner or boss then filled, by invitation- cum- command, with employees who see attendance as a duty more than a pleasure.

When I talked to some of the folks afterward, a number said that the event was more upbeat, more caught up in the spirit of unity, than they expected.

My sense as well. Back when John van Dongen bolted from the Liberal caucus in March, there was speculation that other MLAs would soon follow as a prelude to yet another leadership change. There are fewer such rumblings today.

Clark, for her part, declared her intentions early in her speaking text: “A year from now I plan to be leading a government that is starting a new term of office with a renewed mandate.” Odds, anyone? Still, as she said, the leader has gotta believe.

Whatever reservations Clark has about her abilities as premier, she has a high opinion of herself as a campaigner, particularly against the unproven Dix.

She fully intends to carry the fight through to the next election and Tuesday’s crowd gave every sign of intending to allow her that opportunity.