SURREY – BC NDP announced thisweek that it will select and announce itsnew leader this September after a fourdayday voting period.Voting will take place within the partyfrom Sept. 24-27, 2014 and a new leaderwill be announced on September 28 inVancouver. Votes will be cast over thetelephone and an Internet voting system.”We have set in place rules for a modern,fair, one-member one-vote leadershipelection,” said Craig Keating, presidentof the BC NDP. “I’m looking forward toan exciting leadership election with greatcandidates presenting a positive visionfor our province.”In September, 2013, Adrian Dix said hewould be stepping down as leader in2014, once his party voted to replacehim. In last May’s provincial election, Dixand the NDP lost to Christy Clark andthe BC Liberals, despite an overwhelmingnumber of predictors and analysts forecastingan orange victory, reportedSurrey Leader.”It has become clear to me that the bestinterests of our party mean that I need tostep aside for a new leader who can leadus to victory in 2017,” Dix said inSeptember.”It is my hope that a leadership vote canbe held by mid-2014 at the latest, thoughof course any final decision on timingwill be made by the NDP.”Members will make their choices by telephoneor online, voting on a preferentialballot.It will be a one-member; one-vote choice,according to a party statement.Only those who are party membersbefore June 26 will be allowed to vote.The spending limit for campaigns is$350,000 — up from $175,000 in the 2011race that ended with Dix’s victory,reported Globe and Mail.According to a party official speaking onbackground, the spending limit wasraised to account for a longer race. In2011, the race lasted only about fourmonths.The race has yet to see its first declaredcandidate. Many federal NDP MPs hadconsidered running for the top BC job,including Jinny “Jogindro” Sims but allhave backed away.However several members of the party’sprovincial caucus are considering bids tolead the party, including Mike Farnworthwho placed second in 2011.
CORRECTION: The LINK’s story onPrime Minister Harper snubbing somemembers of the ethnic media in our Jan.18, 2014 edition, ran with the byline by24 Hours reporter Jeremy Nuttall inerror. He did not write this particularstory as it was rewritten from his storywith our own editorial input clearly visibleat the beginning of the story (first sixparagraphs). However, Nuttall had writtenabout the snub in a number of storieslast week in 24 Hours. The LINK storywas re-written from his story with passagesof what went on in the HarperRoundtable with ethnic media used inour story. We regret and apologize forthis error to Jeremy Nuttall and 24Hours.
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