Surrey fashions are different from those in East Van

Surrey fashions are different from those in East Van


In the BC election of 2005 you would be hard pressed to find a would be MLA south of the Port Mann speaking against the Gateway Plan and the subsequent twinning of the bridge. On the televised leaders debate all but one leader spoke in favour of the Gateway Plan.

However, times change and now there seems to far more opposition to the Gateway Plan in Victoria than ever before - or is there ?

As a candidate in the 2005 election I often found myself the single opponent of the freeway expansion, particularly in several televised debates on Ch 10. [NOW TV] with Doug Kooy. [May 17th, 2005] In that debate candidate Bruce Ralston of the NDP voiced his support of the Gateway Plan. Jagrup Brar was quoted in the Surrey Now in support of the plan and even leader Carole James voiced her support for the plan both in the Surrey Now and on the leaders tv debate.

However, that was way back in 2005 and political winds doth change. At the 2005 NDP convention Vancouver Kensington put forward a motion [I have a copy if you want it]

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the NDP oppose unilateral plans for the expansion of Highway 1 & the twinning of the Port Mann bridge in favor of assessing the most effective means for lasting solutions to traffic congestion that are consistent with adopted local and regional policy including but not limited to:

introducing improved transit options
increasing use of HOV lanes and introducing HPV lanes
introducing new rail options
implement congestion pricing and ramp signals
implement transportation demand management
[R2005-02 Lower Mainland Transportation]

The NDP in Abbotsford Clayburn put forward a motion:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the BC NDP press the provincial government to implement a comprehensive public transit strategy for the Fraser Valley which gives serious consideration to the utilization of existing rail facilities in the Fraser Valley on the south side of the Fraser River.[ R2005-04 Public Transportation in the Fraser Valley]

The reality of politics is that had the NDP had this policy in place prior to the 2005 election it may not have elected as many new MLA's. Policy changes tend to be a reflection of the current fashion of a political party - they can remain in the closet but never get worn out in public.

So it is with great interest we now observe a step up in the political rhetoric around the Gateway Plan. One begs to ask the question, how many Surrey NDP MLA's will be wearing their transportation policy out in public, particularly south of the Port Mann bridge ? What transportation policy fashion will the NDP leader be wearing in 2009 ?

As a resident of East Van who lives a mere 50 meters from Hwy 1, I am well aware of the NDP opposition to Gateway; but then just about every politician of every stripe is against the Gateway Plan in East Van, [as they should be]. However, it is those politicians over in Surrey, where support for Gateway is fashionable, that I am most concerned about. We never hear from Messrs Brar and Ralston on the issue; we never see them out in public wearing their NDP transportation policy suits and ties.

The logical question arising from this ambiguity [flip flopping] is: Should we trust the NDP to hold the course and wear their policy in public, leading up to the 2009 election ? History tells us political parties will do just about anything to get elected, including pushing their fashionable attire back in to the closet to gather dust, only to brought out when politically expedient.

Many of us have worked hard and long on opposing the Gateway Plan. To put our eggs in one political basket, namely the NDP, is risky. They have a long history of turning their backs on the people who supported them in the past. Maybe it is time for the NDP to wear unfashionable clothing at election time and damn the consequences, you never know people just might follow suit.