Dear Editor:
Why are the media making such a big deal about the decision of three BC Liberal cabinet ministers not to run in the next provincial election? The media act as though this has never happened before and seem to be suggesting that something earthshaking is going on. Well, I’ve got news for the media: The political history of British Columbia shows that this is the normal state of affairs prior to every provincial election.
Prior to the last provincial election in 2009, for example, there were six BC Liberal cabinet ministers who decided not to run again. These were Carole Taylor, Claude Richmond, Richard Neufeld, Olga Illich, Rick Thorpe, and Tom Christensen. Likewise, in 2005, five BC Liberal cabinet ministers decided not to run again. These were Gary Collins, Geoff Plant, Christy Clark, Sandy Santori, and Gulzar Cheema.
Currently there are 18 people in the BC Liberal cabinet and only three have announced they are not going to run again. By my calculation that means 15 BC Liberal cabinet ministers (at this point) are planning to run again in the provincial election next May.
So, why have the media failed to make note of this important and much more significant fact? I can only conclude that the media have been having a very slow news month and as a result are looking for almost anything they can jazz up and make into a something resembling news.
Greg von Euw
Burnaby