Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: Wilkinson has had a strong campaign, but still hasn’t delivered a knockout blow

Oct 9, 2020 | 12:16 PM

IT SEEMS STRANGE to already be looking back at the provincial election campaign, but really there are two weeks left — and one week before advanced voting begins.

For Andrew Wilkinson, it’s been about as good a campaign as he could have hoped for.

Wilkinson and his BC Liberals were behind the 8-ball from the very beginning when John Horgan called this snap election.

Horgan was riding high in public opinion polls for what many saw as his government’s exemplary management of BC’s COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost certainly, there is residual goodwill spilling into Horgan’s camp from the popularity of Dr. Bonnie Henry.

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Not only that, Wilkinson is simply a less popular leader than Horgan.

He doesn’t have that “share a beer” factor that George W. Bush perfected and Wilkinson’s predecessor Christy Clark played very well.

Rightly or wrongly, a lot of voters base their votes chiefly on that factor.

As the one who decided to call the snap election, Horgan and the NDP got off to a running start – while the BC Liberals were left flat-footed.

Wilkinson needed to catch up fast.

The party did just that with its surprise PST announcement.

If elected, Wilkinson pledges to ditch the PST for a year before bringing it back at three per cent.

It’s the kind of campaign promise that will make a lot of people think – and one that he won’t be able to walk back if he is elected only to find the province’s books in deep disarray due to the bevy of pricey pandemic measures rolled out by Horgan.

In addition, the BC Liberals did well with promises of funding Car 40-type programs throughout the province and privatizing auto insurance.

Locally, the talk of highway improvements and improved cancer care are also specific to the needs of this area — something the NDP has been light on, with the exception of their own cancer care announcement.

But Wilkinson needs to deliver a knockout blow if he wants to dethrone the popular Horgan, and he hasn’t done it yet.

The clock is ticking.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.