John Horgan was part of the Glen Clark administration of the 1990's and also served as an administrative assistant to Glen Clark during that era.
Horgan has a reputation for bombastic rhetoric, has quite a temper, and was known for being strident and overbearing in pushing his point of view as a staffer.
Glen Clark era political strategist Bill Tieleman confirmed to Monday Magazine, in a 2007 profile, that "Horgan can be quite hot-tempered." "As an elected official, it can be fatal.”
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/John+Horgan+enters+leadership+race/4088508/story.html#ixzz1AhjM0Pmj
That matter could very well be Horgan's proverbial Achilles' Heel.
As Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer succinctly states:
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"Nor are the Liberals the only target for his periodic displays of temper.
He showed no mercy in roughing up, rhetorically speaking, the baker’s dozen dissidents who forced out party leader Carole James. In the wake of that showdown, many New Democrats will be wondering whether Horgan is the right candidate to succeed James and reunite a bitterly divided party.
He’s not a reaching-out kind of guy."
Horgan is also to the left of Carole James and is known for his steadfast ideological positions. Longtime left-wing NDP party stalwart Bob Williams recently stated his preference for either Horgan or Adrian Dix as NDP party leader further confirming their ideological positions left of Carole James.
http://www.straight.com/article-367576/vancouver/bob-williams-prefers-john-horgan-adrian-dix-over-mike-farnworth-ndp-leader
Horgan utilizes alot of left-wing anti-capitalist rhetoric in his diatribes such as:
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Horgan describes what he calls a “capital strike” that hit B.C. after the NDP was elected. His terminology hints at a conspiracy of capitalists to pull investment from B.C., to punish the NDP.
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http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/northshoreoutlook/opinion/114572709.html#
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Mr. Horgan took a strong anti-corporate line while articulating his commitment to preserve old growth forests. Mr. Horgan stated he was in favour of both wealth creation and the redistribution of wealth.
"Private sector investment is not a free ticket to no taxation and no regulation."
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http://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/005695.html#more
In the latest Angus Reid Strategies poll, only 10% of British Columbians believed that Horgan would make a "good choice" as leader for the BC NDP. Among NDP voters that figure increased to 20%. Horgan also placed far behind both Mike Farnworth (40%/49%) and Adrian Dix (24%/37%) in that category.
http://www.angus-reid.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2010.12.23_Politics_BC.pdf
Left-wing NDP MLA Claire Travena recently asked these questions of the potential three candidates:
1. I am a firm believer that equity is achieved through redistribution. I believe in a progressive tax system in which those who earn more, pay more.
2. Would you campaign on increasing income taxes and specific changes to the tax system to ensure corporations and business pay more?
3. Do you agree public resources should be held in public hands and used for the public good?
4. If so, which resources would you include and how would you ensure that the transfer to public ownership is made?
5. How would you guarantee that public ownership be maintained?
http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Election-Central/2011/01/26/TrevenasQuestions/
These are certainly issues of a left-wing nature. And Claire Travena has decided that John Horgan is even more to the left than Adrian Dix and decided to throw her support to Horgan.
Horgan has apparently re-inforced his left-wing views on taxation as follows:
"Horgan would also re-examine taxation policy in B.C. He says the tax break the Liberal government provided a decade ago to corporations and large income earners amounts to an annual $2.1 billion shortfall in the provincial coffers. He also doesn’t believe all that money was re-invested in B.C."
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/campbellrivermirror/news/115212084.html
At the end of the day, Dix, Farnworth, and Horgan will likely place first, second, and third respectively in leadership balloting.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/John+Horgan+enters+leadership+race/4088508/story.html#ixzz1AhjM0Pmj
That matter could very well be Horgan's proverbial Achilles' Heel.
As Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer succinctly states:
__________________________________________________________
"Nor are the Liberals the only target for his periodic displays of temper.
He showed no mercy in roughing up, rhetorically speaking, the baker’s dozen dissidents who forced out party leader Carole James. In the wake of that showdown, many New Democrats will be wondering whether Horgan is the right candidate to succeed James and reunite a bitterly divided party.
He’s not a reaching-out kind of guy."
__________________________________________________________
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/pink+pumps+fool+John+Horgan+tough+customer/4088592/story.html#ixzz1Ai0hLi6r
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/pink+pumps+fool+John+Horgan+tough+customer/4088592/story.html#ixzz1Ai0hLi6r
Horgan is also to the left of Carole James and is known for his steadfast ideological positions. Longtime left-wing NDP party stalwart Bob Williams recently stated his preference for either Horgan or Adrian Dix as NDP party leader further confirming their ideological positions left of Carole James.
http://www.straight.com/article-367576/vancouver/bob-williams-prefers-john-horgan-adrian-dix-over-mike-farnworth-ndp-leader
Horgan utilizes alot of left-wing anti-capitalist rhetoric in his diatribes such as:
__________________________________________________________
Horgan describes what he calls a “capital strike” that hit B.C. after the NDP was elected. His terminology hints at a conspiracy of capitalists to pull investment from B.C., to punish the NDP.
__________________________________________________________
http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/northshoreoutlook/opinion/114572709.html#
__________________________________________________________
Mr. Horgan took a strong anti-corporate line while articulating his commitment to preserve old growth forests. Mr. Horgan stated he was in favour of both wealth creation and the redistribution of wealth.
"Private sector investment is not a free ticket to no taxation and no regulation."
__________________________________________________________
http://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/005695.html#more
In the latest Angus Reid Strategies poll, only 10% of British Columbians believed that Horgan would make a "good choice" as leader for the BC NDP. Among NDP voters that figure increased to 20%. Horgan also placed far behind both Mike Farnworth (40%/49%) and Adrian Dix (24%/37%) in that category.
http://www.angus-reid.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2010.12.23_Politics_BC.pdf
Left-wing NDP MLA Claire Travena recently asked these questions of the potential three candidates:
1. I am a firm believer that equity is achieved through redistribution. I believe in a progressive tax system in which those who earn more, pay more.
2. Would you campaign on increasing income taxes and specific changes to the tax system to ensure corporations and business pay more?
3. Do you agree public resources should be held in public hands and used for the public good?
4. If so, which resources would you include and how would you ensure that the transfer to public ownership is made?
5. How would you guarantee that public ownership be maintained?
http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Election-Central/2011/01/26/TrevenasQuestions/
These are certainly issues of a left-wing nature. And Claire Travena has decided that John Horgan is even more to the left than Adrian Dix and decided to throw her support to Horgan.
Horgan has apparently re-inforced his left-wing views on taxation as follows:
"Horgan would also re-examine taxation policy in B.C. He says the tax break the Liberal government provided a decade ago to corporations and large income earners amounts to an annual $2.1 billion shortfall in the provincial coffers. He also doesn’t believe all that money was re-invested in B.C."
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/campbellrivermirror/news/115212084.html
At the end of the day, Dix, Farnworth, and Horgan will likely place first, second, and third respectively in leadership balloting.
