There are two essential ingredients in an opposition political party.

First it must oppose and do so in a way that shows good research and plausible argument. The public must be presented with alternative policies or perhaps convinced that the issue should simply be left alone. Oppositions must be tough, no holds barred. A government that is not closely watched and criticized gets away with murder and, worse, becomes a bad government for the want of testing.

An opposition must also be a government in waiting and appear to be so to the voters. It must demonstrate that not only can it criticize government policies it has doable policies of its own and the appropriate people to do the job. The Carole James led BC NDP fail badly on both counts especially the latter. As one good example they have been utterly bewildered by the Campbell’s Gateway project. This is because Ms. James didn’t think through a policy that took into account the fact that some of that huge project – widening of Highway #1 and twinning of the Port Mann Bridge - is supported by people of all stripes who are daily hostages to endless traffic jams. She didn’t realize that the South Fraser Perimeter Road and the expanding of Deltaport were unpopular in the Delta Constituency which is Liberal territory and was thus where the political arrows ought to be shot.

There have been stars – Adrian Dix on healthcare for one. But when you are an opposition party and members other than the leader are seen as the only effective ones you have trouble, big time.

It’s not good for the province that the governing party is without effective opposition.

Sad to relate there will be no effective NDP as long as it’s being led by Carole James, a person of great talents which do not, unhappily, include leading a political party in a two party Parliamentary system.