Thread by @ty_olsen

THREAD: We need to talk about the BC electoral riding of Abbotsford South. You may know this as a safe BC Liberal seat that has also been, for the last 7 years, an ongoing nightmare for the BC Liberal Party, and which has played a huge part in BC politics since 2012. 1/x

The riding had been represented by John van Dongen for years. But in 2012, van Dongen - who had served in cabinet for years - left the party and became the BC Conservatives first MLA. This was a Big Thing. abbynews.com/news/john-van-…

3/x Van Dongen was mad about several things, was an opponent of Christy Clark, and thought the BC Rail stuff was shady. He later left the Conservatives in 2012 to sit as an independent.

4/x. So Van Dongen leaves the BCLs and Abbotsford councillor Moe Gill wants to run for the BC Liberals. Gill, who has been on council for years, says Rich Coleman comes to his house to encourage him to run. Coleman is a recurring figure in almost every Abbotsford South story.

5/x Then, in Nov of 2012, the BC Liberals announce their candidate: prominent UFV criminology professor Darryl Plecas. Plecas is a pretty big name in the Fraser Valley. He's a frequent media commentator when it comes to any crimey thing that is happening in the Lower Mainland.

6/x It seems a big get, but Gill and his friends are pissssssssed. He says the Liberals bullied him. It is a whole thing. Gill's friend hints that Coleman is related in some way to Plecas! Plecas confirms that his niece is related to Coleman's son.
abbynews.com/news/gill-libe…

7/x It's suggested that Gill and his supporters "stacked" the AGM of the riding to get Gill nominated. Plecas runs, and wins, beating van Dongen. At one point Plecas defends Christy Clark from van Dongen's attacks. (Foreshadowing/irony alert!)

8/x Why did Plecas get involved? Well, he served on the board of the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre and had hoped to get the facility out of its "makeshift digs" (he says now). He says he suggested as much to Coleman (that name again), who said it wasn't that easy.

9/x Anyways, (Plecas says) Coleman asked him if he wanted to get involved in politics. Plecas acceded, despite reservations, in order to get that Child Development Centre built.

10/x. STOP: Let's pause in 2013 and consider how #bcpoli could have been altered at this point with any of the following:
A) The BC Liberals do not do The Things that alienate van Dongen and prompt him to leave the party in 2012.

B) Plecas persuades Van Dongen (in a conversation that did happen) to stick with the BCLs.
C) The BCLs go along to get along with Moe Gill as the party's standard-bearer in 2013, instead of jettisoning him in favour of Plecas.

D) Rich Coleman does not suggest Plecas run for office, because Plecas is clearly a loose cannon.
E) Plecas rebuffs Coleman because i) he knows he is ill-suited to party politics or ii) he realizes that if he wins he still might not be able to help the CDC.

F) Plecas becomes MLA, but the BCLs come through with a new home for the CDC. Plecas is happy w/ his party and his ability to do good as an MLA. He sticks with the BCLs despite other concerns.

G) In 2017, after 4 years of frustration, Plecas abandons politics before the election. The BCLs run someone who loves the party. They win b/c Abbotsford South is a safe seat.

11/x But none of that happens. If the BCLs, after 6 yrs, had an anodyne and anonymous MLA in Abbotsford South, the NDP don't get their speaker, the government is unstable and a second election may quickly follow. Do we ever learn about the wood splitter?

12/x Plecas, during his four years with the BCLs never got his child development centre. He never gets a spot in cabinet. He never feels heard. On the night of the 2017 election, he ripped into his own party. I was there. It was something
abbynews.com/news/election-…

13/x Plecas stuck with the party long enough to get Clark (who he defended, remember, against an independent's broadsides) to quit. But no much longer. By the end, he and Coleman (remember when they were 'related?') were on the outs big time.
thebreaker.news/news/clark-ple…

14/x: And that is how a safe BC Liberal seat propels the BC Conservatives to prominence, creates a random nomination controversy in 2012, and offers up a star candidate leaves the party, gives the NDP breathing room, and upends a decade of craziness in the BC Legislature.

I think that's it: but here's something I've been thinking of: Plecas was and is a loose cannon. He would probably admit as much. The BCLs probably regret admitting him to their ranks. But that's a shame.

We need loose cannons in our political parties. The lesson shouldn't be "don't allow loose cannons inside the ranks." The lesson should be: "Act in such a way that would-be loose cannons don't go off because their consciences are not constantly tapping them on the shoulder."

A final point When I write 'loose cannon', this is not something that requires a deep probing of the Speaker's psyche. I can count the times I've spoken to him on 2 hands, (maybe 3?). He's not a guy who wants to (or is able to) stop talking about the things he cares about.

He took questions for 30 minutes at a pedestrian bridge opening last month. My recorder-holding arm was aching. I needed him to stop. It baffles me how the BCLs and Coleman, in particular, thought he would be a good fit in their regimented party.

Anywho, this is the latest I have.
abbynews.com/news/breaking-…