Backstopped by posters critical of the NDP’s reign, interim B.C. Conservative leader Trevor Halford pointed to DRIPA flip-flops and the budget as low points for the government. “I actually don’t think the NDP were ready or prepared for the level of disappointment that the budget brought in,” Halford said Wednesday. Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon pushed back, saying things were turning around for the NDP. “Not only do we have a majority of projects on the federal government’s priority list — another announcement today about another project shows that we are getting momentum.” There’s also the nagging issue of undisclosed costs for Vancouver hosting the World Cup — a number the NDP promised this week, and one expected to climb from the $500-million to $600-million range predicted last June. “The premier knows what the number is. This is a major red flag,” said Halford. On Wednesday, Tourism Minister Anne Kang said the costs would not be released until Friday, meaning they will not be disclosed in time for the Opposition to address them during question period Thursday, the last day of the session. “This is a very large-scale event with lots of different complications and ever-evolving information coming in,” she said. Halford is wrapping up his tenure as interim leader, appointed after the December coup that forced former leader John Rustad to resign. Under his leadership, the party has surged past the NDP in recent polls and fundraising this spring. “I am incredibly proud of how this caucus and how this party have grown in the last number of months,” said Halford. Halford is about to pass the torch to one of five candidates vying for the leadership. They represent a range of centre-right to farther right-wing views. Twenty-six thousand eligible party members have been voting online. Political scientist David Black said the race may come down to a key question. “Do we want intensity—and to have the most perfect conservative, the purest conservative candidate—or do we want somebody who is going to be electable?” Black said. The winner will be announced Saturday. Whether the new leader can build on the momentum established this spring likely will not be known until the fall, when the legislature resumes sitting.
