EDITORIAL – Falcon’s failed leadership suddenly ends many political careers

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

IF TODD STONE is feeling some anger right now, he has a right. Yet, his statement yesterday (Aug. 29, 2024) about his decision to leave politics was devoid of any bitterness. It was, in fact, a very gracious goodbye.

It must hurt, though. He’s been an elected politician for a dozen years. At one point, he was a high-profile cabinet minister. At another, he was a credible candidate for the leadership of the party he was a member of for more than 30 years.

He was on track for another term, this time as the BC United party MLA for the newly reconfigured Kamloops-North Thompson riding.

Suddenly, it’s all gone, thanks to party leader Kevin Falcon, who announced Wednesday he was withdrawing BC United from the election campaign. A few BC United candidates are likely to find new homes in John Rustad’s BC Conservatives but many — among them some good, qualified and experienced people who would have been strong contenders in the election — have been suddenly cut off at the knees.

One of them is Todd Stone. It should be noted that, in his remarks yesterday, he commented that “… earlier this week I made the difficult decision that the best thing I could do right now to support our coalition was to take a step back and withdraw my candidacy in this next election.”

He also said at the news conference he had told Falcon of his decision Tuesday, the day before the leader’s announcement about folding the party’s tent for the election.

But whether he was pushed or goes willingly, the bungled leadership of Kevin Falcon and the resulting dramatic decline in the party’s fortunes are at the root of it.

You don’t put that much time into a job, especially a successful political job, and leave it without regrets. And, certainly, a lot of other candidates must be feeling betrayed by their leader.

Among them were people who would have been future or even current leadership material. If Falcon had simply stepped down, before or after the election, “new blood” would not have been hard to find, providing a refresh for the party that Falcon was unable to provide.

Falcon not only abandoned his candidates, but he also abandoned voters who don’t subscribe to the far left or far right but, rather, sit somewhere in the middle. As many of them are saying, they’re left without a political home.

Kevin Falcon returned to politics determined to reinvigorate the BC Liberals. Changing the party’s name to one that never gained traction was as far as he got. His doomsday decision this week will go down as the climax of one of the greatest political failures in the history of the province and the country.

And politicians like Todd Stone are among the casualties.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.