SINGH – So the mayor and the premier walk into a bar…

By ARJUN SINGH
The Kamloops Chronicle

TWO DIFFERENT ORDERS of government — the City and the Province. Two men of broadly similar ideologies — both from the centre right of the political spectrum.

And a very similar heartening message from both as they start their terms of office — that their personal ideologies must be secondary to the broader needs of the entire city and province they now lead.

One shorthand measure of the success of a political leader, often raised by pundits, is answering yes to the question “is this someone I would want to have a beer with?”.

A more inclusive way of saying this is — does this leader make people generally feel comfortable?

Our almost accidental new premier-elect Lorne Doerkson, who has come across to many as the right leader at the right time, spoke to his new government caucus and shared that he was proud they were elected as Conservatives but now they needed to govern for everyone (including those who didn’t vote Conservative or who didn’t vote at all).

It was a similar message the same evening from our not-so-accidental new Kamloops Mayor Mike O’Reilly. His speech was spot on with this message that it’s worth quoting directly:

“ I wanna make one thing clear from the very beginning: we will not always agree… That’s not what we are here to do. We are here to have healthy debate, differing opinions, and constructive discussion… how we disagree matters. We must treat each other with respect, listen to different viewpoints, and remember why we are here. Once a decision is made, we have a collective responsibility to back the will of council. Our responsibility is not to represent our individual interests or political differences. It is to make decisions in the best interest of the city.”

These initial words make me comfortable. They make me want, if ever the occasion arose in a fine drinking establishment, to enjoy a beer or another beverage with the mayor and the premier.

You are all very wise and clear eyed readers. You’re probably thinking at this point in the column that politicians, at the start of their terms, always talk about rainbows and unicorns and a puppy or (and!) a pony for every youngster. AND THEN THEY ALWAYS LET US DOWN.

I lived this. I own the T-shirt. I probably even (and I hate to admit this) broke a few election promises in my day. I am going to hold the mayor and premier to their words above and also I’m going to give them some grace and understanding.

I am going to watch how the premier treats anti-poverty and union activists. I am going to watch how the mayor supports a council decision he did not vote for.

And I’m also going to be clear eyed that some promises by the mayor and council and by the provincial government will be broken. Governing in this day and age is very hard. Things come up you never saw coming.

Today, let’s raise a glass to our newly elected leaders and wish them huge success. As we hold them accountable, let’s also support them in being the best representatives they can be.

Arjun Singh is the executive director of the Kamloops Local News Society, publisher of the Kamloops Chronicle. This column also appears in the November edition of The Chronicle.