The definition of 鈥減lethora鈥� is a 鈥渕undane concentration.鈥� In the context of B.C. provincial politics at the moment, it is clear that what we have is indeed a plethora of party leadership hopefuls.

Mundane is a charitable adjective for this crew. Given the challenges and opportunities facing the province over the next few years, one wonders exactly what proposals for an additional holiday, a declaration of war on teachers or advancing some notion of 鈥減ot activism鈥� will do for the voter or the province.

We watch with a bemused fascination as the NDP wrestles with their gender challenges as more and more males (who are by the NDP鈥檚 own rules ineligible to run) sign up for the leader鈥檚 job. At the same time we have a host of, with the exception of Christy Clark, unknown Campbell acolytes vying for the premier鈥檚 chair.

To date, none of the hopefuls on either side have said or proposed anything that approaches a vision, direction or any solutions for issues facing the province.

Major issues include health care, education and the increasing cost of public sector unions. All these issues however are connected to the government鈥檚 policies on the environment.

Without an expanding and profitable resource extraction industry, there is no money with which to fund and fix the other major concerns in B.C.

Political pandering to urban progressives, greens and native groups by the Liberals and the NDP on so-called environmental issues has, and continues to be, the biggest impediment to increased and improved resource extraction, and therefore, economic prosperity in B.C.

B.C.鈥檚 economy is, and will for long-term, be based on resource extraction and export.

Virtually all secondary manufacturing and high-tech innovation in the province has been, and again will be for the next generations, in support of resource extraction.

British Columbians want to be assured that, regardless of the party in power, they will be able to find steady employment, fair wages and opportunities to prosper.

The winning strategy for any leadership hopeful for either party would be that of defining, in some detail, their vision for creating the conditions in which British Columbians can get real jobs, acquire some wealth and reduce the extent to which the provincial government impacts their lives and their pocketbooks.

Grown-up and responsible policy and regulation on resource development would go a long way to helping create those conditions.

鈥擯enticton Western News

(Black Press)