Doug Routley and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA in Nanaimo-North Cowichan

Past Positions: A near invisible MLA, Routley was appointed as the apprenticeship critic by Carole James. When Routley ran in 2005, Ladysmith Mayor Rob Hutchins supported him. After four years of watching Routley as MLA, Hutchins is now running against him as a BC Liberal.

Family Connections: Routley was a supporter of Clark-era MLA Jan Pullinger. Pullinger is returning the favour by managing Routley’s campaign this time around.

Family Secrets: Routley was part of an RCMP probe last summer, a fact that Carole James kept close to her vest.

Michael Sather and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: Running for re-election as MLA in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows

Past Positions: Sather recently ran to become Mayor for Maple Ridge where he finished a distant third. He was an assistant to NDP MLA Bill Hartley during the 1990s and has also worked for NDP Members of Parliament.

Family Connections: Sather has had trouble getting along with his political family. In 2007, he took a principled position that angered his boss and was suspended from caucus.

Family Secrets: In 2008, Sather ran for Mayor in Maple Ridge, promising that if he won, he would resign as MLA. He didn’t win, and now decided to run for MLA again and support such progressive policies as getting rid of the carbon tax.

Harry Bains and his NDP family secrets

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA Surrey-Newton

Past Positions: President, IWA Local 217.

Family Connections: Bains is a long-time labour leader who was a star recruit for Carole James in 2005. He was a huge supporter of Glen Clark's leadership in 1995. The Vancouver Sun's legislative columnist, Vaughn Palmer, described his nomination this way in 2005:

"The lone candidate for the NDP nomination is Harry Bains, a longtime trade union official and vice-president of one of the big locals of IWA Canada So there's one comment on the success of James effort to "modernize" the NDP relationship with organized labour."

Family Secrets: Bains landed former Premier's office senior official and BC Federation of Labour Communications Director Jessie Uppal as his campaign manager in 2005.

Leonard Krog and his NDP Family Secrets

Current Position: Running for election as NDP MLA for Nanaimo

Past Positions: NDP MLA for Parksville-Qualicum. Provincial NDP leadership candidate in 2003 (lost to Carole James).

Family Connections: Krog is one of those old style NDP members who received the support of Adrian Dix, Moe Sihota and Dave Barrett when he ran for the leadership of the party. His campaign was a coming together of former Glen Clark supporters.

Family Secrets: Leonard has one heck of a temper and will not hesitate to use it on environmentalists and seniors.

Harry Lali and his NDP family secrets

NDP MLA

Current Position: Running for re-election as NDP MLA, Yale-Lillooet

Past Positions: Minister of Transportation under Premier Glen Clark

Family Connections: Perhaps the fiercest Clark defender in the 1990’s, Lali is closely associated with the NDP’s left wing and has close, ongoing relationships with Adrian Dix, CUPE President Barry O’Neill and Moe Sihota.

Family Secrets: Lali was a senior economic minister in the Clark government and can take his share of blame for the BC economy falling from first to worst.

John Horgan and his NDP family secrets

NDP MLA

Current Position: Running for reelection as NDP MLA, Juan de Fuca. Appointed NDP Energy Critic by Carole James.

Past Positions: Chief of Staff to NDP Premier Dan Miller, political staff for Premier Glen Clark, Ministerial Assistant to Minister of Employment and Investment Glen Clark

Family Connections: Following a low profile career on Parliament Hill working for one-term NDP MP Lynn Hunter, Horgan reached his full potential under Glen Clark. His friendship with Adrian Dix and Ian Waddell helped Horgan play a senior role in the Clark government. As British Columbians were breathing a sigh of relief following the defeat of the NDP, Horgan took his large taxpayer-funded severance package and got busy in the “private sector.” Horgan partnered with current Carole James Chief of Staff Ian Reid and Ian’s current second in command Mary O’Donaghue to form the consulting firm Ideaworks.

Family Secrets: Where to begin? Horgan was one of the most influential staff members during the 1990s. Fast ferries, fudge-it budgets, job losses… Horgan was there the whole time. We think Horgan’s role in the decade of decline has been underappreciated.