Given Delta South has been in the rather unique situation of being represented by an independent for the past four years, it's no surprise the issue of the riding's "voice" has been a leading topic during the first week of the provincial election campaign.
The three candidates - incumbent Vicki Huntington, Liberal Bruce McDonald and New Democrat Nic Slater - agree South Deltans need to be heard in Victoria, although they obviously differ on how to achieve that goal. The crux of that disagreement is whether it's more effective to be an outspoken outsider or a well-connected team player.
Huntington's provincial career had its genesis back in 2005 as the former when she provided a much-needed outlet for disaffected right-of-centre voters. She narrowly lost to Liberal Val Roddick that time, but it set the stage for her history-making victory four years later.
During her term Huntington has both praised and panned the governing Liberals, speaking her mind as she sees fit, while giving constituents a sense of comfort that she's sticking up for them in the capital.
But as Slater pointed out last week, no matter how well meaning Huntington may be, she will always be in opposition (or at least not a member of the governing party). That means she has to somehow convince the government, either through cajoling or criticism, to embrace her causes, not an easy task in the partisan world of B.C. politics.
McDonald has also been advocating the party approach, but recognizes that simply being a member of government isn't enough to sway local voters.
Cabinet minister Wally Oppal tried the insider argument last time but his efforts were blunted by the fact the riding had just experienced eight years of representation from the government benches, during which time the local hospital lost its acute care status and high voltage power lines were erected through the middle of Tsawwassen.
It appears McDonald is trying to position himself along the lines of former long-time Delta MP John Cummins, who was a member of a party but wasn't shy to speak out should the urge hit.
It's a style that played well here, getting Cummins re-elected time after time, and one McDonald is emulating by already stating he'd resign from the party if optioned farmland were taken out of the Agricultural Land Reserve to support port expansion.
We'll know in three weeks whether this best of both worlds approach is enough to push him over the top.
