Politicians have a terrible job. They represent us. Ever look closely at us? Not pretty.
Bad, bad Trevor! Scornful of humanity! But at Vancouver Opera’s Sunday performance of Otello, where there were many empty seats – a competing opera at the adjoining Playhouse, curious scheduling – I witnessed something from our cheapest seats that supported my cold judgment.
Which was: when the house lights began to dim there was a sudden, shadowy scuttling like a movement of small, furry animals. Lo, it was a migration of nearby patrons on the right side of the house to much costlier seats in centre orchestra.
Think of it. Cultured, privileged people! Intelligent, well-educated people! Affluent, well-fed people! And they were … seat-thieves!
And apparently unhaunted by guilt that they were essentially cheating Vancouver Opera. All too common at sports and events and pop concerts – but at the opera? Shabby.
The performance, by the way, was superb – music under Jonathan Darlington’s baton, gorgeous singing by Gregory Dahl as evil (boo, hiss!) Iago, Antonello Palombi as gulled, insanely jealous (fool, murderer!) Otello, and Vancouver’s own Erin Wall as (lovely, loyal!) Desdemona.
Now an eccentric transition (I dabble in eccentricity) to the media’s reaction to Kevin O’Leary’s surprise withdrawal from the federal Conservative leadership stroll – hardly a race.
O’Leary was tied for the lead. But he concluded he wasn’t the man to beat Justin Trudeau. Can’t speak the other official language. Says he’ll keep learning it and may be back next time.
Meanwhile will work for the party. Tapped rival Maxime Bernier after failing to persuade him to quit: ‘‘The thing is,’’ he told Canadian Press reporter Stephanie Levitz, ‘‘I deal in reality. He’s right.’’
Also: “Because I am an outsider I have very weak second ballot support.” Doubtless mixing party interests with personal interests, O’Leary fell on his sword, operatically speaking.
Realistic. Outspoken. Pretty candid with press, public and, most of all, himself: ‘‘I am not a politician, so I never pushed a shopping list of promises. I’ve had only one, to achieve three per cent economic growth in Canada.’’
Nothing to qualify for sainthood, but a classier retreat than the advance into seats they haven’t paid for by politician-scorning Mr. and Ms. Joe Above Average. And not to overlook the cynical spin from the privileged seats of those of us in the media.
• • •
The B.C. election was craftily designed around my deadlines so that I’d have only one shot at it in print. But I did attend an all-candidates meeting for my riding, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, in Lions Bay.
Considering it was sponsored by the David Suzuki Society and The Future of Howe Sound Society – their hostility to the Squamish LNG plant as big as all outdoors – incumbent Liberal Jordan Sturdy, whose party backs the plant, was like the Pope being invited to a panel of the International Convention of Militant Atheists.
New Democrat Michelle Livaja, a Capilano University student with solid union experience, and the Green’s Dana Taylor, former North Vancouver City councillor and a resident of West Vancouver (a teeny rich ghetto in this bizarrely huge riding), predictably oppose the plant. Five-time Lions Bay Mayor Brenda Broughton gave me an earful of information, including that several killer whales and one humpback had just been spotted in once-polluted and now wonderfully restored Howe Sound.
The meeting was packed, possibly in both senses of the word. Panos Grames, communications guy for the Suzuki society, frankly began: “I can’t say I’m an impartial moderator here” (but in fact proved admirably fair). He had scarcely started when a gent near the door, identified as a disgruntled candidate, blew two classic raspberries, shouted something inaudible to my ears, and departed.
Things settled. No nastiness. Taylor drew the hot applause, loudest when linking the LNG project’s principals to donations to the Liberals. Sturdy, a former Pemberton mayor with deep personal roots and obvious respect in the riding, amiably acknowledged “a big detractor” in the crowd – “Hi, Matt” – and valiantly made the Liberals’ case, drawing only one loud heckler, when he stated B.C. already has “98 per cent” renewable energy: “B.S.!”
Sad. We can’t have it all.
• • •
My new Agent 6Yyw82 claims the condos in the elderly white apartment block being demolished at Marine Drive and 23rd Street had been valued at about $135,000. The condos replacing them are advertised at ‘‘$4 million and up.’’ Affordable housing, West Vancouver-style.
• • •
Last word on this or any election: At the ballot box citizens thrust aside the public interest and vote their self-interest.
Former Vancouver Sun columnist Trevor Lautens writes every second Friday on politics and life with a West Vancouver bias. [email protected]
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