Let's play name game for an NDP government

I know the next provincial election won't occur for another couple of years yet (barring successful recall campaigns in a bunch of ridings before then) but it isn't too early to start thinking what an NDP-led government is going to look like.

While party leader Carole James hasn't been able to completely silence her critics on the left, the odds remain quite good for her being called "Premier Carole James" after that election is over.

But who else will form the face of such an NDP government? Who will be the cabinet ministers, and which will be the ones to whom James gives the most responsibilities?

As in any political party, there is a pecking order in the NDP caucus. There is the A team, the B team, perhaps even the C team.

Those on the A team will likely be the top cabinet ministers, along with a few in the B circle. Those in the other groups are destined for lengthy stays on the backbench unless they show more talent.

And now to name some names, at the risk of bruising a few egos along the way.

There appear to be roughly 10 MLAs in the top group. They are the ones who ask most of the questions during question period (always a clue to who is considered the strongest by their leader and her top lieutenants) and are put forth in the media for stating party positions.

In this group, I place house leader Mike Farnworth, health critic Adrian Dix, energy critic John Horgan, finance critic Bruce Ralston, justice critic Leonard Krog, social critic Shane Simpson, small business critic Jenny Kwan, environment critic Rob Fleming, caucus chair Norm Macdonald and caucus whip Katrine Conroy.

I'd be very surprised if any of these people were not included in James' first cabinet (assuming they all win re-election). It's unlikely they will be given cabinet posts that match their critic positions though (Mike Harcourt once told me one of his biggest mistakes was doing just that - simply pushing critics into the portfolios they'd been monitoring).

But there may be two exceptions. Ralston is a good bet to be finance minister, and Krog (as a lawyer) seems a natural fit with the attorney general position.

Others to keep an eye on include Surrey MLA Sue Hammell, who was a cabinet minister in the previous NDP government, newcomers Doug Donaldson, Kathy Corrigan, Spencer Chandra Herbert, and former MP Dawn Black.

Of course, some of the rookies in 2013 will also likely make the grade. Whoever wins in Kamloops and/or Prince George will likely be in cabinet, since regional representation is always a factor in putting together a cabinet.

So start paying more attention to those MLAs right now. The odds are good they're going to be deciding how your tax dollars are spent before too long.

- It's time everyone cut interim Chief Electoral Officer Craig James a little slack. His controversial decision not to immediately pass the anti-HST petition on to the legislative committee responsible for dealing with it has been met with a near-hysterical reaction.

I wrote a short time back about the irrational anger that is strangling reasoned debate in this province, and the venom aimed at James is an example of that. Those who insist his actions are somehow an assault on democracy are making exaggerated claims.

The legislature committee will not even sit until sometime in September at the earliest, so whether or not it receives the petition right now is irrelevant. As well, it's unlikely the committee will take any action until it gets a sense of what's going to happen to the two court challenges involving the petition.

Finally, the legislative bill to repeal the HST will not be introduced in the legislature until the spring (if that is indeed what the committee opts for).

So there is no urgency here. While I personally feel James should have indeed sent the petition to the committee, his failure to do that hardly creates some kind of intolerable anti-democratic atmosphere.

If, by the fall, the committee still doesn't have the petition, then we may have a problem. But one does not exist right now.

And those conspiracy buffs who darkly ascribe partisan motives to James' decision are wildly off-base as well. I've known the man for more than 20 years, and can attest to his integrity and independence.

So, everyone: calm down.

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC.