MLA Hogg to run for WR Mayor, Watts to run provincially [rumour]

Big rumour here, but I thought I’d post it nonetheless. Straight from the White Rock Sun:

The rumour going round the Rock is that Mr. [Gordon] Hogg may be getting ready to scale back his political life a notch, having secured his golden pension out of Victoria for 12 years and counting of faithful public service. Word on the street is that this will be Mr. Hogg’s final term as our MLA but that he is not going to be sailing off into the sunset over the serene waters of Boundary Bay. Instead, he plans on challenging Catherine Ferguson and all other mayoralty hopefuls to once again assume his former preordained position as Mayor of White Rock.

Sound far-fetched? Don’t worry, for this is only half of the grist that this rather intriguing rumour mill is turning out. With Gordon Hogg stepping down, this safe Liberal seat would then open up in the ultra-conservative Surrey-White Rock riding. That is when Mayor Dianne Watts will resign her post at the City of Surrey and announce her intentions to take over the Liberal reigns from the departing Mr. Hogg. There are many who believe this is but the first step for Mrs. Watts in her eventual rise in power to becoming the premier of the province of B.C.

Don’t blame me if you don’t believe this scenario as I am but the fly on the wall bringing you the buzz. While it may sound somewhat far-fetched, consider the following. It is widely believed that Dianne Watts is being groomed for the premier position when Campbell steps aside after securing his Olympic legacy. Most also realize that you now need to have been the mayor of either Vancouver (Gordon Campbell, Mike Harcourt) or Surrey (speaking of flies, did someone really say Bill Vanderzalm?) to be considered for the job. What better riding for Dianne Watts to run in than the one she calls home and where she’s well known, liked and respected by a large portion of the electorate?

Dianne Watts as the Surrey-White Rock MLA and Premier of B.C., Gordon Hogg back at his old desk as White Rock’s mayor bringing order to the three-ring circus currently operating at City Hall, with councillors Tom Gill or Barinder Rasode being the most likely to run to become the first Indo-Canadian mayor of Surrey, which is another story for some other day.

There are many reasons this rumour is somewhat plausible, including

• the fact that riding would be close enough for Watts to claim home territory,
• that everyone expects (and most desire) Watts to make the jump provincially and run for the Liberal leadership,
• that despite Gordon Campbell sounding re-energized following his three-peat, with the HST debacle, post-Olympics may be the perfect time to begin stepping down,
• and all the chaos in White Rock council chambers may prove to be the perfect opportunity for Hogg to make a comeback

What doesn’t quite fit in this theory:

• Tom Gill or Barinder Rasode running for Mayor. Rasode is only on her first term, and although Gill has had some experience in the role and the major backing of the Indo-Canadian community (he is a relative of the owner of 1600AM Radio India), he hasn’t stepped up his role as councillor, nor has he quite found any particular cause to champion as his own.
• Throw other rumours into the pot, including a potential mayoral run for Marvin Hunt, or long time groomed-for-Mayor Linda Hepner, and the scenario changes dramatically