By Jack Knox, Victoria Times Colonist, 17 November 2002
Times Colonist columnist Jack Knox noted how Ben "astutely shifted the focus to provincial politics" in the midst of the Campbell Liberal cuts in 2002
So, the New Democrats’ municipal counterpart, the Victoria Civic Electors, figure Mayor Alan Lowe is popular and unbeatable in Victoria, and in consequence decide not to run anyone against him.
So, social activist Ben Isitt, figuring Mayor Alan Lowe is popular and unbeatable in Victoria, runs against Gordon Campbell instead. Smart Ben.
This election wasn’t supposed to have anything to do with provincial politics. In fact, for most of the campaign it appeared to have little to do with anything. (In Vancouver, the big issue was the staggering crisis in the drug-infested, crime-ridden, impoverished East End. In Victoria, it was whether to move the library to the Bay Building. I rest my case.)
Into the vacuum slipped Isitt, who astutely shifted the focus to provincial politics. With Lowe being identified with The Establishment, and Isitt clearly representing the disaffected, it was as close as the voters could get to sending a message to Campbell.
It was a pretty effective strategy. While Lowe won the expected overwhelming victory, pulling around 62 per cent of the vote, Isitt came out of nowhere to take 33 per cent, tapping into the anger of those upset by the Liberals’ cuts.
“Perhaps if we’d had the electoral machinery of the NDP behind us, we could have had a stronger showing,” said Isitt on Saturday night.
The pony-tailed veteran of every protest from Camp Campbell on the legislature lawn to the WTO in Seattle appeared buoyed by the result. “I think we have to fuse grassroots activism with electoral politics,” he said.
Isitt, sporting a Stop Campbell button, showed up at Lowe’s victory party to congratulate the victor. “I know you have a big heart,” he told Lowe, adding that the mayor has brought more compassion to city hall. Of course, this was about five minutes before protesters burst on the scene and started a brouhaha. So much for the group hug. Isitt was said to be quick to disassociate himself from the dust-up
Lowe acknowledged it was kind of strange to campaign against an opponent who was opposing the premier. The mayor steadfastly refused to get dragged into the wider fight.
“I focussed on local issues,” said Lowe. “I wasn’t going to get into the provincial debate, because that’s going to be dealt with in three years’ time.”
