As a self-confessed ‘leftoid’ here was my take on the critical passage of the infamous ‘Ballem Letter’ at the time (and the questions it raised-most of which still, more than two years later, have not been answered*).

____
*or even asked by many of those in a position to do so.

.

Another way to look at it is as a bit of a stunt by Vision.

I don’t see any indication that Ballem is a “fellow traveller,” and that’s probably why Vision picked her, to project this image of, ah, non-partisan professionalism. (I’ve also heard that Tamara Vrooman, Carole Taylor’s deputy finance minister who’s now CEO at VanCity, is involved in the new City Hall team, although I don’t know the details.)

On the other hand, Ballem’s reputation for “stunning competence” could also be inflated. She left the public service ostensibly because of disagreements about the premier’s office butting into her turf. That could suggest that Ballem is actually quite similar to Rogers in terms of her territoriality, and / or that she knew she would be forced out but arranged to leave first on her own terms.

The last time I can recall a new figure appearing on the City Hall scene, with a reputation as an accomplished civil servant capable of bridging the partisan divide but also unafraid to speak his mind … well, I know there’s no consensus on whether Larry Campbell’s term as mayor was a muddle or a glorious success, so I’ll leave it to others to decide whether the comparison is a positive one.