British Columbia's penchant for wacky politics is alive and well in the current election campaign.
Is there any precedent anywhere for yesterday's bizarre exchange during a head-to-head debate between NDP Leader Ujjal Dosanjh and Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell?
Mr. Dosjanh, the incumbent Premier, conceded that Mr. Campbell would have his job once the votes are counted May 16. "I know I'm going into opposition," he said.
Rather than being overjoyed, however, Mr. Campbell rejected the concession. He even got snippy about it.
Not so fast, he told the NDP Leader.
"It's very presumptuous of you to decide how people are going to vote in this election," Mr. Campbell complained.
"I'm glad you're going to vote for me as premier, Mr. Dosanjh. But election day is when the people of this province decide what's going to happen. It's not when you decide what's going to happen."
The first and only debate involving just the leaders of British Columbia's two major parties took place on CKNW radio, moderated by talk-show host Rafe Mair.
Political analyst Richard Johnston from the University of British Columbia laughed in amazement at the oddity of Mr. Campbell turning down his opponent's concession.
"I guess he has a better understanding of the Constitution than Mr. Dosanjh," said Prof. Johnston.
But Mr. Johnston said he is still nonplussed by the NDP Leader's pre-election concession. "I'm unaware of any incumbent parliamentary premier conceding up front before the returns are in."
During much of the radio debate, Mr. Dosanjh heckled Mr. Campbell, barely letting him answer, as if already in training for his role on the opposition benches.
"You wouldn't know the truth if it hit your face," he said at one point, after the Liberal Leader accused him of not telling the truth.
Veteran political analyst David Mitchell said the current situation confirms British Columbia's reputation as a unique political landscape.
"Truly, this election is a strange and bewildering affair. It's unprecedented to have the leader of a governing party not running to be re-elected. I've never seen that before," said Prof. Mitchell, a vice-president of Simon Fraser University. "Instead, we have only one party running for government, one leader running for premier.
The only issue is, will we even have an opposition? Even by B.C. standards, that is pretty unusual."
Mr. Campbell is set to become the province's seventh premier in 10 years, Mr. Mitchell added.
"And that's with only three elections. No other democracy in the world can match that record of volatility, so why not have the sort of election campaign that has not taken place anywhere else, as well."
Mr. Dosanjh announced his concession this week, in the wake of poll after poll showing the governing NDP trailing the Liberals by as much as 50 points in public opinion. Indeed, the latest Ipsos-Reid poll had the NDP just three points ahead of the Green Party, which has never come close to electing a member to the legislature.
Mr. Dosanjh urged voters to elect a "strong, effective opposition to hold Mr. Campbell's feet to the fire" in the legislature.
But Mr. Campbell said the NDP message means the party only cares about the few ridings where it has a chance.
Meanwhile, Green Leader Adriane Carr, revelling in a growing tide of public support, rejected suggestions that her party is leading to the ruin of the NDP by splitting the province's still-formidable left-of-centre vote.
"The NDP has ruined itself," she said.
"Our goal in this campaign is to form the official opposition, to be the moral conscience of government."