John Horgan, Adrian Dix and Mike Farnworth have been friends for more than 20 years.
Dix ran Farnworth's first campaign for MLA, and Horgan was master of ceremonies at Dix's wedding.
All are long-time New Democrats.
So when the three front-runners in the NDP leadership race appeared before an audience of party and union members at the Steelworkers Hall in Langley, it was a respectful debate.
Downright friendly, in fact, with Dix promising his opponents would have a major role in government if he wins the leadership and the premier's office.
"If I lose, I will give them every support I can," Dix told the morning audience of 80 people.
His rivals said much the same, disagreeing mostly about who would be the most electable in a provincial campaign against whoever the new Liberal leader is.
Horgan joked that the crucial difference between himself and the other two was his superior sense of humor.
But when he made a passing reference to the trio as "the three amigos" the groans from his rivals and the audience prompted him to quickly rephrase it as "the three guys."
All three sounded the same notes during their presentations.
They took swipes at the provincial Liberals for favoring big business interests over those of working people.
Dix, the party health care critic, accused the Liberals of deliberately restricting funding for public health care to drive people to use private services.
Horgan called the Liberals "the most grotesque government in the history of British Columbia when it comes to social programs."
All won applause by condemning the provincial government for allowing the export of raw logs and promised they would apply a tax to halt the shipments if they become premier.
"We need to get away from the thinking that what's good for a timber company in Dallas is good for BC," Farnworth said.
The party needs to choose a leader who can convince that crucial small section of undecided voters to give the NDP the margin of victory in the next election, Horgan said.
"I'm tired of losing elections in this province," Farnworth said.
All said the party suffered the huge loss it did in 2001 because it had lost touch with its key principles and constituencies like the trade unions.
"We lost sight of who we're supposed to represent," Dix said.
The three are running to succeed Carole James, who resigned in December.
The Steelworkers Union represents B.C. forestry workers, whose ranks have been reduced by a severe downsizing of the forest industry.