BC Liberals Self Destructing

(Aired on June 3, 2010)

The B.C. Liberals continue to wind their way to self-destruction. It's hard to imagine circumstances that will prevent the Liberals from either losing the next election, or at the very best, holding on to a minority.

Let's look at a few of the things just in the last few weeks that have caught the public's attention. We already know about the HST, and whether it's a good thing or not, the end result of the petition initiative will be that the Liberals will do nothing. It may be the right decision to do nothing, that's another story, but the perception among the public is that the government doesn't care. We have the "let them eat cake approach" to school funding and health care. Again, editorials we've done before. This week, arts groups find out they're going to be hit hard again, losing funding that they were promised just weeks ago. Again, the government hitting out at groups that desperately need help. This week, a new group is formed to try to keep sports and arts programs alive in schools. These programs again decimated by the province. The Liberals continue to push Ottawa to again permit offshore drilling, even in the face of what's going on in the Gulf of Mexico. How stupid a move is that? What's next?

If I were interested in politics, it would be a good time to put my hat in the ring to run for the NDP. I don't think even the Premier is safe.

Now of course, we still have three years to go before the next election, and the Liberals are banking heavily on that to change their fortunes. They're going to count on a resurging economy, and hopefully a reduction in the deficit to allow them to spend money leading up to the vote in May of 2013. Whether the NDP can capitalize on the government's miscues remains to be seen. If they can, look for major changes in Victoria three years down the road.