(Aired on October 7, 2010)
One of the things I love about politics is that just when you thought you've seen it all, something else pops up. Just when she thinks things are rolling along for her, and the NDP looks like it's on its way to beating up on Gordon Campbell, the party starts to self-destruct just like the Liberals did a few months ago.
Carole James has booted Cariboo-North MLA Bob Simpson out of the caucus and taken away his post as critic for aboriginal relations and reconciliation. Apparently Simpson attacked James' recent speech to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention is some online comments. And now his constituency association is openly calling for a leadership race.
Just days ago, it looked more and more like we were going to have a new Liberal leader for James to fight in the next election. Speculation was that Gordon Campbell was going to step down and make way for a new leader who could resurrect the party after all the HST and health care controversy of the past year. But wait-maybe it will be Campbell who will stay and James will go.
James has not been as stellar a leader as many thought she might be when she took over the party reins, but it was generally assumed there was no real challenge to her leadership, and she might well have a chance to become the Premier in 2013. Who knows what might happen now? Is Simpson's revolt the tip of the iceberg? Politics is a crazy game. You just never know where the next bit of juicy news will come from. I'm sure James and Premier Campbell are both going to be watching their back as much as they watch the road ahead over the next few months. Perhaps Campbell is about to rise from the ashes like the Phoenix and maybe it will be James who crashes and burns. keep your eyes tuned for the next installment.
Showing posts with label Premier Gordon Campbell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Premier Gordon Campbell. Show all posts
Friday, October 8, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Why Should Campbell Resign Now?
(Aired on September 10, 2010)
The timing for this cry for Gordon Campbell's head is a little odd right now. We've known about the Harmonized Sales Tax for a while now. And ever since the surprise announcement last summer that the tax was happening, the call for Campbell to step down or retire has been a general dull roar. Cabinet minister Blair Lekstrom resigned, but other than that, the level of discontent inside the Liberal circle has been minimal. Now, however, it's starting to snowball. Donna Barnett's former riding association executive secretary is the latest to add his voice the choir.
But once again, it's the timing that is a bit confusing. The height of the HST deception happened when the tax was announced, just a few months after Finance Minister Colin Hansen swore up and down that it wasn't being considered. The feeling of betrayal by the party rank and file should have been at its zenith in the weeks following that epic flip-flop.
Today, the HST has taken effect. There is still anger over the tax, but at the very least, a legislative committee is looking into the initiative petition opposing the HST is meeting now. It will force action on the tax, whether that's by asking MLAs, or by asking all British Columbians. The end result - somewhere a long way down the line - could result in the HST being lifted. Campbell is at the point now where his party will live or die in spite of him, not because of him. For so-called Liberal insiders to be coming out of the woodwork now, calling for Campbell's head, smacks of pure opportunism.
If it was up to me, the exact moment Gordon Campbell should have resigned was in January of 2003, when he was arrested for drunk driving in Maui. If you ask me, that's a more heinous offense than changing tax policy.
The timing for this cry for Gordon Campbell's head is a little odd right now. We've known about the Harmonized Sales Tax for a while now. And ever since the surprise announcement last summer that the tax was happening, the call for Campbell to step down or retire has been a general dull roar. Cabinet minister Blair Lekstrom resigned, but other than that, the level of discontent inside the Liberal circle has been minimal. Now, however, it's starting to snowball. Donna Barnett's former riding association executive secretary is the latest to add his voice the choir.
But once again, it's the timing that is a bit confusing. The height of the HST deception happened when the tax was announced, just a few months after Finance Minister Colin Hansen swore up and down that it wasn't being considered. The feeling of betrayal by the party rank and file should have been at its zenith in the weeks following that epic flip-flop.
Today, the HST has taken effect. There is still anger over the tax, but at the very least, a legislative committee is looking into the initiative petition opposing the HST is meeting now. It will force action on the tax, whether that's by asking MLAs, or by asking all British Columbians. The end result - somewhere a long way down the line - could result in the HST being lifted. Campbell is at the point now where his party will live or die in spite of him, not because of him. For so-called Liberal insiders to be coming out of the woodwork now, calling for Campbell's head, smacks of pure opportunism.
If it was up to me, the exact moment Gordon Campbell should have resigned was in January of 2003, when he was arrested for drunk driving in Maui. If you ask me, that's a more heinous offense than changing tax policy.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wait and See on Campbell's Future
(Aired on August 10, 2010)
I never get tired of reading and hearing political pundits, and seeing newspaper headlines about things you absolutely know will change. The latest series of headlines and stories concerns the political future of Gordon Campbell. "Campbell Down But Not Out," screams one headline, "Even a New Leader Won't Help Liberals Win Next Election" says another.
Now when you've seen as much news as I have over 40 years of headline watching, you know that this group of headlines is going to change. When it's going to change, I'm not sure, but it will change. Those speculating about the future of Gordon Campbell will soon find out that Gordon Campbell is going to come back. Will he come back strong enough to win the next election? Who knows. Will he give way to a new leader? Again, uncertain. But we know for sure that the election is far enough away that anything can happen between now and then.
There have been lots of elections where political leaders have been dead right up to election day, and they wind up winning. I can recall doing polls just before an election and find out election day that the polls are totally wrong. Politicians are fond of telling you that the only poll that matters is the one on election day. And in this case, they are right.
The news headlines you are seeing right now may well sell newspapers and have you watch more TV, but that's all they do. They are hardly the essence of reality, and a lot of water will cross under the bridge between now and May of 2013. To paraphrase a famous quotation from Mark Twain, the reports of Gordon Campbell's political death are greatly exaggerated.
I never get tired of reading and hearing political pundits, and seeing newspaper headlines about things you absolutely know will change. The latest series of headlines and stories concerns the political future of Gordon Campbell. "Campbell Down But Not Out," screams one headline, "Even a New Leader Won't Help Liberals Win Next Election" says another.
Now when you've seen as much news as I have over 40 years of headline watching, you know that this group of headlines is going to change. When it's going to change, I'm not sure, but it will change. Those speculating about the future of Gordon Campbell will soon find out that Gordon Campbell is going to come back. Will he come back strong enough to win the next election? Who knows. Will he give way to a new leader? Again, uncertain. But we know for sure that the election is far enough away that anything can happen between now and then.
There have been lots of elections where political leaders have been dead right up to election day, and they wind up winning. I can recall doing polls just before an election and find out election day that the polls are totally wrong. Politicians are fond of telling you that the only poll that matters is the one on election day. And in this case, they are right.
The news headlines you are seeing right now may well sell newspapers and have you watch more TV, but that's all they do. They are hardly the essence of reality, and a lot of water will cross under the bridge between now and May of 2013. To paraphrase a famous quotation from Mark Twain, the reports of Gordon Campbell's political death are greatly exaggerated.
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