What, if anything, do we read into Premier Christy Clark’s narrow win in the by-election?
 
In one sense it can be said that the only important thing is that she won, but that isn’t so. Of significance is the low turnout. The only example I can give is ancient history, namely 1981 in Kamloops, arising out of me resigning my seat to go into radio. The general consensus was that Claude Richmond of the Socreds wouldn’t be able to beat Howard Dack. As I was in radio doing political matters I didn’t campaign for Richmond.
 
Claude Richmond won a handsome victory with a good turnout (incidentally, the last time prior to yesterday that the ruling party won a provincial by-election). No one could deny that this was a vote supporting the government. Premier Clark’s election by such a small margin does indicate a message to the government. How strong or important that message will be assessed by the usual suspects, of course.
 
The next piece in the jigsaw puzzle will come from the HST referendum which will largely be a referendum on the government.
 
There’s another event, actually non-event which gets into the mix, namely the celebration of Campbell’s “great” decade of leadership. The excuse for not doing so when Ms. Clark became leader was that it would detract from her moment of victory. For a party whose policy depends upon a steady stream of lies, this comes as no surprise. One would have thought Ms. Clark would be delighted to have the premier on stage with her in her great moment.
 
The truth is obvious: Clark wanted as little association as possible with badly damaged goods. The very last thing she wanted was general circulation of pictures with Campbell giving her smiling hugs and kisses.
 
You will remember that on that night we were told Mr. Campbell’s night would be at the forthcoming Liberal Convention and that the reason he wasn’t there was that he was out of the country.
 
Well, it turns out that gathering directorships is time consuming because – Lo! And behold! – he will still be gathering at Convention time. Again, one doesn’t have to be a mensa member to realize that Gordon Campbell is about as welcome at Liberal shindigs as a cow at a Christening.
 
Premier Clark will be much occupied with calling a snap election to “get a mandate” from the people. This is an odd concept for the parliamentary system where we don’t elect leaders but Members of the Legislature from whose party comes a leader. This is more than just lip service to the system but goes to its very core.
 
If, perish the thought, back in 2003 Gordon Campbell had suffered a heart attack instead of going to jail for drunk driving, the caucus would have selected a new leader and the government would have carried on. In fact, if anyone should have called an election for a new leader it would have been after Campbell had done his time in durance vile.

As one who would like to see the back of these bastards sooner than later, an early election will be just fine. Two more years is just more time for voters to forget about BC Rail, Basi-Virk and wholesale corruption, a fabricated budget and the HST disgrace – so let’s vote before our traditional amnesia sets in.

Premier Clark wants us to see her on her own record and I say let’s do
just that and remember the BC Rail scandal and remember that she was in
the midst of it and said not a word about it when an “independent”
journalist.
 
I say to Premier Clark: I believe that the sooner the public can pass judgment on you and your record, the better.