Why Premier Gordon Campbell's HST spin campaign is doomed

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      Effective public-relations campaigns often rely on third-party endorsers.

      In these instances, a person or an organization with little credibility doesn't deliver the message.

      Instead, someone who is more trusted is recruited as the pitchman or pitchwoman.

      There are lots of examples. Pharmaceutical companies find patient-advocacy groups to push PharmaCare to cover the cost of new prescription drugs. These same patient-advocacy groups lobby the media to cover their efforts.

      Forest companies have funded campaigns that rely on ordinary citizens to argue in favour of logging. Corporate spin doctors know that the average Joe is more trusted than a guy in a pinstriped suit who makes $2 million per year.

      In the 1960s, General Electric recruited Ronald Reagan to soothe the public.

      Like the pharmaceutical giants, forest companies, and General Electric, Premier Gordon Campbell finds himself in a similar predicament. His problem is the harmonized sales tax, which he never mentioned in the campaign leading up to the May 12, 2009 provincial election.

      This is despite a recommendation in December 2008 from his own advisory body, the B.C. Progress Board, to harmonize the GST with the provincial sales tax.

      The HST is a $1.9-billion annual tax shift from business to individuals. That benefits the corporate sector, which donated generously to the B.C. Liberals before the 2009 election.

      The premier and the finance minister, Colin Hansen, have maintained that they didn't consider introducing the HST until after the election. They said they had to act because Ontario was planning to introduce the HST.

      This claim sounds ridiculous to many people for two reasons. Ontario's HST was included in the McGuinty government's March 26, 2009 budget after some consultation. Secondly, prairie provinces and Quebec don't have an HST.

      Hence, there's a lack of trust with whatever Campbell and Hansen might say on the topic.

      This morning, the Vancouver Sun published an opinion piece about the HST from a former B.C. Liberal attorney general, Geoff Plant. Plant is a former roommate of the premier's while they were both on the opposition side of the legislature in Victoria.

      In the coming weeks, I expect we'll see more opinion pieces in the Vancouver Sun and other newspapers from friends and supporters of the premier.

      These third-party endorsers will try to create a chorus of support for the HST. They will argue that harmonization will stimulate the economy. They'll claim that Bill Vander Zalm's initiative can't defeat the tax because it's a creation of federal law. And they'll point to value-added taxes in other parts of the world to make it appear as though B.C. is merely falling in line with economic common sense.

      In the end, I'm betting that they'll fail to win over the public. That's because none of these arguments will address the central issue stoking the outrage: that Campbell and Hansen didn't tell voters of the tax during the election campaign.

      There's a belief in some quarters that the B.C. Liberals had a secret agenda. So far, the skeptics haven't heard a convincing argument that the premier and Hansen were not planning the HST before the election.

      The impossibility of third-party endorsers to address this concern will ensure there will be vigorous recall campaigns. They might finish off the careers of some B.C. Liberal MLAs.

      Anti-HST sentiments, driven by a perceived lack of transparency during the 2009 election campaign, will probably also force the premier to retire before the next election.

      That's if he manages to survive a recall campaign in his constituency of Vancouver-Point Grey.

      In this regard, Campbell will resemble Brian Mulroney, who resigned as prime minister on June 25, 1993 to avoid overwhelming humiliation at the hands of voters later that year.

      The premier is looking like a lame duck. Maybe it's time for political cartoonists across the country to start drawing him this way.

      Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.

      Comments

      27 Comments

      doofus

      Jun 4, 2010 at 10:58pm

      Gordo's pitchman is also secret agent man

      Morty

      Jun 4, 2010 at 11:02pm

      Personally, I'm more concerned about Vander Zalm's secret agenda. We've been down that road before.

      Bruce McAra

      Jun 5, 2010 at 5:26am

      The other reason it will fail is because we have heard it all before. Plant offered a different take but his technical legal arguments do not out weigh the overwhelming public response. Certainly the province has no legislative way to repeal the HST but it can ask Ottawa to do so. Even Plant knows that.

      Camero409

      Jun 5, 2010 at 7:29am

      I hope I am one of the people that work on either Gordo's or Hansen's recall. I despise the LIbERalS and want them out of government and on the trash heap forever. These guy's and I include Harhar in Ottawa are narcissistic egomaniacs who are basically drones for the elites. They have no interest in telling the truth (See BC rail scandal, underfunding of education, underfunding of the medical plan, the selling off of BC hydro et el.) and haven't told the truth since day one after being elected in 2001. The right wing are corrupt and only seek ways to transfer more of the white and blue collar and the poor hard earned money into their coffers. Once Gordo and the rest are finished they will get their just desserts with a board of directors appointment once their political career is over (See Carol Taylor).

      Gordonitsdone

      Jun 5, 2010 at 9:16am

      BC has already turned a corner. Its of Gordon. If you are a Liberal MLA and want to keep your career in politics I would jump ship and be part of this movement. Don't resist.

      We (the people) win.

      Skeena Fisherman

      Jun 5, 2010 at 9:27am

      I guess if Campbell can smile when is charged with a DUI he can smile when he tells us he didn't plan to introduce the HST but made that decision after the election.

      cynical

      Jun 5, 2010 at 12:31pm

      The neocons are momentarily doomed because the party is over. Everyone is aware of corruption while it is going on (he was arrested for drunk driving!! the police stormed the legislature!!) but just so long as it serves their agenda i.e. the appearance of cashing in - MOST DON'T CARE.

      Now that the tides are turning and the ponzi scheme is coming to an end suddenly people are critical of this government.

      At the end of the day we need to wake up and think longer term. Through our greed we have dismantled our public rivers, hydro, health, education, unions, pensions,... and it is going to be a fight to get it back.

      Ray I

      Jun 5, 2010 at 12:37pm

      Funny how short a memory people have. The Zalm is now popular and Campbell is the enemy. This is another great example of why no politician's career will ever be over in BC. Wait another decade and there will be a Draft Campbell movement afoot. Drink the Koolaid you dumbasses!

      Island Man

      Jun 5, 2010 at 4:27pm

      Campbell's stubborn refusal to back off and accept the will of the people states volumes for his contempt of the voters...he actually believes he can spin another yarn and change all our minds. It shows how out of touch he reallly is.