Is Gordon Campbell's job in danger?
When Premier Gordon Campbell stood up in the legislature on May 26 to answer a question about the harmonized sales tax, nobody expected him to offer his resignation. Earlier in the day, after a housing announcement in Vancouver, he defended the controversial levy, which combines the five-percent GST with the seven-percent provincial sales tax, and extends it over many new services.
At that time, Campbell acknowledged that the public is deeply unhappy with how the HST came about—with a sudden announcement 10 weeks after an election campaign in which the B.C. Liberals never talked about a $1.9-billion tax shift from business to individuals. At the housing announcement and in the legislature, he repeated a mantra that the public is getting used to hearing.
“This side of the house understands that when you have an improvement in a tax regime that would create $11.5 billion of additional investments, thousands and thousands of additional jobs”¦.I think it’s important for us to take action on behalf of every British Columbian in every region of this province to strengthen our economy,” Campbell said, according to Hansard.
NDP leader Carole James then asked whether the premier would call a referendum or bring in legislation if an anti-HST initiative succeeds and he is “too stubborn to stop the HST” before it takes effect on July 1. Campbell didn’t answer the question. Instead, he said that the B.C. Liberals were “very clear a year ago” that they would do everything they could to make the economy stronger. He also claimed that “literally dozens and dozens of organizations” have called for the harmonized sales tax.
“My question to the Leader of the Opposition: when is the Leader of the Opposition going to go to that forest worker and say: ”˜I don’t care about your job’?” Campbell taunted James. “When is the Leader of the Opposition going to go to the miner and say: ”˜I don’t care about your job’? When is the Leader of the Opposition going to go to the small business person and say: ”˜I don’t care about your job’?”
But some on the anti-HST side wonder whether the premier will be unemployed as a result of massive public opposition to harmonization. Chris Delaney, the lead organizer of the campaign Fight HST, told the Georgia Straight by phone that he thinks Campbell is “finished politically as a result of the HST”.
“I think he may have been contemplating retiring anyway,” Delaney, a former B.C. Conservative candidate, added. “Instead of sort of going out in a blaze of glory with the Olympics, he’s going to go up in flames as a result of the HST. I don’t know if the resignation—when it does come—if it will be the way he wanted it to be.”
Gabriel Yiu, the former NDP candidate in Vancouver-Fraserview, echoed Delaney’s prediction. When the Straight asked Yiu how long Campbell might remain as premier, he replied with a laugh: “Maybe summer.”
However, a UVic academic who specializes in electoral reform isn’t quite as convinced that the HST will be the premier’s waterloo. In a phone interview with the Straight, Dennis Pilon described Campbell as a “wily operator” who won’t face an election for years. Pilon isn’t counting him out.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that people are mad as hell and they want to get rid of the Liberals,” he said. “But when it gets to election time, somehow our media forget all that stuff, and so does the public.”
Pilon characterized B.C.’s recall-and-initiative process as one of the most “draconian” he has ever seen, because it’s so difficult for citizens to succeed under the current rules. Winning a referendum requires the approval of 50 percent of all registered voters. He pointed out that turnout for a stand-alone referendum is generally far lower than for a general election, making it practically impossible to achieve the 50-percent threshold.
Moreover, even if a referendum passes, the government doesn’t have to do anything. “It’s just one big joke,” Pilon said, “except it won’t be a joke if this becomes a political albatross for the Liberals.”
How should Premier Gordon Campbell respond to the success of the anti–HST initiative? | |
“It’s time for the premier to repeal the HST. The numbers are overwhelming, and they’re across the province. We’ve now reached our 10-percent threshold in Point Grey and Quilchena, so every major riding has succeeded. There’s really nothing more for him to do but cancel it. He knows how the whole province feels about it.” |
“This is a provincial issue, but as a premier, he should listen to his people. I know everywhere I go in Kingsway, my voters tell me that they have concerns over this issue. The reason why he should be listening to people in B.C. is because they actually voted him to be the premier.”¦He should consult with them, at least like [what happened in] Ontario. We didn’t even have a consultation process.” |
“They know that if they don’t back down this time, then there will be recall campaigns. And it’s very likely that some of their MLAs won’t be able to stay long. I will think it’s tough for him to actually survive the HST initiative as well as the B.C. Rail trial.”¦ What would be a good time for him to carry both burdens away from the political arena?” |
“The B.C. Green party had proposed that the HST would be 10 percent. And then it would be voted on in the legislature, so at least there [would] be some discussion by our representatives. So Gordon Campbell perhaps should offer that. There should have been far more input from the public—and explanation as well—because there wasn’t enough discussion to inform people about it.” |
“The premier should simply go back to Hansard and read his own speeches and statements when he was in the Opposition. I’m quite sure that will convince him to hold a referendum.”¦[But] he’ll probably go with putting some sort of bill before the legislature, and probably let it die.” | |
Chris Delaney
Wendy Yuan
Gabriel Yiu
Jodie Emery
Shinder Purewal
Comments
30 Comments
Clive
May 26, 2010 at 5:47pm
Gordo will be professing the benefits of the HST to his grave. Doesn't matter if 80 something percent of British Columbians don't want it; he always knows best. I hope this is finally his undoing; I'll be so glad to see him go. Yesterday just as they were reporting that the cost of owning a home has become even more prohibitive in BC was the same day they announced the anti-HST campaign had reached its quota in Gordo's riding. We don't want to pay another 7% on many necessities and services we have to use. We can't afford it; what part of this doesn't he understand?
cherylb
May 26, 2010 at 6:45pm
Unfortunately for the Premier, whether he wants to stay or not, is out of his hands. If the Liberal government doesn't act before November, we will swing immediately into recall. And it's a lot easier to succeed at recall than a referendum. As Delaney and Vander Zalm say, this is a referendum. There is no reason to put it off and spend another 20 or 30 million dollars holding a referendum. Cancel the HST right now Liberals, or face the consequences in November! Ignoring us will not make us go away. You have been warned and the volunteers in this campaign are completely commited to this cause.
HA!
May 26, 2010 at 6:48pm
Keep dreamin' Chuck...
RodSmelser
May 27, 2010 at 12:29am
Nearly 40 years ago, when I was a student at UVic, Oak Bay MLA Scott Wallace came to give a noon-time speech at the SUB. During the question period I asked him when he thought Premier WAC Bennett might finally retire. His answer sticks with me to this day, as if it were a few minutes ago:
"Premier Bennett will NEVER retire. He'll either get kicked out or he'll get carried out!"
Rod Smelser
glen p robbins
May 27, 2010 at 8:23am
Poll question of the day -- In a hypothetical situation -- you wake up tomorrow to find out that Gordon Campbell has died suddenly. In your opinion would BC be instantly better off?
Agree = Yes
Disagree = No
webbgerl
May 27, 2010 at 1:22pm
Myself and all small business owners are dreading the HST. It is going to HURT business at time when they are already in chronic pain. Prices will not be lowered, they will have to go up which means fewer sales. Gordo should have been removed from office when he was charged with drunk driving and showed his superior poor judgement & decision making skills.
Don't stoop to their level...
May 27, 2010 at 1:59pm
That is pretty dark Glen. Gordon is a creep but wishing death on someone is only something to regret. How about we ban GC to Baffin Island for the rest of his unnatural days?
Agree = Yes
Disagree = No
RickW
May 27, 2010 at 4:30pm
Gordon says: " ...create $11.5 billion of additional investments, thousands and thousands of additional jobs..."
Need some grist for this particular mill. GC has blustered before about investments and job creation, But of course, it all depends on just what he means by "job".
Furthermore, he asks Carole James: "...when is the Leader of the Opposition going to go to that forest worker and say: ”˜I don’t care about your job’?”
One might ask GC the very same question when, at the height of the "Golden Decade" BC was hemorrhaging forest-related jobs, as mill after mill was bought out and closed down -- while record shipments of raw logs were being sent across the line to Washinton State. GC didn't much care then, yet he expects us to believe that he cares now?
And how about the fiasco called the BC Rail Sale/Giveaway? GC ran a profitable business into the ground, so the people of BC would have the "privilege" of paying CN to take it off our hands.
RickW
glen p robbins
May 27, 2010 at 7:31pm
Don't stoop -- please don't be a halfwit -- I didn't wish anyone dead -- I used a sudden death to create an emphatic hypothetical where Campbell's influence would (obviously) be zero -- the pivot is would we be better off?
I don't believe in violence or killing -- however -- politics is a serious business which impacts on millions of lives -- flat out defrauding the voters (particularly your own) to win an election comes (in my opinion) as close to the line as you can get with your life -- //alot of folks gave up theirs to get us here -- I'm not apologizing for anything I say about Campbell -- here or anywhere else -- because it's the truth - it's how it is--it is fair comment.
RickW
May 27, 2010 at 9:36pm
glen p robbins:
In your scenario, you make the assumption that GC is running the show - that he is the pivot point. But is he? Or is he just the willing public face of something far more sinister than simple huckerism - and therefore replaceable.
RickW