Premier Gordon Campbell resigns
By Post Media News
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said Wednesday he’ll resign as soon as a leadership convention can be held by the Liberal party.
Campbell, the province’s 34th premier, said he has asked the Liberal party to hold a leadership convention as soon as possible to find a new leader. “It’s time for a new person to lead the province,” he said at a media conference in Vancouver. “It’s been quite a run, and a lot more fun than not,” he added. Campbell said he came to the decision after “considerable soul searching.” He said it’s time for a change for his government and that recent initiatives have been overshadowed by the focus on his leadership. Campbell has been premier for nine years and five months. He thanked his family for supporting him during 26 years in politics. “Politics can be a very nasty business and at times that nastiness spilled over into their own personal lives,” he said. “For that I am sorry. I want to say thanks to them for their love and support.” Campbell also said he’s hopeful his resignation will allow British Columbians to move forward and fully consider the harmonized sales tax and its alternative as they prepare for the September 2011 referendum on the unpopular tax. He did not answer questions Wednesday. He was scheduled to hold a media conference Thursday in Vancouver. Campbell’s resignation came amid a flurry of behind-the-scenes speculation about his leadership in recent days. A caucus meeting of Liberal MLAs scheduled for Thursday had been deemed by some as an emergency meeting on Campbell’s leadership and the party’s woes. In addition, unconfirmed rumours of Liberal MLA discontent, including critical comments by his energy minister after a recent cabinet shuffle, increased speculation the long-serving premier’s career may be coming to an end. Campbell was set to face a mandatory leadership review at the Liberal’s annual convention Nov. 19-20. Liberal members across the province had cast secret ballots on whether they had confidence in him as leader. The results were to be presented at the convention in Penticton. The premier and his government had been dogged by continued anger over his decision to introduce the harmonized sales tax shortly after winning re-election in 2009. The unpopular decision has been met with sustained voter outrage and dragged his party down in the polls. Campbell had tried in recent months to resurrect his dismal personal popularity, which had dipped to below 10 per cent. Most recently, in a province-wide television address last week he promised a 15 per cent income tax cut – the second-largest in the province’s history – in what was widely seen as an attempt to appease angry voters. He also shuffled his cabinet last week, reorganizing numerous ministries and attempting to grab control of the political agenda. However, Campbell’s recent moves had been met with skepticism and scorn by political scientists and the Opposition NDP. Polls suggested his television address failed to sway the opinion of voters. The announcement caps the political career of one of the longest-serving premiers in Canada. He’s led the Liberal government for nine years and five months. Campbell, 62, took the helm of the B.C. Liberal Party in 1993, but failed to form government in the 1996 election despite winning the popular vote. He recovered from that disappointment to record a landslide victory in 2001 when party captured all but two seats in the legislature. He was re-elected in 2005 and, in 2009, he became the first premier in 26 years to win a third straight election. His popularity plummeted following the campaign, however, when the government announced plans to introduce the harmonized sales tax – something the Liberals said they would not do. A former developer and teacher, Campbell previously served three successive terms as Mayor of Vancouver from 1986 to 1993.
Reprinted with permission from the Victoria Time Colonist
