Canada Kicks Ass
Ousting Clark may be the only thing that can save Liberals

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Gunnair @ Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:15 pm

$1:
Brian Hutchinson: Ousting Christy Clark may be the only thing that can save B.C.’s Liberals

Two easy byelection wins Thursday for the provincial NDP are more proof that B.C.’s political landscape has shifted. The party that Glen Clark and other feckless leaders nearly destroyed is revived; Thursday’s results demonstrate that it holds some appeal with moderates outside the province’s trade and public-sector unions. Fact is, the party no longer scares the bejeebers out of people.

Both wins came in ridings formerly held by B.C.’s ruling Liberals, and in places long considered hostile to socialists. For those who would prefer not to have an NDP government — still about half of British Columbians — decisions have to be made, and soon.


Liberals had expected to lose both Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope; Premier Christy Clark said as much, just before Thursday’s byelections. But members and supporters need to hear what steps will be taken to fix her party’s problems before May 2013, when the next general election is scheduled.

There’s no room in B.C. for two centre-right contenders. That’s been part of the Liberal message since the fall, when support for the upstart B.C. Conservative Party began to climb in opinion polls. But it hasn’t been heeded.

Under their new leader, John Cummins, the provincial Tories have found about 23% support province-wide. Their candidate in Chilliwack-Hope received 25% of ballots cast Thursday, compared with 31% for the Liberal. In Port Moody-Coquitlam, the Conservative candidate captured only 15% of the vote, not enough to determine the result, but still enough to panic Liberals.

Their immediate reaction? “John Cummins has enabled the NDP to win,” sniped John Les, a senior Liberal caucus member. Of course, blaming others for their own misfortunes won’t get the Liberals more support. If anything, it will drive away more people.

Expect some sort of party remake then. Ms. Clark herself has mused about a name change, but that’s weak sauce; stronger medicine is required.

There will be lots of talk in coming days and weeks about a merger or formal “coalition” with the upstart Conservatives. John Reynolds, the former federal Reform, Alliance and Conservative MP, is one influential B.C. politician to suggest such a bold plan of action. In an interview with Vancouver Sun reporter Jonathan Fowlie this week, Mr. Reynolds said there is “lots of time to have conventions for both sides. Can we agree on a name? Can we agree on whatever needs to happen to make that happen? If you want to make a coalition work, you’ve got to be prepared to put everything on the table.”

Everything — including the future of their present leaders. As it stands, no merger is possible with Ms. Clark at the Liberal helm and with Mr. Cummins in charge of Conservatives.

Mr. Cummins is intractable. His party has momentum, its support shooting from single digits little more than a year ago, to where it sits now, with more growth potential. “It’s obvious to me that the Liberals are a spent force in B.C. politics,” Mr. Cummins said Friday. “People just don’t trust them anymore…. There is only one option on the centre-right, and that’s the B.C. Conservatives.”

No doubt his party’s most steadfast supporters would agree, otherwise they wouldn’t have signed on. Merger discussions with the Liberals aren’t on their agenda. Unite regardless, and their support will be gone. It’s not in the cards.

What can the Liberals do? Premier Clark has advantages of her office, but those reach only so far. More than a year into her leadership, she hasn’t connected with the public. She is ambitious, but she doesn’t inspire confidence. There’s little reason to think she can quell the Conservative rebellion, poke holes in the NDP armour and turn the Liberal ship around. Her party needs to move assertively to avoid defeat. The only solution left might be leadership change. Because British Columbians are already thinking they’ll have a new premier next year.

National Post
bhutchinson@nationalpost.com

   



Freakinoldguy @ Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:34 pm

It didn't work for Gordo so why would it work with Christie Cluck.

These asshats have made their beds and now they don't want to sleep in them. They have already made overtures to the BC Conservatives and were politely told to fuck off, since anyone but Christie has already noticed the Conservatives are on the rise and the Liberals are in free fall.

This disfunctional group of self righteous syncophants could install Mahatma Gandi as their leader and their party still couldn't garner enough support to fill the Spuzzum Town Hall.

The sooner they're relegated to scrap heap of BC Political party history the better for the whole province.

   



xenaphobe @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:03 am

Let's not forget about the goof she ousted!!
Liberals are no good lieing pigs and need to be removed. :rock:

   



raydan @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:09 am

xenaphobe xenaphobe:
Let's not forget about the goof she ousted!!
Liberals are no good lieing pigs and need to be removed. :rock:

So do you, but Bart told me to be more tolerant. :evil:

   



martin14 @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:09 am

Nothing will help the BC libs.

   



raydan @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:17 am

martin14 martin14:
Nothing will help the BC libs.

You'd rather have the NDP... I'm surprised. :lol:

   



martin14 @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:25 am

raydan raydan:
martin14 martin14:
Nothing will help the BC libs.

You'd rather have the NDP... I'm surprised. :lol:



Your senility is showing... :lol:

   



Zipperfish @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:00 am

The bigger problem for the BC LIberals is not the government gaffes, which accumulate with any government in power for long enough, but the rise of the Conservatives. The Liberals, while droping, are not in free fall, which means that the right vote will be split, which makes things easier for Adrian Dix and the NDP.

Once the election gets really underway, though, things may change rapidly. All it will take is a scary statement or two from Adrian Dix and you'll see the NDP drop in the polls.

The LIberals, in my opinion, are probably best suited to govern, but they are suffering the fate of all parties in power too long--arrogance, entitlement, accumulation of gaffes, blurring of the line between politics and policy.

Politicians and babies need to be changed regularly--and for the same reason, as the old saying goes.

   



andyt @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:06 am

The conservatives have gone nowhere, and I bet come election time some of their support will bleed to the Liberals in an anybody but the NDP rush.

This is Dix's election to lose at this point. So far he's done very well. And it is time for a change. I voted for Gordo himself (ie his riding) to get rid of the NDP when they were past due. Now it's time to turf the Libs.

   



Gunnair @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:34 pm

Zipperfish Zipperfish:
The bigger problem for the BC LIberals is not the government gaffes, which accumulate with any government in power for long enough, but the rise of the Conservatives. The Liberals, while droping, are not in free fall, which means that the right vote will be split, which makes things easier for Adrian Dix and the NDP.

Once the election gets really underway, though, things may change rapidly. All it will take is a scary statement or two from Adrian Dix and you'll see the NDP drop in the polls.

The LIberals, in my opinion, are probably best suited to govern, but they are suffering the fate of all parties in power too long--arrogance, entitlement, accumulation of gaffes, blurring of the line between politics and policy.

Politicians and babies need to be changed regularly--and for the same reason, as the old saying goes.


The BC Conservatives are spent. Cummins said 'Fuck it' and got a bit part in the Walking Dead as some shambling undead corpse looking for a political future outside the prison, but he'll never be attacked because he looks and smells like a walker.

Christy is finished and I think she'll resign before the election if only to give the Liberals a single shot at preventing another a mirror NDP landslide that drops them to two seats.

Put a fork in the pair of them, they're done and all of my teasing of the have not provinces comes to crashing halt with an NDP majority.

   



Zipperfish @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:46 pm

Yup. Wasn't too impressed wiht the selection of Adrian Dix. Why on earth would they pick someone tied to the Glen Clark debacle. Then again, this is BC politics--every administration is a debacle. Remember Wille Wooden-Shoes?

   



ShepherdsDog @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:56 pm

you weren't a Vanderzombie 8O 8O 8O 8O ??

   



Gunnair @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:22 pm

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
you weren't a Vanderzombie 8O 8O 8O 8O ??


Image

   



xerxes @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:23 pm

Ditching Clark at this point wouldn't matter. The damage is already done.

   



Public_Domain @ Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:24 pm

xenaphobe xenaphobe:
Let's not forget about the goof she ousted!!
Liberals are no good lieing pigs and need to be removed. :rock:

What a bizarre username....

   



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