Gordon Campbell's Revenge?
How Campbell came to Colin Hansen's rescue - and put Christy Clark at risk

        
         Partners in thwarting Christy Clark in Vancouver-Point Grey?

By Bill Tieleman
   Bill's Blog
       March 17,2011

Gordon Campbell's Revenge to rescue Colin Hansen - may cost Christy Clark dearly in Vancouver-Point Grey

Former Premier Gordon Campbell resigned as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Vancouver-Point Grey on March 15.

As of this evening, new Premier Christy Clark, who lacks a seat in the BC Legislature, has not announced she is running to replace Campbell as his old riding's MLA.

Why?

The answer is clear - Campbell quit without consulation with Clark on the timing to jam her into running in Vancouver-Point Grey so that his good friend and loyal soldier Colin Hansen would be rescued from intense Clark pressure to give up his much safer seat in Vancouver-Quilchena.

Call it Campbell's Revenge, for he has never forgiven Clark for quitting his cabinet back in 2004 or her ongoing criticism of his government.

Now it's time for sweet revenge!

And Campbell can undo at least a small part of the damage he inflicted on Hansen when he made the former finance minister the fall guy for the Harmonized Sales Tax.  

That fiasco ensured that Hansen could never succeed Campbell as premier  - so he owes him bigtime.

A full examination of the situation makes it clear that Campbell's actions have become Clark's first significant challenge, because he is attempting to force her hand on Vancouver-Point Grey.

As exclusively reported on this blog, the BC Liberals hired Innovative Research Group to poll extensively in Vancouver-Point Grey - significant because Clark's own Chief of Staff Mike McDonald was with Innovative until Monday's swearing in.

Significant again because Innovative's owner is Greg Lyle, who managed the BC Liberals 1996 campaign for Campbell.

That polling listing possible BC NDP candidates who might face Clark, including Vancouver Board of Eduction chair Patti Bacchus of Vision Vancouver and myself - and to be clear again I'm not running.

Hansen himself has been extremely outspoken about not giving up his seat for Clark - even Tweeting that he would not step down when early rumours flew long before the cabinet swearing-in that showed he was out.

Since then Hansen has been a dutiful and positive Clark backbencher - saying all the right things - except that he won't be offering her his riding.

Anyone with a political background can now see the obvious:

a) The BC Liberal polling in Vancouver-Point Grey that took place earlier in March has clearly been completed;

b) Gordon Campbell resigned as MLA after those polling results were received;

c) Christy Clark has not announced her intention of running in Vancouver-Point Grey despite it being "vacant" for two days and despite saying getting a seat in the Legislature is her priority and despite saying she wants to be in the Legislature before the June 24 HST referendum takes place;

d) Colin Hansen has repeatedly stated he will continue as Vancouver-Quilchena MLA;

e) Clark has a potentially large problem - and even if another MLA in a safer riding offers up her or his seat to Clark, it will look like she chickened out of Vancouver-Point Grey

f) Or .....Clark is planning on sending BC to a full provincial election before the 6-month deadline under the BC Constitution Act on calling a Vancouver-Point Grey by-election expires.

That last point means we could have a provincial election call by September 15 - and that strikes me as entirely possible.

For those who say the BC Liberals have already regained party unity - think again!

http://billtieleman.blogspot.com/2011/03/gordon-campbells-revenge-how-campbell.html

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Ya gotta wonder...are the Libs more interested in keeping Tieleman's socialist horde's pettyfogging fingers from the community coffers or their own petty infighting? If Tieleman is to believed, always a risky proposition, it would seem the latter is the case. In any event, Christy Palin is by no means a shoe-in wherever she parachutes. Her bubble-headed, cheer-leader, Sarah Palinish, hyperventilating speaking style may appeal to the liberal coalition anointed, but will not necessarily translate into a wider appeal, especially if the NDP manage to corral a credible opponent in the same riding. (what did I just say?  "Credible" NDP?) ROTFLMAO!