Oh for the good old days.....handshakes instead of shanks!
Gordon Campbell fired outspoken Energy Minister Bill Bennett out of his cabinet this morning after Bennett told the media that Campbell should leave office and allow a caretaker premier to run the show.
The direct and insubordinate challenge to Campbell was the premier's only option, especially after Bennett had already publicly criticized Campbell's cabinet shuffle and reorganization of natural resources ministries just a few weeks ago.
Finance Minister Colin Hansen said today that the decision was made by the entire cabinet rather than Campbell - a possible first - and Bennett agreed.
"The cabinet has to operate as a team. It was obvious that Bill Bennett was not prepared to work as a member of that team and so cabinet as a whole made a decision that they would ask him to leave cabinet and he agreed," Hansen said.
Is it all part of Bennett's cagey plan to position himself as the "plain talking outsider with common sense" for a BC Liberal leadership run?
Or has Bennett once again shot his mouth off before thinking? This is, after all, the minister to flamed out in an ill-considered email to a constituent in 2007 that caused Campbell to toss him from cabinet for a period of time.
Mostly it shows the extremely bad feelings abounding in the BC Liberal caucus over Campbell's long goodbye that will now last until at least the end of February.
Unless, that is, Campbell is pushed out in a caucus coup before he causes even more damage to a party limping along at 26% support in the polls paying attention to a premier with only a 12% approval rating.
Bennett addresses the media in Victoria this afternoon - stay tuned to this space for more.
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20 comments:
If members of the cabinet can collectively decide to oust one of their own, such as Bill Bennett, can they not decide to do the same with Gord Campbell, if not collectively, by a majority of the votes? I can't see why, fundamentally or constitutionally, they couldn't do that.
If they did, how interesting that would be!
Has anyone told Martyn Brown that the Energy Minister is being replaced, wouldn't want him to be the last to know, again.
It may soon be a disadvantage for Liberal MLA's to remain in Caucus.
The simple answer is yes, but the Premier as head of the Executive Council would have to agree.
Otherwise a revolt and nasty fight would ensure, something that started when VanderZalm got into big big trouble. After that, Rita Johnston became interim leader and said she wouldn't run for the leadership, but did anyway.
An interim leader was done before.
Dan Miller was an interim leader.
But he didn't run for the leadership.
He was actually good in his short time at it.
I guess the Premier has learned from the strong leadership demonstrated by NDP leader Carole James!
Why should this be any kind of surprise after nearly ten years of rule by the Campbellite/Fraser Institute dictatorship in BC.
When you have a sociopathic premier who harbours deep "mommy and daddy issues" . . . if I was Bill Bennett I would keep my bathroom door locked whenever I showered at the Bates (Campbell) Motel.
And if we think Kevin Falcon would be any different you must have never seen Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The GREAT SATAN
We all have seen, Campbell's vendetta's against anyone honest. Neufeld and Johnson of, Elections BC, both got a vendetta and lost their jobs. Campbell did say, he would be around for some months. He also said, he would continue with his work, and, his work is dirty, as usual. Good for Bill Bennet, to not support the monster Campbell's, lies, deceit, corruption, and cheating to win. Campbell is in, the lowest form, of the human species.
Yes, they can dump Campbell and vote in a new leader. If they don't, well, one has to wonder why. Fear of Campbell? Supreme confidence in Campbell? Too soon to jockey for position?
The only reason you can safely rule out is a deep-seated ethical commitment to the citizens of British Columbia.
Hansen the others still don't have it worked out...they axed the wrong guy. Talk about Dumb and Dumber.
Does it make it easier for Bill Bennett to run for Liberal Leader? Gosh what a mess the whole Liberal scene is.
Anyone who thinks this was NOT GORDON Campbell's decision ought to take a moment and look at Order In Council No 700, dated Nov. 17, 2010.
It's available at QPLegaleze and it clearly shows Gordon Campbell's signature as the presiding member of the Executive Council.
The CEO is STILL IN CHARGE and he's going to ride this horse till it's dead.
Bill may well be preparing for a run as the federal tory candidate in East Kootenay.
You saw it here first.
Campbell's cutting of 15% in our personal income tax for 2011 just went out the window. What next, Campbell is going to have a SNAP election to beat down the Recall initiative folks?
Way to go Bennett you finally grew a set,next!
Hey 12:25, maybe someone has developed a messaging program to remind Martyn Brown daily where he is, his name, what day it is and what he does for a living.
Bill Bennett only said the truth, and Campbell can't have anyone telling the truth about him. As we have seen many times... Anyone opposing Campbell loses their jobs. Any Liberal minister or mla supporting Campbell, are selling their souls to a monster. Martyn Brown's brain dead testimony, at the trial of Campbell's corrupt sale of the BCR, will never be accepted. As far as the citizens are concerned, Brown's political career is also dead. De Jong's handling of the, two patsies forced to take the fall, for Campbell's corrupt sale of the BCR, is also dead to the BC people. Any BC minister or mla supporting Campbell, is just as sick as he is.
Anything Hansen says, is automatically considered a lie. He is no different than Campbell is. The HST wasn't on their radar. When the HST radar papers, were sitting on Hansen's desk, long before the election. How much more BS, are the BC citizens going to be fed? I watched Hansen in the BC Legislature. I had never seen such a disgraceful exhibition, in my life. In fact, the BC Liberals, made a mockery of, everything the Legislature is supposed to stand for.
"Has anyone told Martyn Brown that the Energy Minister is being replaced, wouldn't want him to be the last to know, again."
Nobody can get hold of him. He's lost his cell phone and forgotten his name and phone number....
"Has anyone told Martyn Brown that the Energy Minister is being replaced, wouldn't want him to be the last to know, again"
Why would this be so important??
Someone obviously has too much time on their hands.
Maryn obviously would have known at the same time the other Deputy Ministers would have known.
Bill Bennett is an embarrassment to BC politics. His words lack creditability and indicate that he has a personal issue with Gordon Campbell. Bill Bennett shows that he does not handle conflict well and I would not like to see him running for the Premier.
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