I was just reading through Bill Vander Zalm’s message to supporters on the Fight HST website, trying to continue the flame of recall after their unsuccessful bid to oust Ida Chong on Vancouver Island.
He repeated the words “Recall. Recall. Recall.” in an invigorating chant at the end of his online post.
Yet it strikes me that the campaigners should have gracefully bowed down earlier on in the war, not out of defeat but in victory.
Firstly, they rallied a huge chunk of B.C. against the HST and forced Elections B.C. to allow a referendum on the tax through their petition.
However in all the hubbub the Liberal leader announced he would resign. Campbell, the head of the machine that brought in the HST, stepped down. What more could they want?
What they’ve accomplished following that is a campaign from the party where all the candidates for leadership are effectively saying the whole thing was handled wrong.
And surely it was, but considering one of these people will end up being the new leader, revolution has taken place.
The message has been received by the party, and I can’t imagine what more is gained by targeting more MLAs.
Especially now after the campaign on the Island stalled.
Most people perhaps are just shrugging their shoulders that a recall is not necessary. Considering an upcoming referendum and two leadership races, Liberals and NDP, how much more muddled do people want their politics?
At best people, I’m sure, are just looking forward to things going back to normal. Get the HST question resolved, put in the new leaders, and get on with governing.
Otherwise this entire process gets a little, well, taxing.
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On an entirely unrelated subject, I just thought I would remark on how funny it is to discover that there is nowhere to rent ice skates for general use around here.
However, in the process I did find the store clerks and the Town all very helpful as I searched. So as my predecessor would say, a tip of the toque to the helpful people of Smithers, even though I never did get my skates.