I feel bad for his wife and wish them well, but in general I would not classify Mr. Plant as any kind of humanitarian when it comes to everyone else. His legal aid cuts have hurt the most vulnerable's access to the system, mostly women and minorities. A manager or cabinet minister should be judged on how he runs his ministry and how his members or employees are willing to work with him. This is the only minister in history that was actually censored by the majority of the legal society.(some record to be proud of) As for not being able to do what he wanted or having to work with right wing extremists like Campbell , I don't buy it. Any minister can stand up or sit down and shut up. He could cross the floor , run as an independent etc, I guess it all comes down to integrity and how we sleep at night. What Liberal MLA just said publicly that Campbell's cuts hurt kids etc on her last day in office, to little to late.

Wonderful article Barb. Too often the media drops the ball either on the Left or Right side of the debate, never questioning the validity of the system as a whole. Perhaps that's something we need to be looking at more closely as election day creeps ever closer.

"The fact that they’re all leaving after one term of trying to make a difference while in cabinet perhaps says more about our whole political system than just about the Gordon Campbell government." writes Barb, and with which observation I have agreed my entire adult working life.

It IS "the system", economic and political, that is "the problem", as I keep saying here ad nauseum. :-) Time to change it, fundamentally-, down to its very roots in corporate capitalism, with which conclusion I am pleased The Spectre agrees. :-)

Ya think? :-D

Since 28 December 2003, I've measured political effectiveness by asking: what have you done to reassure British Columbians that our society isn't crumbling under the weight of organized crime?

Darned if I can see where Geoff Plant or anybody else in the Campbell Group can give a positive answer to that question.

I've never wanted to believe that anybody in government would condone having $6 or $7 Billion a year drained out of the B.C. economy, or would stand idly by while Crown assets are sold, or the electoral process becomes distorted.

I saw the threat posed by organized crime as so huge, that it goes beyond partisan politics. But the Campbell Group seems determined to maintain a protective silence.

So now I think that Plant, Clark, and Collins have seen the same handwriting on the wall that I think I can see; maybe they tried to address the issue of organized crime walking the corridors of the B.C. Legislature but I don't think so. Therefore, I now think the best plan for us all is to sweep the Legislature on May 17, start with fresh people, and see if British Columbia can be Beautiful again.

Sorry Barb but this article looks a lot like a piece of fluff more suited to a Canwest site.

Maybe one day we will know the real reason that the rats are jumping from the 'apparently not sinking ship' of the BC Liberals

Until that day, we are left with parting 'half-truths to hide the real truth' from these politicians. The same standards they held while in office.

For those BC voters who fit into the "populist" category, the departure of the Harvard educated Plant will be a non-event. Those who voted Liberal last time because they despised the NDP's "photo radar tax grab" won't be wringing their hands just because Plant, who was forced to front that "issue" both in Opposition and again in Govt, has now left.

However, for middle-class voters who admire professionals and professionalism, regardless of how one would rate Plant's performance as Attorney General, this must seem like a further lightening of the ship of state, another loss of critical ballast going into the general election. It's also a case of opening up Richmond to some real competition, given that two of its three incumbents are not seeking re-election.

Now, it is always "possible" I suppose, that we have merely well intentioned "system" politicos here, who have become frustrated with their jobs to actually make the system work, when it is weighted in favour of the corporate and private wealth mentalities, and their interest that really drive it. Be they in formal power, or merely and more likely, pulling the strings from their positions making the "investment" decisions from Howe St., and being the real financial whiz kids and backers behind the Neocon-Libs, and making the actual backroom "shadow cabinet" decisions. That'd frustrate any well meaning cabinet dreamer for sure.

Against which reality, even the NDP keeps coming up against, of course, trying to satisfy and being frustrated.

"Sorry Barb but this article looks a lot like a piece of fluff..." writes JRG.

Whose comment I think actually cuts the closest to it, but she did make one correct statement, how e're inadvertantly, pointing to "the system" as the source of the problem. Though I would be surprised if she cuts that as deep or with as wide a swath as I would, for example. More likely she is talking about more of an STV-like, minor structural form "tweaking" of the status quo system, that doesn't actually threaten the power base, and merely only creates an appearance of change, like a bad dye job to hide the grey at the roots. Though, I could be wrong, of course.

But if not, JRG is right, this article IS a piece of fluff; more ineffectual social-democratic tweaking.

How many are in favour that we have a seperate ballot for the Sol.Gen.in order to remove the position from the political world? We need a tough no nonsense 'top cop'. Mr. Plante would have made a great 'top cop'.

One of Plant's frustrating realities - predicted suicide-murders preferable to the Truth:
http://f-case.blogspot.com

JRG, Do you include Joy McPhail as one of the "rats" jumping off a sinking ship? Why isn’t there any articles on the secret reasons for Joy’s departure? It seems a little suspicious to me.

Why so mealy mouthed, Barbara? Let's say it. They weren't trying to 'make a difference' in terms of service to the public. They were attempting to implement strict Neo-Conservative policy in SPITE of the wishes of the electorate. In other words, these deceitful people swept in and gutted as much as they could of our socio-democratic system, which includes access to justice. (Take a bow, Mr Plant) It is my hope that the real reason they are leaving is because the RCMP are close to discovering just what it is they have been doing behind the scenes.

It probably is, as well, that faced with the prospect of being the opposition, and where the NDP will have access to all government business that has transpired during the last four years is more than they are prepared to face in the legislature. And, if by miracle they win, a strong opposition will still call them to some account.

Faced with the real prospect of real work, rather than implementing, under cloak and dagger, cookie cutter Neo-Con policy, and experiencing, as with another kind of betrayal perhaps, the 'heady' excitement of an extramarital affair, and faced with the prospect of accountability for their actions; they are running away.

The question is, will be be able to run away far enough.

I'm not above jumping off a sinking ship myself, but what confuses me with the Liberal jumpers is that the Liberal ship is not sinking (according to the polls).

Hats off to Joy McPhail Jim, her ship sunk 4 years ago and she stuck it out.

I think there is little substance to this story as a filler it ias a waste. It is little wonder with stories like this that young people don't read news stories. Fluff like this doesn't mention his accomplishments like the His censure by his own proffession. The gutting of legal aid. The contracting out to American firms . Closure of Courthouses and Jails. What a legacy of half truths and broken promises . Something to be proud of.

....but what confuses me with the Liberal jumpers is that the Liberal ship is not sinking (according to the polls).

Yeah, that would be a puzzler, if it weren't for CanFox Global. A lot of people think its a bonafide news source.

Why is thetyee.ca a more reliable news source than CanWest?

Plant is a neo-colonist who wasn't, nor is he, interested in justice for first nations. It's about as bad as it can get (unless the Libs are re-elected, then it'll get that much worse) that this province's attorney general isn't holding the torch for the marginalized in society, but rather is wielding it against them. Good riddance to the Howe Street (& Vancouver Club) mofo flunky.

I’ll give one thing to Plant, not many AG’s would walk into a lawyer convention and ask by a show of a hands “how many of you could afford your own services if you were in the type of trouble as some of your clients are” and for the record not many hands went up. Of course as can be read here, many in the left could care less about the qualities of Plant as that might mean saying something positive about the current state of affairs in BC. Of course we all know that the mantra of big labor and the NDP is to be negative over everything in the Province unless big labor profits tells them it is a good thing. Maybe Schreck can refresh my memory over what government doubled the amount of private clinics in BC, right after he is done graphing how many new doctors his pals in the NDP added to faculty of medicine.

And what was Plant's solution to escalating lawyer fees for the poor? Eliminating access to lawyers!

Wow, this article manages to overlook a lot of political flotsam that has been swirling for some time now under the bridge. Is Gary Collins "real" job description, for instance, even remotely connected with the airline business? I know he's employed by Harmony Airlines, but what is his actual job there? He apparently had few pilot hours before entering politics and as a flight instuctor I would suggest he has even less business acumen. Is he still in charge of Gordon Campbell's election campaign?

Same for Plant and Clark, they may no longer be on center stage but it doesn't mean they've left this clever little theatrical production behind. These are power hungry little actors as well, more cunning than frustrated, who are just waiting in the wings to see how each act plays out in the next little while and finally how it all ends.

And, of course, whether or not Mr. Basi brings the curtain down.

More of the same. A part of that famous city council who screwed up Vancouver so bad. Thats why Vancouver Island should be its own Province.

More of the same. A part of that famous city council who screwed up Vancouver so bad. Thats why Vancouver Island should be its own Province.

I tell you what is frustrating, The fact that who ever gets into power does what ever they want regardless of what the people need.
I had no access to any legal help when I needed it. Some government sponsored program slandered me and I had no say or able to get any representation because they killed legal aid.
Big head Rich Coleman should be fired after making false unproven statements saying guns found in Afganastan can be traced back to grow ops in BC. Rich Colemen is an American wannabe control freak. The liberals do not deserve a second chance they only represnt Big Biz not people they are just puppets to the Vancouver Board of Trade the greedy bastards that think everyone should work for $4/hr and they demand 750/month for their illegal basement suite in their house oh ya and work 12 hour days and take no days off and not get paid anything for Overtime I mean not even straight time, I haven't been paid overtime for anything since 1988 just try to get the labor relations board to look at your case..forget it! why? because i'm not union.
This province and county standard is dropping to a third world rate just so the Baby Boomers leaches who had alot of breaks when they grew up can continue to gorge from the money pit while the rest need a $10,000 education to pump gas............... I may have gone a bit off the topic here but I think I have made a point as to who the BC liberals really represent in my view.

One has to admire mcClintock's attempt to be objective, but if Plant, Collins, and Christy Clarke are indeed, "small l liberals," then small l liberals should be ASHAMED of themselves. When a deliberately manufactured crisis, like that caused by the 25% percent UNCAMPAIGNED-ON taxcut for the wealthy, (campbell ran on taxcuts for the two lowest income groups only) is used a vicious, pathetic REEKING excuse to attack the vulnerable and innocent people, then both DECENT PEOPLE, as well as what used to be called small l liberals, either QUIT OR CROSS THE FLOOR -PERIOD.

Geoff Plant has been responsible for the introduction of two-tier justice in BC, over seeing a RACIST referendum, and the BC government is due to face a class action lawsuit, from 38,000 Canadian lawyers, if it continues to charge poor people PST on legal aid, this PST charge ironically being originally implemented to FUND ACCESS TO LEGAL AID FOR THE POOR. The BC Liars, in their usual breathtaking hypocrisy wailed and moaned in opposition, when the NDP used only something like 76% of PST money for legal aid for the poor, the liberals are using none.

And then add in the BC Liar economic record, the pay off from all their destruction of the social fabric in this province, their assaults on little old ladies, and disabled people: BC IS NOW A HAVE-NOT PROVINCE, A FEDERAL WELFARE BASKET CASE, ELIGIBLE FOR HANDOUTS 4 YEARS OUT OF 4, ALL FROM THE ECONOMIC MASTERMINDS WHO THE VANCOUVER SUN REPORTED ON DECEMBER 7, AS HAVING LOST 22,600 WEll PAYING FULL TIMES JOBS LAST YEAR!!!

Geoff Plant and the BC Liars can't even truthfully claim, that all the unnneccesary sacrifice, pain, and avoidable deaths have in ANY way improved the economy...the bc liars have NO accomplishments -just a lot of reckonings due...

Shame on you Barbara; you've been around politics long enough to know better!P>

Lynn is correct in saying Barbara "overlooked" things. Since when has Barbara become an apologist for the Campbell Crew? Of course I feel sorry for Mr. Plant's wife, as my heart goes out to anyone who is battling health challenges. But as for letting the AG off the hook, an AG that had a vote of nonconfidence from his own peers - no way.
You bet the government elected members are responsible for their own behaviour in govt.. It is their responsibility to speak up on behalf of the people who elected them and not roll over to the "system" meaning bureaucrats; pressure from the Premier's Office (such as fixer, Ken Dobell); or big money. The buck stops at their own core of integrity or lack thereof. Forget letting these wimps off the hook.

I for one, am tired of weak politicians, who turn a blind eye; keep their mouth closed, throwing their ethics out the window to slide sideways in the face of corruption ,in order to keep their Cabinet posts or the promise of a carrot dangled in front of them.

Shame on Mr. Beers for even publishing such a 'milk toast' article. Is the Tyee losing its edge? Keep this up and you will certainly lose my attention.<

Enough already. Am I alone in this perspective?

Your are Strong! You are Invinsible! You are Woman! You are not Alone!

Your are Strong! You are Invinsible! You are Woman! You are not Alone!

Don't be afraid of The Spectre and the Fraser Institute view of the world , Barbara, and what he thinks constitutes good journalism, which is really just "spin" for the ruling class. Apologetics.

He is nothing. A shadow. The Bogeyman of an overactive childhood imagination.

There is a difference between "objectivity" and the "pandering" he would have us all practice.

"I may have gone a bit off the topic here but I think I have made a point as to who the BC liberals really represent in my view." wrote Nationalist-, in a piece that got off the rails a tad, but still, I think, was one of your best yet, brother. :-) Personally, I think you are showing real promise. I enjoyed this piece overall. It hits its mark.

Heather, perhaps Plant can read the tea leaves on the arrests and scandals in the leg. would you want to be a party to that mess when you are supposed to be truely squeeky clean, not just washed up and paraded out like agrinning Cmpbell.
I doubtthis is the case, but perhaps I can dream and imagine ol' Geoff had a little tweek of his conscience after being official delivery guy for Gordo of the 2003 Referendum on the Aboriginal treaty process.
Surely, if he didn't personally write those overtly racist questions, he certainly must of understood, probably better than any of his Liberal colleagues, the shallow hiding of intent in the questions.
Regardless, I'm just a little taken aback by all these policy wonks suddenly becoming human and actually giving a shit about their family.

I Think Christie Clarks "to spend more time with the family" was the winner. She is going home to be with her four-year old son and to share his preschool life.
I'd say if anyone had an iota of concern for their young children they would stay at home when the kid is much younger, you know, when the child is really developing crucial living skills.

I don't mean this to be s slap against working mothers or parents. Been there, done that.
But to use a kid as the prop to dance out the door is a bit rich.
I too am disappointed Barbara didn't get more, but I do suspect she did try.
Let's face it.
These high profile retirees are not about to shit on G Campbell and his backers because
they may need his or their help in the future.

An MLA would be an idiot to talk to a reporter on this directly. In fact a lot of people probably thought they too would be assholes for speaking out should they ever need Liberal support.
She could have found lots of NDPers to speculate, but there is little any of them would want to say about the departures, because if they had good dope it would already have been made public.

I see Gordo is hoping to bring Carol Taylor into the team as the "hi-profile" star to replace the trio, but somehow, despite all her political appointments she's never really impressed me as being anything better than a so-so city council member.

Time to close the damn bold tag here people

Not that emboldening something's bad, but neblecting to close out the tag means nobody else gets the benefit of being able to use it.

RATS ARE ABANDONING SHIP? IT'S A GODDAMN SHIP OF FOOLS! These scumbags should still be held to account!

Gott Im Himmel! Close your frickin tags people. Otherwise you're jsut coming across as bold. Hey, anyone wanna comment on Carole James blowing sucking up to Gordo?

heh. post tagged

rats - did that work?

So, lets get back to 'the Circle' and its 'Links'(the network): Ms. Taylor is former Mayor Art Phillip's wife; Mr. Phillips was Gordon Campbell's mentor. Wow - News Flash: it was also announced today that gee, Ms. Taylor would be great at heading up the Olympics! How perfect to keep the Circle tight. especially in that Jack Poole, buddy to all LINKS in the Circle, has his hand on the VANOC Titanic.

Wonders never cease: campaign chairman Kinsella (kissing cousin to all) persuaded the two other women to "step aside" for Ms. Taylor so she could leap in. Gordon's looking awfully nervous.

Holy crypton - the Circle emerges again.

/b>

/b>

Hmmm...

How about

Hmmm.

The article wasnt so bad as many here are saying. The truth is that is damnably difficult for any elected official (right or left, Liberal, Conservative, NDP, or whatever) to bring about change. One Saskatchewan MLA was asked upon his retirement what he thought was his biggest achievement in office: the answer was getting the posted speed limits reduced by about 10mph on the highway in his constituency. Most people who go into politics are honest, but very few have the skills to rally the public behind an agenda. Most spend their time reacting to events and the demands of organized lobby groups.

No doubt that McLintock is a respected and fine journalist and I understand her attempt to focus on the system itself this time, the pressures it brings to bear, the betrayals built into it's structure. But the article instead has served to normalize the remorseless actions of an arrogant government, as if they were merely disappointed pawns of a system, their actions unintended and in the end of little consequence, almost harmless.

Collins, Plant, and Clark are central figures, Campbell's biggest cheerleaders in every regard. They vigorously defended every bit of legislation their ministries enacted, relishing their pivotal roles, in fact.

What they thought privately really doesn't matter, because they uttered not one word in protest nor expressed one doubt about the course that they set as a government. Read the hansard if you want evidence. Not one doubt.

They were the best facilitators of the most ruthless government in BC history. The system should not be the fortress that allows them to scapegoat accountability. Thus the outrage being expressed by many here.

Edward Herman in his acclaimed essay on The Banality of Evil writes "Doing terrible things in an organized and systematic way rests on normalisation."

end of strong?

test

still bold?

Geoff Plant could have made the changes to the justice system which he so desired. Geoff and the remaining Liberals (large L's) were focussed upon totalitarian reforms which would forever change our landscape (for those of us out in the Hurtlands).

Privatiation and outsourcing riddled with scandals and drug charges on staffers at the highest levels makes me suspicious that there might be more at play here as well.

They were hell bent on pleasing the shareholder in foriegn domains that the rest of it mattered little. I am glad that he is leaving politics.

I feel for him and his wife and wish them well.

If the premises of Ms. McLintock's analysis are as sound as they seem, then we have another genuine Liberal finding it impossible to carry on in this 'House of Campbell'.

So, I wonder, are they driven out by their principles, or because their secret polls telling them their policies have brought them to certain defeat?

I hope the voting is carefully scrutinised in this upcoming election. There were aspects of the last one that surprized me and left me very uneasy.

I heard Ms Clark on the radio making a comment about her child going to Harvard one day. She was quasi joking, but of course, not.

I thought how naive she is. All mothers want the best for their children. God forbid that their child doesn't end up with an illness such as bipolar, or the pedophile down the street doesn't get to he or she, for a period of four years when they are nine, or that they have a chemical reaction to their first taste of alcohol and become addicted and that any of these tragedies do not happen and create the environment that would make a child's life take a very different trajectory than the one a mother would wish for her child. A trajectory which is completely beyond parental control. I realize she hasn't empathy. That she doesn't understand that these are some of the things that happen to children which make 'an even playing field' in society impossible and these are the types of things in society that we need our social contract for and why we pay taxes and why we agreed as a society that the purpose of government was to protect and to 'provide' certain dignities to citizens.

I am glad as well, that these people have left politics. They are very destructive to other people. One reason is their lack of imagination and empathy - the very thing that attracts them to Neo-Conservatism - and another is their capacity for harm.

Lynn, you expressed beautifully, exactly what is disturbing about this article. "But the article instead has served to normalize the remorseless actions of an arrogant government, as if they were merely disappointed pawns of a system, their actions unintended and in the end of little consequence, almost harmless." Exactly.

Bailey, they can't cheat like they did in the Ohio. Our system is different and our population far too small. They would get caught. Our first clue would be a diabold and his brother's company. Don't worry about that. That would only land some of them in prison.

Collins, Clark and Plant are not Liberals genuine or otherwise. They may want to flatter themselves as such but their every action betrayed those principles. They were the grand facilitators of the totalitarian reforms that Dan speaks of above. Dictatorial governments are not possible without people in pivotal positions not only carrying out the orders but doing it with blind relish. These three did it better than any one. You are not liberal in values because of what you say, you are a genuine liberal because of what you do.

http://www.mikewebb.org

This is an interesting link about Diebold and the US election. Go to the bottom where it says blog.

And thanks, lisa.

Mr. Comma 3/14/2005 5:39:06 PM, writes:
carole taylor eh!! what a babe. by the way where is gordo's wedding ring? come to think of it where is his wife??????

Check out picture at this link on the Liberal's own website.

http://www.bcliberals.com/media/PGCCarole_Taylor2.JPG

Mr. Comma 3/14/2005 5:39:06 PM, writes:
carole taylor eh!! what a babe. by the way where is gordo's wedding ring? come to think of it where is his wife??????

Check out picture at this link on the Liberal's own website.

http://www.bcliberals.com/media/PGCCarole_Taylor2.JPG

Um... I meant of course, God forbid that the child does end up with. I always have a lot of windows and activity going on while I post and skip the copy edit and thus my spelling etc suffers. Sorry.

How does Mr. Comma apparently read, copy and quote my posting before it is even posted?

If Rich Coleman is BC's next attorney general, "BE afraid, be very afraid." The BC Liars are currently flirting with the idea of a "forfiture seizures of the assets of crime bill," a draconian, irresponsible piece of legislation, where the burden of proof is always on the accused. In the states such laws have resulted in people having their assets seized from trace, MICROSCOPIC amounts of cocaine, present on a high percentage of american dollar bills, being found in their wallets. Hemp grows wild everywhere in North America, and ranchers, who had merely a few wild plants on thousands of acres of land, that seeded themselves, have lost their ranches. The burden of proof, the legal costs, are always in the hands of the accused. In fact, a sub class of bounty hunter, many of them former dangerous criminals, who work on a percentage commission basis has also arisen as the direct result of such legislation. There is currently a thread on this issue at canada.com, and the MINDLESS positive responses of many reactionaries should give us all pause. I can't help wondering as well, if Coleman as attorney general would not ally himself with anti-abortionists like Mary Polack...

This may seem off-topic, but so were Nationalist's comments re it being the fault of unions and baby-boomers that he is in an oppressive job. Thirty-five years ago, in my first job, (I am one of those boomers whose fault your sad life is, you see) I too was expected to work overtime for NO money. This continued for several more jobs (all of them dental assisting) and, when I finally called Labour Standards, they were extremely unsupportive. I could have put in a complaint, but I didn't get the feeling they'd do anything much about it if I got fired for doing that! Every time in the last more than 30 years (well into young baby boomer era) that I've called Labour Standards about anything they have been on the side of the employer. This is the fault of unions?! You'd get treated better if there were no unions?! Listen, an old labour movement saying is, "What we want for ourselves, we want for all." They'd LIKE you to unionize your workplace! Have you thought of trying it?

test

For future reference, to remove the bold, type

type: < / strong > (without the spaces!)

This is Mr. Coma addressing whoever asked me to check out that picture of carole taylor at that bcliberals website. i couldnt find it so what did it show?
(i saw two pictures of just her and gordo, gordo with that usual shit eating grin on his face)
If you're wondering why i asked in the first place i heard theres a 22 year old fitness trainer carrying a demon seed and since i saw that movie, and was scared, i was even more worried about the coming apocalypse.
Please consult with the book of revelations and if anyone out there can verify this claim lets hear it before its too late!!!!!

Comma:

Nice comment about Carol Taylor. Nice to know that you think women who enter politics are whores. Gosh, I wonder why we have difficulty attracting them into public life.

You should try shelving your nonsensical, childish good vs. evil view of the world and realize that people of good conscience can disagree about politics.

forgive me gpip, i did not mean to suggest that carole taylor and gordo are an item. i am merely inquiring as to gordo's current marital status so that i can dispel, once and for all, rumors of his "personal" romantic indiscretion(s).
Re your indignant stance on the way women are treated in politics i wonder how Elaine Brenzinger felt when out of the blue, at a caucus meeting, gordo said, and i quote: "And FUCK YOU TOO , Elaine !!!", because she had made an innocuous joke about his control freak management style. Ah yes, canwest showed her the price for speaking out against our glorious leader. Why only days later she, along with "renegade outcast" MLA, Paul Nettleton were branded as unhinged lunatics.
Yes gordo and the provincial liberals, you do indeed have a kinder, gentler machine gun hand.

The above was a fairly bland analysis of the top cabinet ministers leaving office. They actually did accomplish a lot of their goals. Christy Clark did away with protections for children with special needs; you can now find examples of regular enrolling classes with six or more designated students with little or no support. Plant slashed legal aid to dangerous levels and embarassed BC with his performance on Dateline. Finally, you can't forget Collins, who promised and promised that tax cuts would pay for themselves (just ask a certain economist now living in Alberta about that one). I think you have to judge them on what they actually did during their term at office rather than what they wished they had done. They simply chose not to run again because they found something more fulfilling or profitable to do. No big deal; no great analysis.

MUCHAS GRACIAS SEÑOR COMMA!!

What did Plant do, or say on dateline?
I wish I'd seen that performance.

all the rats are bailing from a sinking ship and want a golden pension to boot.they will probable land some golden appointment like clark or ujjal dosange.
politics is there life,they will probable come back to work for the government...probable a consultant making 5 times more money than if they were in politics

sinking ship eh? interesting that carole taylor would jump on. i would venture that mr. campbell had some pretty positive polling results to show ms. taylor before she committed. of course she's just a neocon rat cyclop capitalist pig anyway, right coyote/hombre?

Carole Taylor is bad news for Carole James and the NDP. And for Christy Clark, who was a disaster as a minister. If she is fortunate enough to be appointed to cabinet after the May election, Taylor--and Virginia Greene, another high-achiever--should be compared to Joy, who was an excellent minister. British Columbians may yet start to ask--in addition to why boys can't read--why men can't do politics.

Whoa, some of these comments are so offbeat. i found this article very inciteful, and i think some of the Tyee commenters needed it. There is such hate in some of your letters, of frustration (over the government) that it seems to blind you guys. I think this article missed some points, and that there was other issues missing. I think Mr. Collins re-examined his running again because I don't believe he felt he was in a safe seat. Also, he left at the high point in his earnings potential, he was a finance minister of whom business interests think highly (right or wrong in self interest, the business community like Mr. Collins). Plante, Clark, definately had real family concerns, and I think a lot of them are of the mind that they have achieved as much as they will. After spending 4, 8 years, in politics, I don't think this had anything to do with policy or sides, I think having one or two decide to go inspired others to their opportunities. Honestly, if Collins landed himself an executive position, I see Plant doing excellent for himself as well. Remember that a lot of the Liberals jumped on board to represent business interests, and weren't lifetime politicians.

Actually, I'll take back that it didn't have anything to do with sides, I'll agree that the very ideological directions of Campbell probably made for a frustrating work environment.

The statements that I read from Carole Taylor in the news were the same nonsense that we were hearing from the BC Liberals four years ago. So far I am not impressed. She will not be enough to change how BC feels about Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals.

With regards to Carole Taylor, well I would have had more respect for her had she taken on a more marginal constituency to get elected. I, for one, am tired of people who have been at the public financial trough (see her curriulum vitae in the Sun) for so long they really have no idea of how to exist in life without public money, read that recycled dollars. I want to know what was promised to her, if elected. I want to know what was promised to the other two candidates who backed out after dumping thousands of dollars into their races for that seat. You can bet you sweet behind that she would not have run without a firm commitment of a cabinet post and probably other commitments after politics. Gosh, I would sure like to have her double, triple, quadruple dipping pensions. Sure seems to me she can't hold down a job....

bob:

There is no pension for MLAs any longer. I know they only did away with it like 8 years ago, but you must have been busy.

Bad management makes a bad company. The same applies to the BC Liberals. Turnover rate is an indicator of bad management. As in any company, people leave when they no longer feel accepted or when the become frustrated. The fact that Plant, Collins, Clark chose to leave plus others who chose not to run again, appears to indicate that there is a lot of frustration within the party. We have all heard about Mr. Campbell's style of management - probably the biggest source of frustration. My take on these departures - guilt and extreme frustration. Family reasons are given just to maintain good PR - one may never know when the assistance of a previous employer may become necessary (example: Just like in a corporation, one may need a good reference from a previous employer for a new job/position).

How many other Liberal MLA,S have left besides these
high profile ministers, a dozen or so? Is it because
they know what is in the next Liberal agenda if they
get re-elected? They possibly do not want any part of it and want to get out before the people want to string them up.

Yesterday (16 March) on CBC Newsworld's "Politics", Don Newman interviewed Vaughn Palmer about (gasp!) Carole Taylor leaving CBC and agreeing to join Premier Campbell's team.

Then Don asked if there might be any other "star" candidates for the B.C. Liberals. Palmer mentioned Justice Wally T. Oppal of the B.C. Court of Appeal. He'd have to resign from the bench, of course, but Palmer hinted that this was under discussion.

I had heard the name but knew nothing about him. Google soon revealed an interesting man.

Oppal had been a defense attorney, then crown prosecutor before becoming the first Indo-Canadian to be appointed a Supreme Court Judge.

His major project was the Oppal Commission, which undertook the research then wrote up the policy brief titled Closing the Gap: Policing and the Community" (1992).

I believe that B.C.'s current major problem is organized crime (think of Basi, Virk, and Basi) so entrenched that it can stroll the corridors of the B.C. Legislature. It's a problem so big, smart, and dangerous that it goes well beyond partisan politics.

I've had the growing feeling that collectively we should be looking for the star performers who can get B.C. healed and restored. Perhaps, for a while, it shouldn't matter which Party memberships they hold.

God knows, I despise Gordon Campbell for what he has done to British Columbia. But if he can persuade Wally Oppal to come on board, I think we'd have a magnificent new B.C. Attorney-General. I'd certainly vote for him.

Sometimes the Law of Unintended Consequences does provides answers.

But, as soon as anyone gets on board with these people they automatically become sullied. The old dog and flea story... So... somehow I doubt that Mr Opal will join them. Could be wrong. But, he seems to have more integrity...I'd be really surprised.

But, as soon as anyone gets on board with these people they automatically become sullied. The old dog and flea story... So... somehow I doubt that Mr Opal will join them. Could be wrong. But, he seems to have more integrity...I'd be really surprised.

Plante will land with a big law firm who don't care about the fact he was censured by the law society. Don't you get it folks? The ruling class always take care of their own.

Now that Geoff Plant is gone (almost), I don't care either (that he was censured).

What I hope is that B.C.'s next attorney-general could be Justice Wally Oppal, a very hopeful change.

Carole Taylor should be deeply ashamed of herself. She has betrayed every progressive ideal the CBC stood for simply by joining the pack of hyenas, that is the BC liberal caucus. That said, her husband, art philips role, as gordon liar's mentor in Vancouver civic politics says a great deal more about her real motives and character. Taylor may think she can make the bc liars a kinder, gentler party; she is deluded. The entire party, including gordon backstabber are no more than rubber-stamp pimps for Howe Street and the Vancouver Board of trade, and are no more reformable than any host of maggots feeding on the corpse of the body politic in BC.

The mindless comments by groper above, a BC teacher who unbelievably supports the BC liars, and who contends that the disabled children in his class are no worse off, now all of their supports have been destroyed is still in trasining in becoming a human being. Who knows, his next five reincarnations as a weasel may eventually make him fit to rejoin the human species, although I very much doubt it.

Geoff Plant should face, in any just society, criminal sanctions...

BC Mary, Oppal, no doubt would be a good, high-profile star for the Liberals to snag, more so than the too-oft appointed Ms. Taylor.

But I think you may have touched on the very thing that would keep away any rational person with an ounce of integrity or caution.

"I think that BC's current major problem is organized crime (think Basi, Virk and Basi), so entrenched that it can stroll the corridors of the BC legislature. It's a problem so big, smart and dangerous that it goes well beyond partisan politics."

Mary you are correct, but let's face it, someone allowed the corruption in and what assurance is there that more isn't still strolling the halls or sitting in the offices of high-powered cabinet ministers, or that more won't be there?

If I were Oppal, I think I would have to assess the likelhood of Gordon Campbell changing his stripes.
The fact the Plant, Collins and Clark pulled the plug, all with lame excuses suggests strongly that they know what is on the agenda for the next four years should Gordo be re-elected.

It's called more of the same.

I think Oppal will opt for the squeeky-clean image he currently enjoys as a respected judge rather than perhaps retiring from a term in politics with stinky stuff sticking to his shoes.

well done hombre; the best thing about you as an adversary is that i don't really have to discredit you. you do it all by yourself with your pathetic posts.

BC Mary, If "organized crime ...[is] so entrenched that it can stroll the corridors of the BC legislature," how is it that the Tyee--with all the words generated on this site--has not been able to expose it? With readers who believe that "Geoff Plant...[should] face criminal sanctions," it's very strange that the Tyee would not want to devote considerable resources to the issue.

Unfortuneately its seems that the same 8 lonely people, including me, are the only ones who read this website. Everyone else is too busy working in the "great guns" economy. (by the way there is not one single job currently posted in Squamish that would actually allow a person to live here. Interfor-gone, BC rail-gone, drysort-gone, mill-gone but hey we got plently of liberal voting, suv drivin', conspicuously consumin' snooty, elitist yuppie carpet bagger transplants. Indeed, gordo et al have orchestrated an economic miracle-bravo!)

I've been thinking more about Justice Oppal.

I just can't see a man like that joining a party which has flouted the rule of law. Even taking away access to justice, which is imperative to civil society. Not to mention other shady activities. Neo-Conservatives want to disempower the justice system, for instance by electing judges so they can be owned as many politician are via campaign donations etc. Hence the campaign against judges and in the US the specious phrase, 'activist judges'. I can't believe a man of that caliber would join these people. I only know his image, not the man. But, I just can't see it.

We need to elect the NDP. In the US in the last while, they have taken away the publics' recourse to sue a corporation for deliberate harm, enacted a horrid bankruptcy act which will make poorer people unable to have their credit card debt erased. (making the banks receive money before child support, and considering the bank charges and fees for non payment etc it's usury) while the wealthiest get to keep their massive real estate holdings. They are trying to destroy an effective entitlement program which means the absolute world to so many seniors. These are who these people are. This is what they want for Canada. Another four years of these collaborators and sociopaths will mean a terrible hardship on our province.

Personally, I am tired of such lack of vision and such cruelty. I find these people vile. Not only for what they have done, but for what they are planning to do in the future. Our province doesn' t have to be this way. We know, in Canada, a different way. All of the things we enjoy in this country are because of progressive ideals and policy. Not because of Laissez Faire Capitalism. I want a public discourse that talks of hope, truth, community, wholeness and connection. The NDP aren't perfect. But, they are the party where some of those ideals remain.

I went to Simon Fraser University at the same time as Christy Clark. I didn't know her at all, just that she was very politically active and considered a fervent right-winger by my friends (in context, that probably means she was a centerist). I really wondered about her decision to leave, when she was so in the thick of power, the party was polling well, the media was onside, and so on. Was it really a sudden drop in job ambition after having kids? I'd like to think it was that sweet. But it's hard not to wonder what the top Liberal insiders are REALLY worried about.

"Small-l liberals" and "small-c conservatives"??? All I see are radical extremists in the Liberal Party of BC, with no integrity between their words and their actions.

I have no doubt, though, the atmosphere within caucus must be poisonous and terribly unpleasant. And hard to take. Just look at Campbell. I mean, try to imagine working for a guy who can say to your face, "We are not selling BC Rail"... after the fact no less, and not even break a sweat. For anyone sane the frustrations would have to be unbearable. But Gary Collins, by any measure, would not have been one of the sane by any of these standards. He probably wanted to be leader, the weasel, and saw it wasn't going to happen, and so decided to do a Jean Chretien... bide his time outside of it all, and make some money.

There was that case a couple years ago where a young couple in India were attacked. The young woman was killed and her husband was badly wounded. It was alleged that her family, living in BC, arranged the attack because they didn't agree with the marriage. Dateline ran a story on it, and Geoff Plant was interviewed. He couldn't coherently answer any question they asked him and made BC look like some backwater banana republic. It was an embarassing performance to say the least and made me wonder how competent he was. I've never seen him perform that poorly since, but when you have on an international stage, you'd better not screw up.

Roger asked: "Why is thetyee.ca a more reliable news source than CanWest?"

Because the function of the press is to be critical of ALL government.......governments must necessarily be assumed to be guilty, until proven so.

It is my belief that the next attorney general of BC, if the the BC liars are reelected, will be either Tom Christianson, a lawyer, and a Christian fundamentalist, or Rich Coleman, far to the right of even Campbell. The liars would take oppal if they could get him however. The province "newspaper" even ran a column by Michael Smyth about a week ago in which Smyth all but begged for Oppal to accept overtures from the liberals to be the next attorney general. So it is obvious, that at the very least, oppal is resisting the idea...If oppal doesn't step up to the plate I wonder if the liberals will even have the guts to announce the name of the next attorney general before May 17....

I think Chris H. summed it up well a while back, this was probably a pretty accurate but superficial analysis of why Plant, Clark & Collins bailed. Like the rest of the team, I suspect that they greatly oversimplified the challenges they sought to address. Nothing more demotivating than realizing that you aren't going to be the big hero after all, that you may have screwed some things up even more and that in the process you pissed off a lot of people who actually might have helped you if you'd taken a different tack...

Thing is that the Ndp and the other fring political parties are doomed to minor players. The BCLibs have proven and produced a better British Columbia, and the others have not and can not!

Anne the only reson I say that about baby boomers is because many of them are the ones in power right now, You are right about the fact that maybe 35-40 years ago the situation in job palce was not like it was now. It seems to me you have a union job Anne well good for you! Most of us don't have that luxory. I'm not blaming unions for my misery I'm just pointing out that Unions look after their own the labour relations board are BCGEU are they not? and when you say you camplained to the labour standards and were unsuportive to you well thats what happend to me too and many others.
If you have a Union to advocate for you the process goes smoother, I have know many Union and non Union alike if Union gets treated unfairly they can file a complaint if like the rest of us get treated unfairly thats too bad.
Maybe anne you think ralling support in your work place to start a Union in a non Union shop Is easy Good luck, Have you tried your self anne? I think I know the answer to that. Anne wrote this (more than 30 years (well into young baby boomer era) that I've called Labour Standards about anything they have been on the side of the employer) thats one point I was trying to make if you were Union your Union would take your complaint to the labour relations board and if this was common with all the workers complaints that would start a strike (maybe) The vancouver Board of trade are guess what? "baby boomers".
If you look into history the baby boomers consumed more than they put into socity this is a documented fact, thats not the fault of YOU personally being you took my comments to heart and i'm sorry about that i'm just saying that the BABY BOOMERS don't seem to realize how bad the situation is out there and I think it because many of them have had good oppertunities many don't have today. our labour standard is going back to what you were saying about 35 years ago and guess what it was people who came from that era that made that happen. I don't expect everyone to agree with my rants and raves thats what forums are for, an exchange of ideas. ideas can change the world, and my posts are my opinions and all of us have a right to them, well, unless we become part of the states.. so how about I rase the white flag on this post and lets save this debate for something on the topic another time.

Okay, Nationalist, I'm more than happy to call a truce. I am deeply ashamed of how the majority of my generation has failed to live up to their the ideals of their youth. Actually, I am not in a union right now. I am self-employed. Last time I was in a union they refused to back me up when management refused to call me in to work (a way of firing me without firing me) because of a letter I had written to the newspaper (those who oppose anonymity on the comments list of the next article, please take note). This did not turn me against the principle of unions. And, yes, I do know it is next to impossible to organize a non-union workplace. And yes, I DO know how it is now, because my kids are struggling with it. All I wanted to get across was that you wouldn't be better off if there weren't unions, and I hope you get to belong to a good union some day, because NO ONE should have to work overtime for nothing!

This boomer agrees with Nationalist about the boomers. Now, my generation wants to do away with mandatory retirement. The way things are going, they'll take us directly from the office--unionized or not--to the grave, while younger people will be expected to pay for our health costs in the last years.

on the topic: I hope Geoff Plants wife gets well soon. Cancer is a horrible disease I don't wish it on anyone. Not even on Gordo or GW Bush....
..No I haven't found jesus...

read the letter from a victoria lawyer the other day in the T.C he bids a farewell to one of our worst ag's ever i concurr with him..
listening to jeff plant a couple years back on an open line radio show when asked how women in northern regions were to access the courts? Mr plant said they would have pamphlets out for information no justice but here's a nice little pamphlet you can take home.. there has been no acces to courts for a good deal of the pooer population hey but our costs are down right?? just another sick joke from the libs disguised as governance

Bang on, Elizabeth, this government and this Attorney- General are responsible for the worst human rights record in the history of this province. Their closure of court houses, legal aid and civil liberties offices across this province are prime examples of how little they care about access to real justice for ALL the citizens of this province. Their actual record of what they "did" in office, their assault on human and civil rights, is what will be recorded for history. The last thing this government is about is governance, let alone just or compassionate governance.

a better BC sdgreen?
I guess if your not old, sick, female, a child, poor or middle class, a laborer, plant or animal.
that leaves just corrupt white guys, scourge of the earth.

Comma; Hypocrite, I can only imagine how you would react if someone made the same kind of slur towards a visible minority. You are a slimy piece of trash. I hope that I am joined by others in my call for you to either leave this site or censure yourself.

Unfortunately, the Tyee does have an opportunity to expose corruption within the government; specific evidence, relevant to the political situation today, that has been cnsistently covered up; they are not responding. Many of us are asking why. Once again, is this due to certain vested interests?

Joe, you make a good point -- it's the corruption that is the problem, not the tendency to sunburn -- but I think he was using the term in much the same sense as famed screedumentarian Michael Moore. That is, we of the technological west have to start shouldering our share of the blame. I agree it's kinda dumb since we are not all white (e.g. me).

One thing Barb forgot to mention is that backbench MP makes $144,000 per year while a BC cabinet minister makes $108,000 and a backbencher more like $68,000. Being a backbench MLA sucks and those bright enough to be capable cabinet ministers are generally bright enough to make six figures without all the time spent away from friends and family.

For a funny look at what is happening at the Tory convention go to http://blankouttimes.blogspot.com/

Joe, Comma's comment would only be hatred if he had said all white guys are corrupt. He's only talking about the ones who are! There are some corrupt females among the Liberals too, but they are in a minority. I don't pay close enough attention to the Liberal gov't to notice whether they have any token people of colour--in which case, they'd be corrupt as well!
But you know, as well as I do, they are mostly guys, and mostly white.

joe.
i stand by my statement.
who but the white man and his institutions of greed and destruction could have put the earth in such a precarious position.
"Everything the white man sees, he snuffs it out.
The trees-snuffed out. The Buffalo-snuffed out. Even his own people-snuffed out." CDG

The so-called censure of AG Plant consisted of a vote of about 75% of 10% of the lawyers in the province who were whipped into a frenzy by the likes of Derek Corrigan (sometime lawyer and mayor of Burnaby). An overwhelming majority of lawyers belonging to the Law Society of BC couldn't be bothered to show up to support or attack Plant. I think our province has lost one of the best AGs ever. Plant was somebody prepared to look at the legal system and think about what was right and what was wrong with it and try to make changes. He faced enormous budget pressures on legal aid because of the huge cost that protracted criminal aid trials take out of the budget.

Comma; You're very ignorant and very small, as is anyone who supports your disgusting bigotry, like Anne the fool. Typical of the lefties to sanction bigotry and hatred when it suits their needs. The word for that is fascism.

sally; Lawyers are very vulnerable to power. It costs a fortune to get graduated and pass the bar, and by the time one achieves it one's life is fully committed, usually with enormous loans to pay.

For the Law Society to censure an AG in a government that had proven it's vindictive willingness to punish tens of thousands of mostly women by ruining their careers just because they might support another party showed quite remarkable courage and must have been inspired by a truly overwhelming outrage at his abuse of the processes of justice in the province.

You wish to denigrate the gesture by calling it "so-called", but really it was most remarkable. A huge and dramatic statement.

Sally, like Bailey, I think you are trying to trivialize the gesture. Legal access under this government and this AG deteriorated to an alarming, unhumanitarian all-time low. You talk about budget pressure, yet this government saw fit to give those big tax cuts to the rich almost in their first day in office, with no regard for the conseuqences.

Then this government and Plant, refused to give Crown Counsel, who represent the people of this province, what has legally been awarded to them. Do you think they are going to continue to represent the people in these long court cases, spend the long hours of research necessary, when the government continues to withhold a level of pay due to them?

This is a government that only gives when there is something in it for itself, ignoring the rights of the people over their own interests... except at election time when they play a little counterfeit game of caring, again for their own immediate interests.

Sally, on the basis of what do you claim that the province is about to lose its best AG? what single accomplishment or even marginal success can you point to? Was it his decision to close courthouses without consulting affected communities, or the Crown, or the Judiciary, or the police - in other words any of the various service providers who might actually have some expertise? Was it the referendum on first nations rights held pointlessly and at great expense? Was it perhaps his ill considered reflections on tort reform that called in to question his grasp of basic legal concepts? His deft handling of the Smoking Judge non-incident? His recent cancellation of an agreement with his employees? Far from being the best AG in the province's history, it may be difficult to make a case for basic competence.

...just one example of a single accomplishment or even marginal success story? Anyone?

No doubt this article raises some interesting issues and like many thing there is some basis to reality to it/ But the fact remains. The big 3 have chosen to leave......I tink we are seeing the rise of Klien in bc style government emerging. The right has siezed the party and the others are less than happy

...just one achivement, of any kind?

You'd have to be awfully distracted to not realize that the right seized the BC liberal party quite some time ago. This is not an occurrence of the past few years. It happened at the time of the coup against Gordon Wilson. Campbell is more to the right than Klein and far scarier. And Plant, Clark, and especially Collins are fervent right wingers, despite their hypocritical and convenient memory of recent events. Their actions while in government, their legislative record is one of the extreme right.

It's just unflattering to them now to have to admit to themselves what they have become, especially since they all stayed on so late in the game and especially since they were the ones who facilitated BC's infamous shift to the extreme right.

In contrast, Nettleton left on principle, early on in the game, outraged by his government's betrayals surrounding BC Hydro and BC Rail. He didn't defend and enact regressive legislation year after year like the others and then suddenly have an epiphany that the right had somehow seized power under his nose. He knew it all along, as did Clark, Collins and Plant, as did all of them, except he had the courage and the integrity to act on it. He's the only real Liberal left in the party.

And John, you are asking a great question, the silence so telling...keep asking...

That is so true. One man with integrity among 72 people. Paul Nettleton.

He's the only one who deserves to be reelected. Is he going to run as an independent? Will his riding support him?
I think they should be proud of him.
And, at least he can look himself in the mirror in the morning.

"Campbell is more to the right than Klein and far scarier. And Plant, Clark, and especially Collins are fervent right wingers, despite their hypocritical and convenient memory of recent events." wrong again lynn. klein is by far the furthest right of all the premiers, and clark and plant are not even close to being right. speaking of which, do you lefties ever get anything right? you've all been watching too much 'working tv' and listening to too much co-op radio, speaking of biased media.

lol! oh griper that's so funny. Is that our problem? Too much co-op radio! he! he!

Honestly, thanks for the chuckle. I have no idea what 'working tv' is, but that one is priceless. The imagery is great!

Griper, under those cabinet ministers some of the most regressive legislation in this province was passed. They didn't question or doubt, they defended those bills and rammed them through. They are what they stood up for day after day after day in our legislature - they stood up for regressive right wing values and that is who they are. Campbell's attack on the disabled and those on welfare was far more acute than Klein's. How could you forget Campbell two year limit on welfare?

As I said before, Mr. Nettleton remains, the only Liberal MLA in BC still worthy of the name.

Campbell is a Liberal, which is not a compliment in my books. Hansen is a born and bred Liberal. Taylor wouldn't be running, if they were not Liberals. They gets along well with Paul Martin, because they're all Liberals.

None of them are Liberals. In name only. In fact, I would venture to say Campbell cares little what you call him, as long as he has power. He's a business rah-rah boy from way back. No political principles, he just likes running things, an "in with the in crowd" wannabee. Taylor made her choice and it is a revealing one... that she would choose to run under the leadership of Gordon Campbell and his dictatorial and regressive regime says a lot. As Rafe Mair and Moe Sihota both said recently, she fits in perfectly with Campbell's set, the Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade elite, no surprise there.

In fact, on reconsideration, probably being thought of as a Liberal is Campbell's only consolation, that he can hold onto to that little tatter of identity, hold onto the lie that his his agenda still has some human decency in it. More importantly he can hide behind it and use it to his own benefit, which of course has always been the case with him.