The 28th Premier of British Columbia is no fan of the 34th.

William Vander Zalm, who led the province's Social Credit government from August of 1986 to April of 1991, had this to say about Gordon Campbell's turn at the helm:

“The B.C. Liberal government, more than any other in the history of the province, has had no planning process and acts on the day-to-day dictates of the Premier based almost entirely on politics and votes,” Vander Zalm said.

“The present B.C. Liberal government has spent a record amount on the ‘credit card’ and has thus removed and lost the cushion now needed to create economic activity and jobs," he added.

Vander Zalm shared his thoughts after a recent book signing in North Delta. He also said his Social Credit government was the first in B.C.'s history to reduce its debt and create a rainy day surplus.

“In B.C. during 2005–2009, we had too many massive infrastructure projects costing many hundreds of millions more than originally estimated because they were started during a time of high employment and high cost," the former Social Credit premier continued.

“The billions of dollars spent on the new Vancouver Convention Centre and the Olympics – properly leveraged with incentives to the private sector – and done now, would have created enough jobs and spin-off jobs to completely insulate against the recession and unemployment.”

He said the "Vander Zalm solution" would include “rolling back the enormous pay increases [the B.C. Liberals] granted themselves, their advisors and deputies, only less than a year ago.”

Vander Zalm was also sharply critical of the B.C. Liberals Recognition and Reconciliation Act.

"How do the B.C. Liberals and NDP propose to run this province… after they grant indisputable title for the whole of the province to B.C.'s Aboriginal people?" he asked.

"Every resource project anywhere in the Province would require the approval of the First Nation group in that region before such project could proceed. The Indian Chiefs and their councils would wield more power over you, your children and generations to come than the people you elect and pay those big salaries to."

Arjun Rudra is a recent graduate of Simon Fraser University.