After Defection, Libs Close Ranks

The only thing Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen accomplished by quitting the British Columbia Liberal Party is making it easier for the New Democratic Party to form the next provincial government, said Premier Christy Clark.

"We are a coalition of people who don't always agree on everything, but all agree on one thing, and that's that we can't afford the NDP in British Columbia," Clark told reporters in Victoria Tuesday afternoon, almost 24 hours after van Dongen surprised his caucus colleagues by quitting the Liberals and joining the BC Conservatives.

Van Dongen made the move as polls continue to show support for the BC Liberals declining and the Conservatives gaining while the NDP remains steady. Two April 19 byelection campaigns are underway and there's little more than a year until the next general election.

"There are two choices," said Clark. "There's one choice and that's the NDP. They represent something very different from what we represent. It's higher taxes or lower taxes."

Clark said her job is to hold the coalition of people who believe in free enterprise together, which is what she'll continue to try to do. "There are good days, there are bad days," she said. "Politics isn't ever easy."

Asked about BC Rail and van Dongen hiring a lawyer with his own money to investigate what he described as unanswered questions, Clark said, "My view is there's nothing left to investigate."

Clark's learning, says Liberal MLA

Reporters canvassed various Liberals about van Dongen, their support for the premier and whether they planned to run as Liberals in the next election.

"He has been my friend for a long time," said Randy Hawes, the Abbotsford-Mission MLA. "Continues to be. In the end John will be responsible to the people who elected him."

Hawes said he has carpooled with van Dongen back to Abbotsford for weekends and may continue to do that.

He doesn't plan to switch parties, but said at 65 years old he's retirement age. "My decision, my big struggle, is would I want to run again. Everybody has a best before date, maybe mine's coming up."

As for Clark, he said she's doing fine: "Christy Clark was elected to be the leader. She's obviously in a learning role. It'll take some time, but she was selected by the party to be the leader and I think we all need to sit back and allow her to fulfil the role."

Vancouver-Fraserview MLA Kash Heed hinted he may make a change. "It was a decision John made," said Heed. "I'm not going to second guess his decision. I'll make a decision too in the near future like many of us will make decisions."

Asked to clarify what he would be deciding on, he said, "My political future."

Van Dongen briefed on Telus deal: Bell

During last year's leadership race, van Dongen supported George Abbott, who is now the education minister.

"I was very disappointed to hear what he'd had to say," said Abbott, noting he was returning from China and not in the caucus meeting when van Dongen made his announcement. "(I) certainly don't share his view about the integrity issues."

Agriculture Minister Don McRae said he's grateful to Clark for giving him the opportunity to be in cabinet and that in his experience she supports her cabinet ministers and allows them to make decisions about their ministries. "I look forward to working in the BC Liberal caucus for a long time," he said.

"I like John personally," said Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Minister Pat Bell. "Great guy. I took over from him as (agriculture) minister in 2005 and count it one of the most intimidating things I've ever had to do. I think he did a phenomenal job as an (agriculture) minister."

He said it was disappointing that van Dongen criticized the lack of answers on the failed deal with Telus Corp. for naming rights to BC Place stadium. "I'm a bit surprised to be honest because I spent a great deal of time with John on this file," he said.

"I met with John extensively on this issue, most recently an hour long meeting a week or 10 days ago, went through it in detail with him. He, when he left, didn't appear to have any further questions."

During three different briefings van Dongen asked lots of questions and appeared satisfied, he said.

'I feel sad': Krueger

"I feel sad about the position he's in and his actions," said Krueger, who as a former cabinet minister had been involved in the Telus deal and took van Dongen's criticism personally. "Nobody likes to be spoken of that way... The parties didn't agree. It's as simple as that."

Asked if he'll run in 2013, he said he intends to. "My wife asked me to, to my surprise."

Health Minister Michael de Jong, who represents Abbotsford West, said "political divorces" are always sad, especially since caucus members have worked closely together.

People in the caucus knew van Dongen was unhappy, he said. "There is a bitterness there that you can trace back to when he had to step down for the second time from cabinet."

MLAs should "stick it out" even when things are going badly for their party, he said. "The government is clearly going through a phase where we are working hard to re-establish ourselves, to regain the trust and the respect of British Columbians."

Chilliwack MLA John Les said van Dongen's crossing the floor appeared to be very carefully orchestrated and that some of the statements were regrettable. "I do not appreciate being called, in effect, inethical," he said. "That's just not on."

Les said he hasn't decided whether or not to run in 2013.

"I'm disappointed he decided to surprise us and leave us kind of standing there," said Westside-Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart, who added he plans to run again. "His colleagues certainly don't feel the same way, so John's kind of going to have to find his own way home I guess."

Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad said he's planning to run and filed his papers with the party last fall.

Clark's low approval rating

A few minutes after the resignation, Liberal House Leader Rich Coleman gave a scrum with reporters where he several times alluded to van Dongen's "personal problems" and suggested his judgment had been clouded.

"I was probably a bit more emotional in that scrum than I should have been yesterday," he said a day later. Still, he accused van Dongen of "abusing" the legislature and denied his comments the day before had been a personal attack.

"We didn't do anything to him yesterday," he said.

Nor are there plans to release information about van Dongen, he said. "I think stuff will come out on its own," he said. "I think information will come out on its own with regards to this member now that he's no longer a member of the caucus. You'll have to watch his performance and make your own decisions."

Van Dongen moved into a new office in the basement of the legislature and shifted desks to sit with the other independents. Regarding Clark's comments about uniting the free enterprise vote, he said, "I think the BC Conservative Party can be that option."

Asked about Conservative Leader John Cummins' readiness to become premier, van Dongen said, "I believe he's certainly capable of presenting a credible option, working with people. He recognizes he has to broaden the base of the party. We have a lot of work to do that."

A Mustel Group poll released today put the NDP at 42 per cent support, the Liberals at 34 per cent, the Conservatives at 17 per cent and the Green party at six per cent. A recent Forum Research poll found support for the NDP at 47 per cent with the BC Liberals and BC Conservatives tied at 21 per cent each and the Greens at nine percent. And an Angus Reid poll released this morning put Premier Christy Clark's approval rating at 33 per cent, the second lowest of any Canadian premier behind only Quebec's Jean Charest. It didn't mention Cummins, but put approval for Dix at 47 per cent.

[Tags: Politics.]