Nature Mirrors
BC liaR Party

Just Like John Slater's Political Career!

As John Slater, BC liaR MLA for the riding that includes Oliver, it must be like seeing his political future as he surveys the destruction from the mudslide that destroyed five homes, vineyards, orchards and farm buildings on Sunday just past. Fortunately, and actually almost amazingly, there were no fatalities or serious injuries as tons of mud, rock and trees came down the ravine and wreaked destruction in the peaceful neighborhood. However the same can't be said for the political future of Mr. Slater.

Mr. Slater, along with rookie MLA from the Cariboo, Donna Barnett, are the two most likely to be recalled come November once the 18 month time period to circulate recall petitions has expired. In the case of both MLAs the number of signatures on the anti-HST petition, which the arrogant Campbell government is so obviously going to ignore, has surpassed not only the amount of votes they received last May, but also they have exceeded the 40% of the registered voters in the riding required to have their seat declared vacant, necessitating a bye-election.

Recently resigned former Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom was skirting the magic 40% when he decided to pose as a heroic representative of his constituents and flee the sinking Campbell ship. As Bill Tieleman speculates in today's piece in the Mild One:

Is Lekstrom a politician of great integrity for listening to his constituents, who overwhelmingly oppose the HST and told him so?

Or is Lekstrom an unprincipled opportunist -- a "rat," as one B.C. Conservative already called him -- who knows the only way he could be re-elected to a $100,000 a year job and collect a gold-plated pension was by admitting the obvious, that the BC Liberals are finished, thanks to the HST?

I would tend to go with the later, or perhaps the fact that as Energy Minister he was ashamed of the fact that BC Hydro was selling Pirate Power onto the Columbia Grid last week for approximately 1/2 cent per kwh. That is a good deal for somebody, but not for the taxpayers and ratepayers of BC as thanks to the "green" (as in US dollars) energy policy of "Kermit" Campbell, implemented by minister Lekstrom, BC Hydro was coerced into buying this power from Gordo's friends for 12.6 cents per kwh - now that is the way to do business, buy high and sell low.

John "I've seen my political career MUDSLIDE before my eyes" Slater and Donna "I'll never collect my gold plated MLA pension" Barnett, aren't the only MLA's in trouble though. Other MLAs that are on the bubble with two or three weeks left to collect signatures are:

Pat Pimm - Peace River North: 3,992 votes in 2009, 7,791 petition signatures.

Terry Lake / Kamloops-N.Thompson: 9,830 votes in 2009; 10,532 petition signatures.

Bill Bennett / Kootenay East: 8,404 votes in 2009; 8,729 petition signatures.

George Abbott / Shuswap: 10,764 votes in 2009; 11,806 petition signatures.

Lekstrom, Barnett and Slater are merely the tip of the iceberg as even the private sector arm of the Public Affairs Bureau, the Canwest News (dis)Service admits that the four Vancouver Island MLAs are looking pretty shakey:

More than half those who responded in the four ridings represented by Liberal MLAs -- Cantelon, Ida Chong, Murray Coell and Don McRae -- said they would definitely sign a recall petition while another 22% said they would probably sign.

So you do the math - over half, plus 22% totals over 70%, so it appears to me that the doomed HST petition will have proven to be little more than a practice exercise for the real thing - getting rid of the most arrogant and frankly criminal government in the history of the province - WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL 2013!

Keith Baldrey, Glow Ball TeeVee's chief apologist for the Campbell regime, at five and again at six, last night forced - first Deb Hope and then Chris Gailus to act like idiots and ask him if the signatures for the HST petition could be used for recall so Squirrel Cheeks could show off his genius and remind people that they could be jailed if they tried that. I'm sorry Mr. My Cheeks are Full of Nuts Bald Faced liar, but now that the anti-HST forces have all the signatures (complete with addresses etc.) they have, it will be pretty simple to go back and have the same, even more pissed off, people sign the recall petition, especially when the folks are reminded that the government CANNOT ignore the recall petition.

But I guess Keith just won't give it up until he has to. I just hope Gordo will take Keith to Maui, or where ever Gordo escapes to. Or even better, allow Keith to share his cell at Okalla with him, once his (Keith's) days as Asst. Liar in Chief are over.