BREAKING NEWS: Gordon Campbell’s Rapidly Disintegrating Star–BC Liberals in $6.5 Million Debt
Next time the Premier of this province tells you that he is a wonderfully popular fellow of significant import, you can bring him here and remind him that I coined the phrase, “Gordon Campbell’s monumental monumentality”…
More to the point, much has been made about the B.C. Liberals debt, post-election, and while it isn’t uncommon to go into large debt, the B.C. Liberals are positively swimming in it.
Or is that drowning?
Speculators of the total amount of debt include the Vancouver Sun’s Miro Cernetig who estimated a debt between $4.5M and $7M and one of our other friends, B.C.’s top investigative journalist, Sean Holman, Editor of Public Eye Online, who gave us the figures on how much monthly debt servicing is taking place.
But I can confirm for you, here and now, that the B.C. Liberals are in exactly $6.5 million of debt.
That’s staggering. Why? Let’s break this down.
1) They’ve NEVER had this amount of debt post election without getting significantly more money in the door to service said debt.
2) This means that cheque writers were not as happy with the government and didn’t pony up as much as was expected. You can only blame so much on the global economic rumpus. This is a CLEAR indication that the people who voted for the Liberals were NOT as supportive as in past elections. In point of fact, this is consistent with what I have heard from the Kootneys to the North, and from the Island through to Spuzzum. Liberal supporters held their noses and voted to avoid the NDP–and NOT because they were enthralled with Gordon Campbell, as he would have you believe.
3) It has made some key Liberal party insiders extremely nervous that the Premier is so adamant that he is staying for any amount of time beyond the Olympics. I’m told that the panic attacks have reached a feverish pitch and many are speaking with various leadership contenders about the problems.
4) The debt figure, in and of itself, isn’t insurmountable. But it does leave an incoming leader with quite a task of having to, hopefully, retire the debt prior to the next election.
5) Couple this kind of financial pressure with the looming Olympic fiscal hangover and throw in any political issues emanating from the Basi-Virk trial, plus the mounting potential for internecine warfare if Gordon Campbell decides to take the party down with him by staying any longer than mid-2010, and you have a easy six-pack of open-top Molotov cocktails sitting next to a roaring fire.
It’s only a matter of time with Gordon Campbell still leader…
So, Alex, there we have it. All during the last election campaign all that Campbell was able to say is “we are the ones best suited to manage the economy”. Big scare tactic. Why? Because they knew they were not only NOT able to manage the provincial economy, (six billion and counting for the Owelympics) But they couldn’t even manage their own party finances. Now they are looking at our pensions. In what manner? Most likely to skim some more from us. Just watch.
The best thing the Liberals could do right now is to claw back the Campbell Golden Parachute. And by claw back I mean eliminate it.
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That’s exactly right. He lied the whole way through. Oh, I’m not suggesting the NDP would have been any better, when they claim that they are better than this Liberal govt…how much better were they when they were in govt? They were still a disaster. But Gordon Campbell has been a pathetic leader and a terrible Premier. The most heartless provincial leader ever. No one has ever been more callous or hurtful. Ever.
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With Campbell’s lying and deceit, to the people of BC, I am astonished, there is no way to get rid of him. The rumor is, he will retire a multimillionaire. Campbell is a pathological liar and a, sociopath, he looks after number one, himself, who got a wage hike of 53%. He, shows no shame, by having the highest number of, children living in poverty. He has also said, the minimum wage, would not be raised, saying I have done enough for those people. He must be thinking of the HST, that will cause hundreds of minimum wage earners to live on the street, with their children. He has thieved our natural resources, he has sold our mills to China. Campbell, sneaked the sale of the BC Railroad, behind the peoples back. Campbell and Hansen, lied about the HST, they lied about the provincial deficit, and also, won’t come clean, about the Olympic deficit
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I agree, however, there is no hard evidence that the Preem “sneaked” the BC Rail deal “behind” our backs…
…yet.
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And all this doesn’t bring into account his personal problems that are being aired on the ‘net’ and that has to hurt the party.
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Frank, as I wrote to Laila Yuile a few days ago, what Gordon does with his penis is his business, UNLESS, he has been keeping staff or a member of govt around when she was not qualified for anything other than satisfying his carnal interests. If that’s the case, and it can be proven, he should resign immediately and the staffer or MLA should be fired and their pension pulled. Shame. My tax buck should not be used as a slush fund for Gordon’s good times.
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I can’t believe my eyes I read Holman’s item on it previously, but thought that ain’t right. , but here it is.
Wonder why they keep those money vaccuming organizers around. If you remember the days of Social Credit, the Field Organizers were kept only for a few months after an election after that, they were out. The organising was done actually by the Regional Director who was not paid (except for receiptable travel expenses) and actually assisted the ridings (well quite a few of them did), and not be a self-important person with a cheap desk looking out over the harbour in Gastown.
I found out one riding had to palm off $4000 off of accumulated fundraising revenues to submit to paying the organizer in that
area. That’s money that could have gone to riding projects for the membership.
Plus they were really pushing that Club 300 membership program.
There’s actually not much to it. $300 a year and you get a cheap
newsletter that doesn’t tell you anything that wasn’t said on BCTV,
plus a fluffy bun toss “meet the Premier” event that everyone else gets to attend to including the political hacks wanting a goodie and a dinner that’s worth much less in price and quality than what you’d
get at Uncle Willy’s.
Wonder if Reichart is still running things down in that lock down place behind the painted door in Gastown? He is Exec.Dir. of that party and in that position is responsible for operations including how money is spent. So the angry monkey would be pointing at him.
$6.5 million. geezus, the interest accuring on that thing, and they haven’t even touched the principal. Geezus,trying to pay down the acrued interest and principal? Than having to start again in 2012
with a zero balance?
Bad way to run a party, pal.
Surely they are even thinking of getitng the ridings to bail them out.
There’s no money for that out there.
The Club 300 would never generate enough revenue to meet even
a two month acrued interest.
This is going to melt if financial cooling water isn’t flooded into it soon. The financial works in the BC Liberals are going to run hot very fast.
I’e been in small business situations where the expenses wereway too high, and revenues didn’t meet the bank demands and that caused the business to run hot very fast to the point where it seized up and we had to just throw it away.
If any of those nuts in their head office was responsible, I’d can them
immediately, and make sure they don’t get a “soft landing” either in Victoria or Ottawa.
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Yes, we’re certainly agreed. The fly in the ointment in all of this, of course, is what the Premier will do and how soon he will do it. He clearly has to go. The party is starting to die on the vine. And he’s the one doing the damage.
And, as you’ve identified, this will be a very difficult debt to pat down. I fear a depression on the way in the US, thx to the insanity of the Obamabots. This will surely affect us. Add the Olympic hangover and we’re in deep trouble if we don’t get some genuine leadership and economic stewardship in place.
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Enjoy the free stuff downtown, pal.
It’s going to be one big kegger of a hangover and also add in that the public service contracts are due for renewal in the spring.
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Don’t remind us…
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Back in the days when I was involved with the BC Liberals (before 2005), it was difficult to get much in the way of grassroots volunteer person power. Consequently, the party paid for a lot of what in other political organizations would be done by volunteers (eg. phone banks). I can’t imagine that the situation is any better now.
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Well, clearly it isn’t. In fact, the evidence is that it has travelled the slippery-slope at an alarming rate. Gordon Campbell is THE problem. With him and his cadre of sycophants out of the picture, the Liberals will have a fighting chance. But the renewal can’t come from any of the current crop of cabinet ministers. To scrub the hull clean, it will require a new crew, with fresh ideas and reasonable, caring policies and initiatives. Thx for your observations Eleanor. Great to have you stop by. Be well.
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Eleanor has the right concept. The biggest problem with this BC Liberal Party is that there’s no motivation to get volunteers involved. None. They place emphasis on the people who can spend 2 minutes writing a cheque, but not the people who can spend 8 or more hours a month bulding the party. The cheques are essential, but what makes a political party and party are its volunteers.
I noticed a real change in recent years, one riding I know of just barely exists, and yet there are many talented people who wouldn’t touch it even if the Executive Director screamed in agonizing pain.
AT – the hull doesn’t need to be scrubbed clean. Many of the plates holding it together need to be replaced, and new better engines
are needed, and comfy accomodation for the crew.
The ship needs a new Captain too.
It’s worth asking, did these dolts who run the BC Liberals now ever learn from the errors made by Social Credit (some who do run the BC Liberals are ex: Socreds including that nutty Executive Director who obviously loves to spend money on fancy campaign systems, when
a good volunteer based simple easy to operate system would do.
heck I know of many who won’t even touch the BC Liberal’s website offering to the riding association because the underlying programming environment is too clumsy to use.
I had one item I wrote during one campaign that took 7 hours to
get approved and set. AT – I can change a complex page on a website in just 2 minutes using ordinary resources.
Good on ya Eleanor, and AT – Keep this blog smokin and keep this file active.
Geezus this stupid party of theirs..
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You may be right. The change may need to be more extensive. But this is what I have been saying for some time. Gordon Campbell won the last two elections, the last in particular, because he was able to frame the narrative with the fear-mongering over another potential NDP debacle. Problem being that his financial record is equally fraught with issues and problems of the self-created nature.
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All the Gordo has to do is let slip that due to hard times, we may have to rethink the corporate capital tax. Or how about, BCHydro may have purchased enough IPP output.
The debt would be gone in a week.
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Interesting points, but I wouldn’t be too sure of that…
This is not a debt that they have ever handled. But for me, the more important point is that this is a clear indictment on Gordon Campbell’s brand of limousine liberalism. After his first couple of years, he has been a dismal Premier.
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Gordo to caucus: “How dare you Nervous Nellies” lose faith in my omnipotence! As my late, great hero Charlton Heston might have said, ‘You’ll have to pry it (leadership) from my cold dead hands.’”
Actually, the best predictor of the Preem’s intention may have been his recent reminiscence of his late mother’s wisdom. As re-told by Vaughn Palmer, Peg Campbell told her kids to never take on a task without “finishing it off.” The Dippers’ brain trust must be drooling at the prospect.
Gotta go. There’s a Liberal aide at the door, collecting for the Debt Reduction Bottle Drive.
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VERY funny stuff Rich!
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I can only say if Campbell cannot keep his party finances in line which it shows he cannot why is he the leader of BC and in charge of our money ?
anyone who voted for this clown should be ashamed.
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In principle, you are correct. but this isn’t a management issue. It’s a crystal clear reflection on his inability to be able to attract the base. They’ve given up on him. What do you expect: on the natives, the environment, giving away golf courses, handing rivers for rape and pillage by energy companies that are providing a solution to no identified problem…people notice and they say enough.
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Its almost exactly how i see it good politicians are good people managers and good at reading their support base , he is simply attempting to buy his and running out of ways to do so now.
And you and i and anyone else in BC will be paying for his work for years ahead he should have his pension stripped and be hauled in and made to acount for his actions along with his little insider group .
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Now wouldn’t THAT be poetic justice?!
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I don’t believe this is a mismanagement of money, every party goes into debt running a campaign.
However, it is a very tell tale sign that they have not raised the funds to pay down the debt by now.
If big money have abandoned the BC Libs, that should be enough warning things are going wrong.
As someone who doesn’t want the NDP to ever run this province again, we need to boot the preem and some ministers NOW, to right this ship before the NDP and slimy Moe get on track.
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Yeah, agreed. The Preem isn’t the only problem MLA. Just the biggest and most damaging.
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It will take more than a skin stretched Carole Taylor or a snot nosed Christy Clark to remove the WHIFF /Stench of corruption from the Campbell Liberals…And looking forward to burying Dianne Watts under a stench of Corrupt BC Liberal MLAs from top to bottom…
There are many guilty parties here eh Alex?….Carole James will be gone, as will the BC Liberal party, the dirt collectors are busy in Surrey,bring it on!
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Grant: I maintain that both Watts and Taylor can get the job done. Not sure what you’re referring to when you say “the dirt collectors” are busy in Surrey.
Tough to be busy when there’s not much to collect…
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Alex…I`ll put the Hoover down for a minute.
You are obviously being coy…Or a political donk, very few BC Liberal MLAs or Cabinet ministers can absorb the “It`s not me it was Gordon Campbell” excuse…
They are all complicit,Shirley Bond,Hansen,Falcon, Coleman, Bell,Coell,Chong,Cantelon,Barnett, Mcdiarmid, Mcneil, and about 7 more….and whoever runs in Campbell`s riding…
Go-ahead,put lipstick on a pig, everyone of the BC Liberal MLAs have ignored emails,phone calls from constituents, in other words every BC Liberal told 90% of the electors to Fock OFF, and you think switching over leaders will work, what you fail to realize Alex is this….
The HST won`t help anybody,it will hurt the economy and the $2billion dollars won`t save the Campbell led Forestry collapse, Gordon Campbell, despite suspect book-keeping is going to run another $4 billion and $3 billion dollar deficits back to back to back and will be raising more taxes from the middle-class, you watch, the HST initiative will get 40% of the electors in all ridings,forget about 10%….Man that must be good shit!
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A new leader will yield NEW ideas and NEW initiatives. There is NO question that if Dianne or Carole were to come back, they would have to clawback the HST. They’d have to. Additionally, who said I was advocating to JUST changing leader? I’ve never written anything of the sort. In point of fact, my position has been clear: You keep the Bennetts, the Stewarts, etc, and reevaluate the rest as you go along. Falcon I would certainly say has a following and moved lightning quick when the BC Rail controversy came around–he killed the Roberts Bank end immediately. I would also keep Coleman, who has done some very good work with the homeless file. But I would certainly get rid of Yap, Chong, Bond and Hansen (who very foolishly became Gordon’s propaganda Minister, but is otherwise a VERY fine man). I would get rid of MCDiarmid, but I would keep Mary McNeil, who I think is a great public servant.
I realize you’d like an NDP govt, but they were equally bad to Gordon’s folly.
We need a truly fresh approach.
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It looks as if Campbell and Co. managed their party’s finances about as well as they have the taxpayers. I still recall the debate where he looked down at Carole James with a sneer and intimated that handling the province’s finances was beyond of some people’s scope. How were the great unwashed to know that he was referring to himself and his fellow zombies.
It’s obvious Campbell and Hansen not only misread the recession, but did not enough grey matter between their collective ears to realize that when big business, the bulk of their political funding, is hurting financially, they will not jeopardize their operations by bailing out their campaign overspending. Then just shortly after the election they announced the HST which will have a negative effect on the restaurant industry as well as many others, never mind the citizens of BC. I would suggest the restaurant industry hasn’t been lining up to donate to the cause post-election as they did pre-election.
Basically the BC Liberal party have maxed out their credit cards and have to depend on the generosity of others to pay them off. That puts them in the exact same boat as the many charities that they sandbagged this last year.
The longer Campbell remains at the helm increases the possibility that the BC Liberal party will again achieve pre Gordon Wilson status.
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Very good analysis. I quite agree.
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“You see, ladies and gentlemen? This is the reason why volunteers can’t get anything done within the BC Liberal Party…”
(with apologies to Gordon Wilson).
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Oh Lord…Gord Wilson…a rather inaudible flatulence that caused a significant stench. How is it my son puts it? “Silent by violent”
He and Tyabji deserve each other.
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BC, needs a new party. I draw a blank when, I ask myself, who should I vote for. I have no idea, I get a great urge to leave BC. Campbell selling out BC’s assets, as fast as he can, will leave BC, with nothing to recover the recession with. I, was left with a let down feeling, for the Conservatives, when Harper bribed Campbell to force the HST, on the BC people. Iggy, also lied to, Canadian citizens, he said, no to the HST, then threatened his caucus to support the HST, or else.. Campbell and Hansen, lied about the HST, they lied about the provincial deficit, for re-election. No point to go into all of, Campbells and Hansen’s lies, every one knows about them. There are still going to be stupendous lay offs. I, just don’t see the logistics of, Harper, Iggy, Campbell and Hansen’s, to force the HST, on citizens, who have lost their jobs and are losing their homes. BC, has been hit the hardest, with massive lay offs, in our mills. Campbell is selling our mills to China, those jobs will never be back. How can they force these people to pay? With what? There are going to be hundreds more, homeless people with children, having to live on the streets. How much more stupidity, corruption, unfair taxes and greed, do decent people, in this country, have to tolerate? However, it has been quoted, sometimes the government is an ass. It is certainly true for Canada.
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Darlene, as I’ve mentioned to you before, I think having a strong opinion is wonderful, but it doesn’t mean free licence to smear someone… The Prime Minister hardly bribed the Premier into the HST. Gordon made the decision quite separately. I know this from people who are close to the PM. Gordon had this plan from prior to the election. And while the HST is NOT good policy at this point, it cannot be said enough that any regressive results can be attributed to the Premier himself. It is customary for the feds to rubber stamp the provinces as a matter of constitutional convention, unless said provincial initiative is damaging to the unity of the country or certainly on par in terms of seriousness, or likely outcome… The HST is damaging, yes, but does not fall into that upper tier class of alarm-setting.
Please keep your comments reasonable. You can say that Gordon Campbell lied, but you cannot say he was bribed. Not on this blog. Thx!
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Alex, now more than ever I believe the man you refer to as Premier Monuments is going. There is a palpable expectancy in the BC Lib Caucus room these days. Only the moronic lap dogs like Yap and Chong still want him to stay. There are interesting times coming for you and I. Yes, you know me.
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I thought so. There are quite a few of you around this blog and I’m honoured you feel you can come here. Yes, I have heard the same, but I have also heard that Gordon’s ego has exploded. He doesn’t understand, at all, that he has to go as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he stays, the Liberal party is ready to break apart. A new party, like a BC Party will emerge, and the Conservatives and Liberals will reform under it. Frankly, I’m starting to think that might not be a bad idea anyway. The Liberal brand has been damaged by Gordon, far worse than anything Bill could have been accused of doing the Social Credit. Good to hear form you. Feel free to contact me anytime. Good luck!
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Alex, the Liberal brand is a curse, just like the Conservative brand is a curse for a provincial party in this province. If this thing ends up leading to a BC Party, that is the best of all possible results. As for Gordon, what people are seeing, in my opinion anyhow, is someone who has made the decision to go and so why the hell does he care what anyone thinks. I’m betting on an announcement in late 2010, leadership convention in 2011.
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BC: Yes, we are quite agreed. Over the last month or so, I’m thinking that Gordon may indeed have completely killed off the Liberal Party. Frankly, the ‘Social Credit’ name was a better representation of what the ‘Liberal’ party really is. Gordon cannot stay any longer than summer, at the latest. If he does, it will begin to get VERY uncomfortable for some people and I think there will be at least three or four defections. As shocking as that may be to read…
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I’m a huge Gordon Campbell fan, but like you do I think it’s time for him to retire. I don’t believe he’s a philanderer until the DNA-stained dress. But GC must go.
My thought is retire in June 2011 after 10 great years. Give the torch to Polak. Clean, fresh start. Watch the BCNDP go as unhinged as their American cousins towards Sarah Palin as Mary Polak surfs the waves of empathy & polarization. Also make a big show of firing the entire head office. Make Sean Holman a most charasmatic press secretary (no $ecret he’d have to consider it) and make a Chief of Staff out of Kevin Falcon or another Polakite (NOT Shitwell).
Perhaps if the BCNDP could get a clue and study history, they’d reform in a showy way to the centre ground. Make Lana Popham or another small businessperson their leader. If not, their error. There’s a chance to go Clinton and topple a tired party while being just conservative enough to make it for 8-12 years, maybe realign BC.
I just hope against hope Gordon Campbell realizes he’s a hero whose best before date is between now and 6/2011.
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Josef, I’m going to try and be gentle here… but will you do me a huge favour? Could you please be kind enough to send me a bottle of whatever you’ve just polished off? Because, I’ve got to tell you pal, that’s some strong bourbon!
In order…
1) Whether Gordon is a philanderer or not isn’t my concern. It’s that if he has a staff or Cabinet member that is unqualified to be receiving the high-priced salary, and is there only because she satisfies the Premier’s itch, then he needs to resign and she needs to go as well. Immediately. Trust me, I’m not a choir boy, but none of my past indiscretions have EVER been on anyone else’s payroll…or conscience.
2) “10 great years”… You really should try some Vitamin B, an aspirin and some coffee, trust me…
3) “Give the torch to Mary Polak”. Um…I just don’t know what to say. Were you ever a comedian? I’ve known Mary for a long time. She is a fun, personable, highly intelligent, gifted individual. But she is also making as big a mess in the Ministry of Children and Families as an other Minister appointed. The Hughes Report findings should have ALL been adopted long ago, and Judge Turpel-Lafond shouldn’t have to beg for co-operation. Mary is not qualified to be leader or Premier.
4) Your comments about Sean Holman are offensive. Sean is a good friend and he is not in any kind of dire straights. Your comment is incorrect.
5) Make Kevin Falcon Chief of Staff?
Damn, that really is some fine bourbon. You sure I can’t get two bottles?
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Pinocchio, Snow White, and Superman are out for a little stroll in town one afternoon enjoying the sunshine. As they walked, they come across a sign: “Beauty contest for the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“I am entering!” said Snow White.
After half an hour she comes out and they ask her, “Well, how’d ya do?”
“I won First Place !,” said Snow White.
They continue walking and they see another sign: “Contest for the strongest man in the world.”
“I’m entering,” says Superman.
After half an hour, he returns and they ask him, “How did you make out?”
“I won First Place too,” answers Superman.. “Did you ever have a doubt?”
They continue walking when they see a third sign:
“Contest! Who is the greatest liar in the world?”
Pinocchio quickly enters the contest. After half an hour he returns with tears in his eyes.
“What happened?” they asked.
“Who the hell is Gorden Campbell?” asked Pinocchio.
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VERY FUNNY STUFF! WELL DONE!!!!!
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