Gordon Campbell was forced out by his own party in response to the public backlash that followed the botched introduction of the HST. The main complaint people had was that the BCLiberals did not disclose until after that last provincial election any plans to harmonize the sales tax.
The anger against the HST was not justified, but even those who were indifferent about the tax were understandably pissed off about the fact that the BCLiberals were silent about it in the election campaign.
The idea of a democracy is that regular citizens with similar ideas can get together, form parties, explain clearly their ideas and seek support. When it comes time for an election, they can explain what they would do if elected. If enough people like their ideas and support their plans, they vote for them and the party forms the Government.
One problem with this system is that the people who are elected often do something entirely different from that which they promised.
We are one year away from an election in BC, and the Premier is already campaigning. She hired Harper’s former communications expert, she has been on talk shows trying to raise her profile and months ago they started running attack ads against the NDP leader.
We think, bearing in mind that it is only a year until the next official campaign in BC, the Government should suspend the Immediate Roadside Prohibition scheme in its entirety and make it a campaign issue. The Government should spell out exactly what they would do regarding IRPs if re-elected in 2013. Put it to the voters.
Six months will have gone by before the Court needs to re-visit the Sivia rulings from late 2011. The police in BC discontinued issuing 90-day IRPs for Fail on November 30, 2011. Despite the extension granted by the Court, the matter has been on hold — the law has not been used without any significant consequence for the Government. Another year without the scheme would simply be more of the status quo.
Like the HST, the IRP scheme was a surprise sprung on British Columbians after the last election. In our view the Government should put the entire scheme on hold until after the next election. Then they can take the next year to explain to us why we should support them and what they will do if re-elected.