Here is a little factoid and shows the sort of stability we have seen in government with the BC Liberals. As of next Wednesday Gordon Campbell's will have been premier longer than Mike Harcourt and Glen Clark combined, though Campbell's time has not seemed as long. On January 5th 2011, Gordon Campbell will have been premier longer than all four NDP premiers from 1991 to 2001.
Assuming that Campbell decides to retire sometime before the election in 2013, he is likely to end his term as the fourth or fifth longest serving premier in BC history. He is likely to be the first BC premier to retire without a scandal or an election defeat since John Hart in 1947.
OK, some of you will point to Bill Bennett, but I tend to think he retired to avoid a probable defeat. Bill Vander Zalm pulled win out for the Socreds in the 1986 provincial election, so the party was not defeated, but that was an election that the NDP did not really seem interested in winning. I admit here that I supported the NDP in 1986, even worse, I joined the party to support Bob Skelly in the leadership race, think of it as the foolishness of youth, I was only 20.
In any case, Gordon Campbell is breaking the mold in BC politics by managing to remain a relatively popular premier while in power. This really has not been the case in this province in the last several generations.
2 comments:
Never long enough, Gordon has done so many great things for the province I hope he can continue to drive value add for years to come!!
What a great list. Every weirder -- for all the glamorization of Dave Barrett, he was thrown out in less time than Glen Clark. Who would've thunk?
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