Premier Christy Clark’s handling of the Northern Gateway pipeline and her government’s downward spiral in the polls has attracted the attention of a former B.C. power player, and Martyn Brown, former chief of staff for Gordon Campbell, doesn’t like what he sees.
Brown’s new book criticizes Clark for squandering benefit of the doubt voters had for her when she took over the Liberals and says it would take a near miracle for her to win next year.
Brown stood at Gordon Campbell’s side for 13 years. He’s watched the Socreds and the NDP plunge from power, and as the BC Liberals appear to be drifting in the same direction, he is making himself heard.
Now on the outside, Campbell’s Chief Lieutenant has some advice for the new premier and some heavy criticism.
“Why are you so much worse now than you were when Campbell left office? As challenging as the assignment was then, it is even more so now. Clearly, people are saying they want a different style of government,” Brown told Global News.
In his book, he writes, “…Premier Clark has steered her government along an erratic course. She has edged her way forward by bumping against public opinion and by scraping against each next hazard, and then veering away in whatever direction seems to be safest.”
He calls the handling of the HST a “debacle” that still hasn’t been properly addressed.
He’s critical of Clark’s approach to Enbridge, tearing apart the premier’s five demands that must be met before the pipeline can be built.
Brown was personally involved in another scandal that won’t die – the selling of BC Rail. Even testifying at the Basi-Virk trial.
His political career ended shortly after Christy Clark became premier, shown the door with a large severance package, but he insists there are no hard feelings.
Clark says she has no plans to read the book.
“British Columbians elected me leader because I am different, very, very different from my predecessor.”
Brown admits that if he was still in the game, he’d be pushing the same adversarial politics we’re seeing today, but writes, “…pointing fingers, disavowing responsibility for past actions, raging against the media, throwing mud at the opposition, and praying for divine intervention is not a route to redemption. It is a sure path to purgatory.”
BC NDP leader Adrian Dix says it is a reflective comment.
“It is interesting, because Mr. Brown of course is known as a person who believed in polarization, so it is an interesting comment… and something we should take into account.”
Brown insists the book isn’t meant to be a rallying cry for the free enterprise coalition or just an attack on Premier Clark.
The point he says is a need for a broad change in the approach to politics.
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