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It seems certain now that Rich Coleman will be shuffled out of cabinet over the summer. It is now time for us to think about what we need from a new Forest Minister.
NDP take aim but Liberals shoot selves
Session ends with grand display of gov't arrogance
May 30, 2008
By Mike Smyth
<msmyth@direct.ca>
With Premier Gordon Campbell expected to shuffle his cabinet next month, yesterday was the final chance for some NDP critics to get in their last licks against their favourite targets.
Naturally, Forests Minister Rich Coleman -- widely expected to be moved out of the portfolio soon -- was the guy they wanted the most.
Coleman was probably happy to see the last day of a legislative session in which he faced relentless NDP attacks over the meltdown in the forest industry. To the NDP's delight, they managed to trip him up a few times.
But the NDP's Corky Evans was determined to deliver the coup de grace.
"Let me make a prophecy," the colourful horse-logger from the Kootenays proclaimed, complete with his trademark gesticulations.
"I'll bet ya that the following question is the last question that the gentleman that sits right over there ever answers as minister of forests."
Then he hit Coleman with this: "When you're gone, will your government go back to standing up for British Columbians? Or is selling this place in the interest of American banks now Liberal policy forever?"
Coleman, of course, chose not to answer, launching instead into one of his trademark specialities: A loud condemnation of the NDP government of the 1990s.
"And there's one more thing," he thundered. "Next time at this year, we'll be sitting here as government, and they'll be sitting there as Opposition!"
Thus ended the final question period of the session, and appropriately so: Because even though the NDP were scoring the most hits and drawing the most blood, the Liberals are leading the opinion polls and favoured to win the election on May 12, 2009.
So the Liberals smirked through the NDP's final tongue-lashing. They laughed as the New Democrats taunted Coleman with a chorus of "Na-na, hey-hey, goodbye" on what was surely his last day in the house as forests minister. (Watch for Campbell to shuffle him to a key portfolio next month, maybe even finance.)
The Libs were even smiling during the day's final bit of dirty business: Cutting off debate on key pieces of legislation and ramming the bills through the house with a dreaded "closure" motion.
And if there's one thing that could trip up Campbell in his historic quest for a third term in office, that was a stark example of it: The arrogance of power.
Campbell used to go ballistic when the NDP brought down the guillotine and cut off debate on bills. It was an affront to democracy, Campbell said back then.
But consider that one of the bills Campbell's own government rammed through yesterday was the new carbon tax that will jack up prices on everything from gasoline to home heating oil, starting on July 1.
This was a huge bill -- over 60 pages long -- that will have you paying the tax man more than ever before. It received two hours of debate.
They rammed through the election gag law yesterday, too, which will come back to haunt the Liberals: It may shield them from some negative TV commercials, but it will tick a lot of people off.
Rather than the NDP, it's arrogance and overconfidence that could hurt the Liberals now.
Naturally, Forests Minister Rich Coleman -- widely expected to be moved out of the portfolio soon -- was the guy they wanted the most.
Coleman was probably happy to see the last day of a legislative session in which he faced relentless NDP attacks over the meltdown in the forest industry. To the NDP's delight, they managed to trip him up a few times.
But the NDP's Corky Evans was determined to deliver the coup de grace.
"Let me make a prophecy," the colourful horse-logger from the Kootenays proclaimed, complete with his trademark gesticulations.
"I'll bet ya that the following question is the last question that the gentleman that sits right over there ever answers as minister of forests."
Then he hit Coleman with this: "When you're gone, will your government go back to standing up for British Columbians? Or is selling this place in the interest of American banks now Liberal policy forever?"
Coleman, of course, chose not to answer, launching instead into one of his trademark specialities: A loud condemnation of the NDP government of the 1990s.
"And there's one more thing," he thundered. "Next time at this year, we'll be sitting here as government, and they'll be sitting there as Opposition!"
Thus ended the final question period of the session, and appropriately so: Because even though the NDP were scoring the most hits and drawing the most blood, the Liberals are leading the opinion polls and favoured to win the election on May 12, 2009.
So the Liberals smirked through the NDP's final tongue-lashing. They laughed as the New Democrats taunted Coleman with a chorus of "Na-na, hey-hey, goodbye" on what was surely his last day in the house as forests minister. (Watch for Campbell to shuffle him to a key portfolio next month, maybe even finance.)
The Libs were even smiling during the day's final bit of dirty business: Cutting off debate on key pieces of legislation and ramming the bills through the house with a dreaded "closure" motion.
And if there's one thing that could trip up Campbell in his historic quest for a third term in office, that was a stark example of it: The arrogance of power.
Campbell used to go ballistic when the NDP brought down the guillotine and cut off debate on bills. It was an affront to democracy, Campbell said back then.
But consider that one of the bills Campbell's own government rammed through yesterday was the new carbon tax that will jack up prices on everything from gasoline to home heating oil, starting on July 1.
This was a huge bill -- over 60 pages long -- that will have you paying the tax man more than ever before. It received two hours of debate.
They rammed through the election gag law yesterday, too, which will come back to haunt the Liberals: It may shield them from some negative TV commercials, but it will tick a lot of people off.
Rather than the NDP, it's arrogance and overconfidence that could hurt the Liberals now.
