Vaughn Palmer
Special to The Citizen
From the opening moment of the press conference Thursday, the campaign to make George Abbott the next premier of B.C. tried to set a new tone.
"A man who listens," said the introductory speaker, MLA Gordon Hogg. "A man who will bring a new collaborative style of leadership to government."
Abbott himself picked up the theme when he came to the platform. Reconnect to the grassroots. Get people working together. He doesn't claim to have all the answers. He does promise to listen and learn.
Unlike the current occupant of the premier's office? That was unmistakably one of the implications.
The would-be leader of the B.C. Liberals went on to say that he's proud of what "we" accomplished as a government. "We," that is. No mention of Premier Gordon Campbell, there or elsewhere in the speech.
Abbott accused me of making mischief when I suggested, during a followup press conference, that he was trying to put some distance between himself and the current premier in terms of style. "I would never do that," he protested.
Mock protested was more like it. He is setting himself up as the candidate of change, at least among the other insiders who'll be running for the leadership.
Those of us in attendance also saw the new-look George, unruly hair suddenly in place, styled even. The George Clooney look somebody called it, though I didn't see anyone swooning.
He did the sackcloth-and-ashes turn that every inside-the-government candidate for the leadership will be required to do on the harmonized sales tax. (Christy Clark too, if she runs. She defended the tax from her broadcast platform on radio station CKNW).
Abbott thinks it was a good tax, but it was dumped on the public with a total lack of consultation and he's really sorry about that.
He'd work with the Opposition to move up the current, written-into-law date for the initiative vote. "No later than June 24" is his target. If a majority of voters reject the tax, he'd bring in a new budget in the fall of 2011 laying out how it would be extinguished.
He'd also increase the minimum wage, bring in a tax credit to encourage home renovations, another to promote health and fitness. Plus there'd be larger role for members of the government caucus in shaping policy and legislation.
George Abbott -- voice for the voiceless among B.C. Liberals. As he spoke, he was flanked by a half dozen members of caucus, and his organizers claimed the support of an equal number who could not (mainly because of the snowy weather) be there.
The common element among them is not having played a major role in the Campbell government. They include two B-list cabinet ministers-- Murray Coell and Randy Hawes -- and some backbenchers who never made it to the cabinet table: Richard Lee, John Rustad, Norm Letnick, John Slater and Don McRae.
Then there's Gordon Hogg, who was dumped as mines minister for having (in Campbell's view) failed to persuade the mining community to support the controversial legislation recognizing aboriginal rights and title. John van Dongen, who was dumped from cabinet and never forgiven for the flap over his speeding tickets during the 2009 election. And Kash Heed, currently in limbo pending the outcome of a special prosecutor's investigation into his election campaign.
Even the former MLA who turned out to support Abbott was scarcely A-list -- Greg Halsey-Brandt, who represented one of the Richmond ridings in the first term of the Liberal government. But he did provide a nice testimonial to moderate-minded George: "If there was a liberal in the B.C. Liberal party, he was it." (But note: Several of Abbott's organizers are federal Tories.)
For the launching speech itself, Abbott read from a text, and was no more able to wow a room than he's
done in the past. He did better in the question and answer with reporters, where his sense of humour -- sarcastic, knowing -- came into play.
The best bit was when he professed to be "as deeply troubled by the NDP troubles as you are ... I am hoping they can pull it together." Laughter. Then on the subject of recall, he marvelled that the New Democrats could find the time to organize for it, "given their own efforts to undermine their own party."
But he raised no illusions about his own party's chances. "The B.C. Liberal government is at this point at a pretty low point in the ditch of public opinion," he said. "I hope the next bump we feel is the vehicle coming out of the ditch and onto the road."
The mood of the province was one of "significant and deep-seated anger," in Abbott's reading, and not about to be rectified by a few messages of the "we hear you" variety from the provincial capital.
Consequently, as regards the rumour that the Liberals, with a new leader, would call a snap election: "No, I think it is unlikely."
So, a realist with a lighter touch. Better at consulting, collaborating, listening than the man he never mentioned in his speech.
Among those of his colleagues who are most likely to run -- Kevin Falcon, Mike de Jong, Rich Coleman -- he'd not be the front-runner. But he would be the one who could do the most to change the political culture in the provincial capital.
vpalmer@vancouversun.com
