It was a bad week for Premier Christy Clark. And yes, I expect you've read that story several times already this year. But here it comes again.
Clark was not in the capital Monday when MLA John van Dongen performed his noisy, accusative exit from the B.C. Liberal caucus. She learned about the move from staff, so by the time van Dongen left word that if she wanted to talk, he was available, she didn't bother to call back.
Government house leader Rich Coleman became the designated first responder for the Liberals. He sat at his place in the house for a few minutes trying to cool down before going out to talk to reporters.
Still his anger was undisguised, as he began talking about his now-departed colleague in terms that suggested van Dongen was a better candidate for therapy than public office.
"I've been concerned about John as a friend for a long period of time. He's been struggling with his role in public life."
We should all have such friends. And hearing those words, even some Liberals complained that the decision to "go personal" was more of a reflection on them than on van Dongen.
Next day, Clark denied the outburst was part of an orchestrated smear, but also made excuses for Coleman, saying he was angry, feeling betrayed "and speaking from the heart." Heartfelt or not, Coleman conceded he'd crossed the line: "I was probably a bit more emotional than I should have been."
Otherwise much of Tuesday was taken up with speculation about whether other Liberals would cross the floor. They said not, with demurrals coming even from those ranked just below van Dongen in the "most disgruntled" list.
As the headline on Tuesday's column by Les Leyne in the Victoria Times Colonist had it: "Van Dongen exit a stampede of one." For now, anyway.
Then on Wednesday, reporters began asking cabinet ministers about their plans for the future and whether they would be seeking another term of office. Two responses were eye-brow raisers. Finance Minister Kevin Falcon: "I've got a young child at home, as you know, and before I make a major decision like that, I will certainly make sure I spend the time thinking about it and talk to my family ... As minister of finance there are very, very long hours, there is travel, there are issues you have to factor into the final decision that you make."
Education Minister George Abbott: "I haven't made up my mind on that important question ... There are many things that one thinks about on these kinds of questions and among those are: What do I want to do with the next four years of my life? Are there things that I'd like to do other than politics?" Not uncommon, with about a year to go before an election. But now the context was sup-plied by van Dongen's defection and the subsequent wheels-falling-off-wagon speculation about the fortunes of the governing party.
"Ministers question political future," was the front-page headline in The Vancouver Sun over a story by my colleague Jonathan Fowlie that high-lighted how the doubtful candidates for the governing party in the next provincial election included the second-and third-place finishers (Falcon, Abbott) in the last leadership race.
Falcon's hesitation had to be especially galling for the premier because during one of the rougher spots in that race, he'd challenged her to match his own stick-to-it-iveness: "Christy, I've made a commitment to run in this election win or lose, so whether I win or lose (the leadership), I'm going to be a candidate for this party."
Then again his young-family musings raised the same pre-text for taking a break from politics that Clark herself used when quitting the Gordon Campbell government before the 2005 election.
Next day, Clark tried to make light of the news regarding the leadership race runner-up, saying there was nothing new about Falcon's indecision because she'd been aware of it for "many months."
Irrespective of whether he and others decide to sit out the next election, she said plans were well underway to renew the government team with well-known and well-qualified recruits: "We're developing a list of really exciting people that will bring a lot to the ticket," she said, promising to name names closer to the election.
All this she said at a media event called to highlight tax breaks for new homebuyers. But all the questions from reporters had to do with the mounting doubts about Liberal party solidarity. The government is losing control of the news agenda, as Clark is discovering.
"She's obviously in a learning role," as B.C. Liberal MLA Randy Hawes said this week, "and I think we all need to sit back and allow her to fulfil that role. She has a learning curve; she's in that learning curve."
He was trying to provide some understanding and perspective.
But he wasn't talking about some fresh-from-the-sticks backbencher or rookie cabinet minister.
He was talking about the premier of the province and leader of his party, with an election a little over a year away.
