The theme of Premier Gordon Campbell's speech at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention yesterday was all about how the spirit of B.C. -- the actual spirit, not the ferry -- will keep people hanging together and working through these difficult times.
But the not-so-subtle subtext was that the spirit of Gordon Campbell is going to be around for a while yet as well.
Campbell punched himself twice in the face this past summer. He sprang a nasty tax surprise on people just a few weeks after being sworn in. Then his government updated the pre-election bad-news budget and turned it into a post-election horror show.
So his third term is off to a remarkably rocky start. Liberals are cutting grants to thousands of groups doing good work.
They're running a deficit that goes against everything they stand for. And they're betting the farm that a new tax, of all things, will get them out of this mess.
It adds up to a 20-point drop in the opinion polls since the election and a sudden feeling of uncertainty about the future of the Liberal government.
That's the reality that greeted Campbell at the main event on his fall calendar, yesterday's speech to the UBCM convention.
It would be gauche for a premier to go on at length about himself at an appearance like that. It's just not done.
So Campbell talked about the glory of B.C., just like every premier who has ever appeared at the convention.
But it was hard to escape the impression that when Campbell was talking about B.C., he was talking about himself.
And that the pep talk was aimed as much at himself as at the audience.
Substitute G.C. for B.C. and you get the picture.
Some random examples:
- "It is an incredible thing when you think about those surprises and those shocks that hit us day in and day out. But B.C. has always had the ability to keep going, to focus on what's important ... that's really what the strength of B.C. is, it's the spirit of B.C. that recognizes there are tough times and there are good times, but boy when there's tough times, we roll up our sleeves, we keep going and that's what's made B.C. great in the past and it's what's going to make us great in the days, months and years ahead."
- Campbell said it has felt lately like his first term in office. "Things just seem to get worse."
He recalled a "$4-billion structural deficit," the pine beetle epidemic, the high-tech meltdown, 9-11, the war, SARS, mad cow disease and the Okanagan fires.
"Fate was cruel, but we were tough. We kept going and in fact we came out even stronger."
- Campbell said it's hard to believe the recession flipped everything upside down in the space of a year. "Even Canada, even B.C. has been hit by the last number of months."
- The three things people want from government are more services, fewer taxes and no debt, he said: "We can't make that equation work if we're not willing to change how we do things?" B.C. has worked together in the past to find new approaches and can do so again.
- The personal tone extended right through to his defence of the harmonized sales tax.
"Making the hard decisions is one of the real perks of public office. Don't worry, we'll all be held to account," he said. The media, neighbours and the electorate are all watching. "Deciding to implement the HST was hard. We all knew what would be said and we didn't think it would be popular."
The grand finale was a rousing recitation of every bridge, highway, hospital, university and medical school that's been built or promised in the last eight years, in B.C. or by G.C.
It appeared to go over well with the mayors and councillors, although you wonder how he would have done if municipalities weren't being protected from the impact of the HST through a rebate program.
In short, B.C. and Campbell are in similar shape, according to the premier: Down but not out.
lleyne@tc.canwest.com
