Three of Gordon Campbell’s executive assistants hold cue cards during a recent speech to defend his government. Squatting on a large stool at mid-stage, one said, “I am sorry but I didn’t exactly mean all those things that were said before the election.”

Campbell decided to bare all after his movement plopped to an historic low approval rating of 26% 32%, 28 22 points less than a year and a half ago. He is worried his liberal movement will be flushed away by recent events.  The costumes were meant to demonstrate Liberals have nothing else up their sleeves, for now.

The Premier noted that elections are a time for parties to lay out their plan for the future of the province. He said, “We did that, we just didn’t share it honestly with anyone.” Campbell explained that revealing the government’s real intentions would have undermined confidence of voters and put his government at risk. The Premier called this unacceptable because he wants to preside at the Olympics aftermath, the one that will see the gigantic post-games economic miracles come to pass, for some of us.

Campbell said:

Uncertainty and instability undermine confidence, drive away investment and put people out of work. Those would have been good people too, drawn from all levels of my Party.

Campbell noted that the BC Liberals campaigned on stability and freedom from higher taxes:

Our platform stated now, more than ever, we need stability. During these turbulent economic times, our economy can ill afford higher taxes…

What he said in that statement was sort of true but could have been phrased like this

We’re merely removing a few billion dollars from the hands of consumers and giving it to businesses. After all, business owners are consumers too, so, we see that as sort of a wash.

Campbell criticized the NDP for promising to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour. He could have said:

The NDP promise is reckless and irresponsible. It’s been eight nine years since the last raise and only now have we established the lowest minimum wage in Canada. We can’t give up that sort of leadership when so many have suffered to reach this point.

First published September 2009.