Movement underway within BC Liberals to oust Christy Clark

[flamingfingers]

Christy does not seem to be doing well:

Movement underway within BC Liberals to oust Christy Clark
By Jas Johal, Global News

There is already an organized movement within the BC Liberal party with the sole mission of ousting Christy Clark if the party loses the election.

It’s called the 801 Club, symbolizing 8:01 p.m., one minute after the election and precisely when the movement plans to begin the process of putting pressure on Clark to step aside.

The club — made up of party members and business leaders — has already created their own buttons.

Even though Christy Clark won the Liberal leadership two years ago, support for her within the so-called free enterprise coalition has been lukewarm.

Only one member of her caucus ever supported her bid.

From the start, there has been a simmering opposition to her leadership.

“Fundamentally she is not a Conservative. And I think that has been the tension with Christy Clark from the very beginning,” says UBC political science professor Maxwell Cameron.

“She’s tried to position herself as a Conservative on many issues, particularly on debt, fiscal responsibility, development of natural resources and yet it’s clear – if we were to characterize her ideologically — that she is aligned with the federal Liberal party.”

The group wants to bring in an interim leader for 18 months to two years with the goal to bring stability and credibility to the party.

Then, a leadership race will be held to choose a new Liberal leader to fight the next election.

But the movement not only wants to rid the party of Clark, but her people too including her brother, organizers like Mark Marissen, campaign chair Mike McDonald and current Liberal Party president.

There’s no doubt there is infighting within the Liberal camp.

Gordon Campbell’s former chief of staff, Martyn Brown, says the scandals that the Clark Liberals have endured are self-inflicted and speak to Clark’s leadership.

“When you look at one thing after the next, it’s just a bad series of judgements that fall directly in her lap,” said Brown on CKNW’s The Simi Sara Show.

“There is no escaping that, and this just brings it home in spades to people that it is the Premier’s judgement that is at issue here.”

With the election less than a week away, many Liberal party members are likely wondering what their party will look like after the election.

© Shaw Media, 2013

[Logitack]

they should have done it before the election...oh well, a complete exorcism of the liberal party of these criminals and malfeasance elements is absolutely required...

[hobbyguy]

So who do these "801" folks want? Rich Coleman????

[flamingfingers]

So who do these "801" folks want? Rich Coleman????

God forbid. He's as bad as she is and would not look good in a skirt.

I want to see a list of '801' people. And even if they are women do they have clangers.

[weavesilk]

I just saw this on Global News. Apparently even a lot of Liberals don't want Christy as leader. Neither do I. They continue to lie about so many things and don't take responsibility for anything they've done. The 801 organization even have buttons!
And what's she been doing for the past 2 years anyway, except smiling for the cameras. There's an election & suddenly she's going to solve all of B.C.'s problems.
I find it quite ironic & a joke for the Liberals to constantly make disparaging remarks/ads about Adrian Dix considering all the lies they’ve told to the public. I personally believe he's at least learned something from his past actions, whereas the Liberals have learned nothing & continue to deceive the public.

[Veovis]

God forbid. He's as bad as she is and would not look good in a skirt.

How surprising that all you care about is how people "look"

IN every political party they elect a party leader. No vote is ever 100% so to have a few that want to make a play when they think the leader may lose isn't any shock or scandal. Play it all you like, but the same will likely happen withing 2.5 years IF Dix wins as well, when the party realizes he is not helpful. Heck the man is close to blowing a gimmie election, there will be dissent in those ranks as well.

The NDP support constantly say they want to run a clean campaign but then abandon it, state they are above smear inventions and then find some, whether imagined or real.

Both sides are ridiculous, but at least some people can see the forest for the trees of whats actually being played out.

[mr.bandaid]

Here's a great group of people to stand behind don't you think. Just don't forget to bring your knife with you, there are lieberals to slay. If the people of this province vote this party in we are in for it big time. They will be so busy jockeying for position within the party, fighting amoungst themselves, nothing will get done.

[LoneWolf_53]

Both sides are ridiculous, but at least some people can see the forest for the trees of whats actually being played out.

Good observation.

[Urbane]

Gee, I wonder why this "news story" just happened to surface now. Hmm . . . (Hint: Recent polls have tightened).

Meanwhile:

Liberals dismiss existence of "801" club
SURREY/CKNW (AM980)
Shane Woodford | Email news tips to [email protected]
5/8/2013

BC Liberal candidates at a Surrey rally for leader Christy Clark are dismissing claims of a movement to oust her.
Fort Langley-Aldergrove candidate Rich Coleman didn't mince words calling the so-called 801 club a “load of crap."
"I think it's cheap, childish, amateurish, on the part of anybody who would say it, but there's lot of people around politics who don't actually understand things like loyalty and trust and they're not people who are with us."
Fellow Liberal Gordon Hogg says he has never heard of the 801 club, and the same thing goes for Surrey-Fleetwood contender Peter Fassbender.
Global BC reports of a movement within party ranks to push for Clark’s resignation one minute after the polls close on election day.

I do think that once the election is over and the dust has settled Dix or Clark (whoever is not Premier) will be replaced. Cummins will be 75 at the time of the next election and I don't see him sticking around and Green Party leader Sterk has already said that if she doesn't win her seat she'll resign. If Dix blows a 22-point lead I doubt very much that he'll last and if Clark doesn't win the Liberals will likely want to re-tool.

[Pacific]

It would be spectacularly stupid of the Liberals to alienate the centrist component of their party. There are a ton of people in their party who are moderates and are not extremely conservative and with how dedicated the NDP support is in the province around 40% they might never win another election without them.

Kick Christy Clark out because you don't like the job she's done by all means but doing it openly on ideological grounds that she's not Conservative enough is strategically halfwitted if you ask me.

[mr.bandaid]

The Liberals are poised to self implode regardless of the outcome of the upcomiong election. They are, and have been, a party divided for a long time. The desperation is palpable in the ads they are running. This could work for them but they still have to find a way to work within the party. I do not have faith in any of the parties running in this election and wish there was a F____ em all party. I would vote for that one.

[flamingfingers]

^Vote for an independent if you can find one in your riding. That will tell the other parties to ____ off!

[hockey dude]

The movement is to late the people of BC will do it for them come may 14

[OREZ]

It would be spectacularly stupid of the Liberals to alienate the centrist component of their party. There are a ton of people in their party who are moderates and are not extremely conservative and with how dedicated the NDP support is in the province around 40% they might never win another election without them.

Kick Christy Clark out because you don't like the job she's done by all means but doing it openly on ideological grounds that she's not Conservative enough is strategically halfwitted if you ask me.

LOL Agreed. Especially when you're calling yourself the BC "Liberal" party, which anyone with any political sense has known since Campbell took over, has always been a sham anyways.

How about if voters who are right wing vote Conservative, center/right vote Liberal and the lefties vote NDP, greens vote Green.... etc, etc, ya get my drift.

Or, maybe Clark should start a movement to kick out the members of her party who are too conservative, something which should have been done a long time ago, or maybe politicians should go back to school until they can figure out which banner they should be hiding behind... My goodness, wow, what a bunch of shameless opportunists.

[Urbane]

I'm always amused at what some people consider "right-wing." Christy Clark has been a lifelong federal Liberal. During the debate when each of the leaders was asked about their political hero, past or present, she named Lester Pearson. Christy Clark - some right-winger. Of course if you're way out in left field then Christy Clark will appear to be a right-winger.

I'm also amused by those in the NDP who talk about the divisions within the Liberal Party because as Keith Baldrey said the other day the NDP has been far more inclined over the years to do in its leader. No need to recount the history here but he's right. The NDP is reasonably united right now but just wait. If Dix becomes Premier we're going to see a huge battle between the union side of the party and the environmental side of the party. And it will be ugly. While it will be good entertainment it will not be good for the province.