Well Christy Clark never did move there -- and poor Sean never had a chance to sell her a house either

Say What? 

Former BC Premier Christy Clark who resigned on Friday
July 28th as Premier and Westside - Kelowna MLA

Early in the morning yesterday, I go outside to work in the yard and the next thing I know Christy Clark had resigned. Let me tell you, if I'd known sooner, that was all it took, I would have done it earlier.

No surprise, but looking to social media, there was a mix of both good and bad, as people commented of Christy's departure.  Here's just a small sampling:

• Christy Clark resigning is good but a party is not *a* person. Every rotten decision & its harmful legacy belongs to BC Lib Party 
• Few understand the sacrifice & the "all in" commitment needed for public life. Christy Clark responded to that call: not once, but twice. 
• Christy Clark, and Gordon Campbell before her, hurt working class people in BC the entire time they were in office. Good riddance to bad rubbish. 
• Why should we say we thank someone for their service when we don't mean it and when policies were harmful. Look how she treated teachers. 
• Thank you for your dedication to our great province and its people! Sad to see you step down! Wishing you the best! 
• I've had enough of her saccharine smirk and rising poverty rates. BC's treatment of children & disabled is a crying shame. 
• Christy Clark. An awesome individual. A history maker. A stunning record. A friend of BC. A friend of Canada. A friend of mine.

THOUGHTS FROM THE SIDEWINDER:

Christy Clark's resignation, as the leader of the BC Liberal Party, will come
as a shock to most people, but was viewed as inevitable by many others.

The sudden departure, on Friday (July 28th), of Clark from the front ranks
of provincial Liberal politics, will almost certainly see the re-emergence of
many of the old backroom boys from Gordon Campbell's era at the helm.

With her departure, Clark must wear a mantle of guilt, as the single
most determinant factor in the defeat of several Liberal MLAs,
resulting in the May 9 election of John Horgan as B.C.'s premier.

The hatred and venom, which was generated by Clark, might now be
allowed to dissipate if the Liberals take a cautious approach and
choose a new leader with few ties to the bully boy days of the past.

What's up next?

Well let's start with Westside - Kelowna. Having just been to the polls in the May 9th election, residents there will electing a new MLA as soon as GreeNDP Premier John Horgan calls a by-election.

How long will he wait?  That's the big question, because now he does not have to worry about the Speaker of House siding with the government to pass legislation.


The BC Liberals Steve Thomson (Kelowna-Mission MLA) held the Speakers' job  for exactly eight days -- June 22nd to June 29th, before resigning with the fall of the BC Liberal government. 

According to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia website the Speaker is neutral, responsible for making sure that all MLAs, no matter what party they belong to, are treated fairly and impartially. He or she votes only to break a tie.

It goes on to mention that while continuing to be an MLA representing his or her constituents, the Speakers is to ... remain(ing) neutral and avoiding taking public positions on politically controversial matters before the Legislative Assembly.

With Clark's exit from the legislature, Horgan now has a one seat advantage, without having to require the Speaker (who will need to be chosen from the NDP ranks) to cast a vote in favour of government.

Which of course means that, as long as all NDP and Green Party MLA's are in the legislature, they can put through any legislation they wish.

That's one thing I have not seen media people really talking about -- and it will be interesting to see what direction Horgan goes in, when it come to prioritizing legislation, and the direction he takes government.

Who will take on the mantle of leader for the BC Liberal Party?  Todd Stone and Andrew Wilkinson have been mentioned as potential leadership candidates. Although they were members of Christy Clark's cabinet, both have sidestepped most of the muck that's been thrown at, and attached too, Christy Clark.

Former BC Conservative
candidate Sean Upshaw

Wrapping things up with an inside joke, Sean Upshaw, a Realtor in Kelowna, ran against Christy Clark in the Westside- Kelowna by-election for the BC Conservative Party (after Christy lost her own Vancouver Point Grey seat to the NDP's David Ebby in the 2013 General Election). 

I told Sean at that time, that at least he could take consolation in the fact that despite losing, he still had a chance to sell her a house in her new constituency.  After all, early in to the campaign, she had promised to buy a home in the area if elected. 

In a CTV Vancouver news story, following her victory June 2013 by-election victory, she told residents:

"You're coming with me. I am taking the heart, the dreams and the wishes of the people of Westside - Kelowna to Victoria, to work on things together, things that will make this incredible place we're so blessed to live in even better".

Well she never did move there -- and poor Sean never had a chance to sell her a house either.

Good-bye Christy -- let the next chapter in BC politics begin.

In Kamloops, I'm Alan Forseth.  The floors yours now, so let's hear from you.