VICTORIA (NEWS1130) - From the ongoing teacher job action to cleaning up the mess at
Community Living BC, Premier Christy Clark and the
Liberals have quite a task ahead of them as the spring session of the Legislature resumes tomorrow.
It's very much a make or break situation for Clark. The premier is trailing NDP Leader
Adrian Dix in personal popularity and Conservative Leader
John Cummins is making ground.
"People are looking elsewhere. Our strength is growing daily, we're building the war chest, our numbers are growing and our constituency associations are strengthening," says Cummins.
York University Political Scientist Dennis Pilon says Clark must go after her base.
"She has got to get those rural, non Lower Mainland, former Liberal supporters, back into the coalition, or she risks dividing that vote which will surely let the NDP come to power if it were come to pass in an election."
With more than one year until BC's next fixed election, it may be too early to totally rule out Clark and the Liberals. However, Pilon points out she desperately needs to shake things up.
"What I expect to see Christy Clark do in this term is to try and throw some tidbits, some crumbs to those people who have been speaking out, who are unhappy with her government. That's what she's got to do, so that when it comes to election time, she can say to those supporters, 'Hey, you spoke, I heard you and you know, and we're doing the stuff you want too."
Some observers speculate next week's budget could include a round of cuts to allow the government the ability to hand out pre-election goodies next year.
"The government's credibility on budget issues isn't high. Before the last election, they massively mislead people with respect to the deficit and this led to decisions like the HST [Harmonized Sales Tax]. We're going to be holding them to account and ensure the key services that British Columbians need are properly funded and that if savings are required then we get rid of things that, frankly, are not as important. I think that's what people want. They want us to focus and fiscal plan on the fundamentals; their health, the quality of the education system and ensuring the land base can sustain jobs in the future," explains Dix.
News1130 requested an interview with the premier but we were told she is unavailable.