VICTORIA - B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is sending strong signals the Winter Olympics are giving him a second political wind, dashing widespread speculation the three-term leader was considering retiring in first place after the Games.
Campbell, who turns 61 in January, says his job is only half finished and he's planning to run for a fourth-straight term in 2013.
Opposition New Democrat Leader Carole James said she's also planning to meet Campbell for a third election showdown in 2013.
In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Campbell said 2009 was a tough year despite winning a third majority term.
Campbell said the government's plan to introduce a harmonized sales tax upset British Columbians, his popularity dropped and the government's budget -- a record B.C. deficit at $2.8 billion -- was ravaged by the global financial meltdown.
"It's been tumultuous. It's been tough. It's been trying in lots of ways," the premier said.
But he's not in the mood to quit.
"If people will give me the opportunity (to serve again,) it's going to be their choice, not mine," he said. "My choice is to keep doing this."
"That's how I feel right now," Campbell said.
"I've been popular and I've been unpopular. It's not a popularity contest. It's not about the path to expediency. It's built on a foundation of principal and saying: `This is what we think is best for our kids and grandkids."'
The HST, slated to take effect in July, joins the seven-per-cent B.C. sales tax with the five-per-cent federal Goods and Services Tax.
Campbell says the 12-per-cent value-added HST was one of those tough decisions the government made because it was convinced it will stimulate investment and business growth.
Ottawa also offered British Columbia $1.6 billion to take the deal and B.C. used $750 million in September to soften the blow of the massive deficit.
"I never thought it would be popular," said Campbell.
Big business estimates $2 billion in tax savings, but consumers will pay extra for many items and services, and the HST has raised the ire of the restaurant and real estate industries.
Opposition New Democrat Leader Carole James said her party plans to continue its fight in the new year to dump the HST.
The New Democrats are lobbying to convince Liberal MLA's to vote against the tax when it is introduced in the legislature, saying seven Liberals are needed to halt the HST.
"You'll certainly see an effort on our part, and I think on British Columbians' part, to convince the few government MLA's to vote against the government and vote against the HST," James said.
She said she also plans to start remaking her political image next year, hitting the road and offering British Columbians her vision of what a New Democrat government would look like as opposed to constantly focusing attacks on the Liberals.
"You'll see us fighting hard as an Opposition in the way we need to, but you'll also see us working hard in the second role that we have to put ideas and solutions out there to show people that there's a different way to govern in British Columbia," James said.
Campbell said he plans after the Olympics to refocus attention on Liberal government goals first introduced in 2005 when the B.C. economy was strong, the budget was in the black and when every shop window and construction site posted Help Wanted signs.
"My mom used to tell me `Gord, make sure you finish what you started out,"' said Campbell. "That's the kind of person I've tried to be."
He said British Columbia is only half-way through the Golden Decade set out by Campbell's Liberals in 2005, including the decade's promised 'Five Great Goals.'
The goals include: making British Columbia the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent; leading North America in healthy living and physical fitness; building the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors; leading the world in sustainable environmental management with the best air and water quality and fisheries management; and creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
Some of those goals took direct hits last year, with the province losing the second-most jobs in the country, cutting budgets and posting the highest child-poverty rate in Canada for the sixth year in a row.
But Campbell said reaching those goals are his constant priorities as are building a new relationship with the province's aboriginal people, ensuring all British Columbians can take advantage of education opportunities and finding ways to provide top-quality health care while not eating away the province's budget.
He said he envisions British Columbia leading Canada into the Asian market place, noting that 20 per cent of the province's lumber exports are now destined for Asia.
