Campbell: plunging popularity reason for resignation

British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell pauses for a moment as he listens to a reporters question during a news conference in downtown Vancouver, Thursday, Nov 4, 2010.

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said he believes he still has the full support of his caucus but made the decision to step down because his unpopularity was overshadowing the positive work of the party.

Taking questions from reporters for the first time since announcing his resignation, the three-time leader said he started mulling his move when the focus around his new initiatives, including last week's surprise announcement to cut personal income taxes by 15 per cent, became more about him than the health of the province.

"I felt it was important to put the interests of the province, the party and the government at the head of the agenda," he told a room full of reporters at his Vancouver caucus office Thursday morning.

"When people start talking about the premier's popularity as opposed to a way of increasing people's take-home pay, the premier's popularity as opposed to how we can really lift our kids up... it's clearly time for a change."

The media scrum came just an hour before a planned caucus meeting that many describe as an emergency summit to discuss the future of the BC Liberal party.

Campbell is leaving office with the lowest popularity rating of any Canadian premier. He sits at just a scant nine per cent, a sharp tumble from when he won the seat for the third time in May 2009, and a cliff jump down from when Campbell triumphantly took office for the first time in 2001.

"The polls haven't been my best friends lately," he said, adding that he has never defined himself by survey numbers.

Campbell steadfastly denied there was any pressure from inside his caucus to leave, despite months of speculation to the contrary.

"I've always felt support from our caucus even in the most challenging times," he said, adding he felt that stepping down was the best decision for the party and British Columbians.

"The last thing I would want is the literally thousands of people across the province to think I'm doing this because of me."

He promised a smooth and comprehensive transition until the upcoming leadership race, which he hopes will happen as soon as possible.

Campbell said he will remain in place until a new leader is selected. He expressed his desire for the BC Liberals to focus on job creation and building the economy in B.C.

The dreaded HST

Campbell once again blamed his unpopularity in the polls on the introduction of the harmonized sales tax. He admitted he could have done more to communicate the new tax to British Columbians.

"We didn't do a good job," Campbell said. "I've apologized to people for that because I think that is my responsibility, and we didn't do a good job with it. It was a mistake."

The longtime premier again denied his government was briefed on the HST before the last election. Documents released to media earlier this fall showed the B.C. government was conducting HST feasibility studies long before the May 2009 election.

"I think people did feel and were led to believe that we had this on our agenda… and tried to hide it from them," he said. "That is not the case."

Party politics

But despite Campbell's disapproval with British Columbian voters, the single digit popularity numbers don't seem to translate to the BC Liberal party. A mandatory leadership vote found that party members endorsed Campbell by a whopping 84 per cent.

The vote was done by secret ballot in the months leading up to the leadership convention, which was supposed to take place in two weeks in Penticton.

"The leadership of Premier Campbell has been strong and steadfast, and the support from our party members reflects his commitment to the BC Liberal Party," said party president Mickey Patryluk in a news release.

"He will certainly be missed."

A spokesperson for the BC Liberals said the executive has 28 days to hold a meeting, and then six months to set a convention date.

Why now?

Campbell says the decision to step down isn't the biggest political decision he's made.

"That was taking office," he said.

He said after making the announcement Wednesday he returned home to his wife, son and two grandsons and had a great night reflecting alongside his family.

"There is a sense of relief. There is a sense there is still things to do but here's a whole new world opening up," Campbell said. "Some people don't understand what it takes to do this job."