Christy Clark is leaving politics after a remarkable career that took her from the political wilderness to unexpected victories — and then to unexpected defeat.
Clark, who steps down today as B.C. Liberal leader and an MLA, reminds us that those who enter elected office should never plan to be there for a long time. History tells us that few premiers leave willingly.
When Clark ran for the Liberal leadership to replace the HST-crippled Gordon Campbell, she had the support of only one MLA, but she won anyway. In 2013, she won the general election in defiance of the pundits. This year, she achieved only a plurality of seats when her party hoped for another majority.
It will be 20 or 30 years before history gives us a verdict on her time as premier. In the meantime, some of her accomplishments and her failures are obvious.
With a large proportion of the population enraged over the introduction and subsequent removal of the harmonized sales tax, the Liberal Party seemed doomed. But Clark brought the party back and campaigned vigorously to trounce the NDP in 2013.
She delivered balanced budgets, although at the cost of clamping down on such things as welfare rates. And while the budgets were balanced, the province’s debt rose on her watch.
She had a vision of a more prosperous future for B.C. fuelled by a new liquefied-natural-gas industry, and fought for it relentlessly.
As the prospects of LNG plants winked out, the blame landed on her doorstep. That is the price of leadership: Vituperation seems to outweigh glory in the political scales.
While many British Columbians will rejoice in Clark’s departure, in these days of political extremism, we do well to remember that most people get into politics in the hope of doing good.
As Premier John Horgan said of Clark: “We take up the call of public service because we want to make this province a better place. While we represented two different political parties, we are united in the belief that, working together, we can build a better future for all British Columbia and the people who call this place home.
“As an MLA and as premier, Ms. Clark fought passionately for what she believed in. I know she will take that passion and energy to her next opportunity.”
That passion and energy drove her to beat the odds, and it made her the embodiment of her party and her government. All the attention was on her, but so was all the pressure.
Like most leaders in our complex modern political systems, she was saddled with enormous expectations. Interests conflict. Consensus is elusive and perhaps unattainable. Every action has a fierce reaction. The list of the disappointed grows with every policy decision.
No matter how happy we are to see a new person in office, there will come a time when they have to leave.
When did the last premier retire willingly? In 2000, when Dan Miller of the NDP left after six months — but that barely counts, since Miller’s position was an interim one. In 1986, Socred Bill Bennett left undefeated. In 1947, Liberal John Hart retired.
Sixteen premiers have left office in the past 90 years, but only those three left of their own accord.
Things were different in 1927, when John Oliver died in office. He had wanted to resign due to ill health, but his party refused to accept his resignation.
How times have changed. Anyone taking the job these days knows it is just a matter of time before the knives will be out — clutched in the hands of the voters or your own party members.
It’s not easy being a former premier; Gordon Campbell left the province. In Clark’s case, a second political resurrection is almost inconceivable, so she might have to carry her passion and energy to new fields of endeavour.
But this is politics in British Columbia. Always expect the unexpected.
