Premier Campbell

A day after Premier Gordon Muir Campbell took office he reduced taxes - personal income tax was reduced by 25% in every tax bracket. He also reduced the corporate income tax and abolished the Corporation Capital Tax. In order to finance these tax cuts, Campbell sold some government assets, reduced the size of civil servants and closed government offices in certain areas. He also made reductions in the welfare rolls, which caused an uproar as you can well imagine. Then again, so did getting rid of government jobs and closing some offices.

In 2001, Campbell's government passed legislation that made it illegal for educators to go on strike. Then the government embarked on the largest expansion of the province's post-secondary education system since 1965 when the Simon Fraser University was established. 25,000 new post-secondary positions would be established between 2004 and 2010. As well, the government lifted a six-year freeze on tuition fees, which the NDP had established.

During his second term, teachers began an indefinite walk-out on October 7, 2005. Because of the previously passed legislation, this was an act of civil disobedience, but even though the teachers were fine and faced contempt charges, they stayed out for two weeks and the ordeal threatened to culminate in a general strike across the province.

During the 2001 election, Campbell had campaigned on a promise to consult the citizens of B.C. regarding treaties with the First Nations. In a referendum held during the spring of 2002, eight questions were posed to voters to either support or oppose. Critics - religious groups and First Nations among others - protested that the questions were phrased incorrectly. They called for a boycott of the referendum and when that didn't work, groups of First Nations tried to collect the ballots to destroy publicly.

Of the ballots that were returned, 80% of British Columbians agreed to all eight proposed principles and the treaty negotiations resumed.

 During his second term, Campbell did manage to negotiate treaties with certain nations but not with others.

430,000 new jobs have been created in B.C. since December of 2001 - the best job creation record in Canada. In 2007, the economy created 70,800 more jobs and almost all of those were full-time. By spring 2007, the unemployment rate had fallen to the lowest rate in 30 years, 4%. Unfortunately, 40,300 jobs were lost in 2008 bringing the employment rate to July 2001 levels of 7.8%.

Gordon Campbell was not without his controversy. As you have seen, most of B.C.'s premiers haven't been.

In January of 2003, Gordon was caught driving while intoxicated while on vacation in Hawaii. In that state, a DUI is a misdemeanour while in Canada it is a criminal code offence. Campbell was fined and ordered to take part in a substance abuse program and to be assessed for alcoholism. MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving - of Canada called for Campbell to resign but he didn't.

The controversy that finished his provincial political career though involved taxes in his third term. During the campaign, the provincial Liberals had stated that the HST was not on their radar. (The HST stands for harmonized sales tax. It is a tax of 12%. At that time B.C. had a 7% provincial sales tax and a 5% goods and services sales tax - GST . The GST doesn't apply to everything.)

On July 23, 2009, the Campbell government announced it was going to implement the HST, combining the two taxes in to one. This new tax drew praise from the business community - large supporters of the B.C. Liberal Party. Critics slammed the government mainly for lying. It didn't matter that C.D. Howe Institute - a neo-conservative think tank - stated the HST was "crucial for B.C. to maintain its economic competitiveness". 

On September 1, 2010, a freedom of information request revealed that the B.C. Liberals had formed HST-related plans prior to the 2009 election, contrary to what they said in the election campaign.

Campbell resigned on November 3, 2010. 

That wasn't the end of Campbell's political career though. He stayed on as a "senior advisor" in party circles before becoming High Commissioner to the UK in 2011.

There is lots more to Gordon Campbell's term as premier and, if you are interested, please visit Wikipedia.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, NDP, history, Treaty, First Nations HST, DUI, politics,referendum,

Campbell gets Cooking!

Gordon Campbell was elected to the Vancouver city council in 1984. From 1986 to 1993, Campbell served as the city's mayor.

There were some notable projects that were accomplished during Gordon's time in civic politics. The area of Yaletown was transformed from an industrial area with run down buildings slated to be demolished to make way for parking lots into the trendy, residential/work district with some of the coolest lofts I have ever seen. (I have only seen them on the Internet when the unit is up for sale but some of them are quite impressive.)

Expo lands were developed during this time as well as the foundation of the Coal Harbour residential area. However, one of the most significant projects of his term was the construction of the new Vancouver Public Library. Gordon also served as chair of the Greater Vancouver Regional District and president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

Here's a photo of Gordon Campbell which I got from Wikipedia.

The last three photos are of the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library. I took these photos and they appeared in a November 2011 entry of this blog.

Gordon Campbell became leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party in 1993. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly the next year in a Vancouver-Quilchena by-election.

In the 1996 election, Campbell was elected to the Vancouver-Point Grey riding, a position he held until 2010. Thanks to a fundraising scandal in the NDP, the Liberals entered the 1996 election leading in the polls. When the votes cast and counted the NDP did manage to retain enough seats to continue a majority government, but the Liberals gained 16 seats and won a slight majority of the popular vote.

In May of 2000, Gordon joined forces with Michael de Jong and Geoffrey Plant to bring a court case against the Nisga'a Nation, the Attorney General of Canada and the Attorney General of British Columbia - parties to the first modern day Aboriginal Treaty in British Columbia known as the Nisga'a Final Agreement. Campbell and his colleagues felt that the treaty was "in part inconsistent with the Constitution of Canada and therefore in part of no force and effect". Justice Williamson ruled that the legislation did "establish a treaty as contemplated by Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. The legislation and Treaty are constitutionally valid." Therefore, the application was dismissed.

Things were brighter for Campbell the next year. In the 2001 election, the Liberal party defeated the NDP, taking 77 out of 79 seats. This made B.C. history since it was the largest majority of seats and the second-largest majority of the popular vote. (I assume that means won in an election.)

 Thanks to Wikipedia for the information on Gordon Campbell. On Friday, I will look at Campbell's terms as Premier.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, NDP, history, Treaty, Yaletown mayor, Expo, politics,Nisga'a Nation,

Gordon Campbell

Born January 12, 1948 in Vancouver, Gordon Campbell is the son of Charles Gordon (Chargo) Campbell and his wife Peg. Charles was a doctor and Assistant Dean of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, UBC, while Peg was a kindergarten assistant at University Hill Elementary School.

Charles and Peg Campbell had four children and Gordon grew up in the West Point Grey area, going to Stride Elementary and University Hill Secondary School. Young Gordon was student council president there!

While in high school, Campbell was accepted into the Ivy League institution in New Hampshire, Dartmouth College. He was offered a scholarship and a job so he could afford fees.

Originally, Campbell had intended on following in his late father's footsteps - the elder Campbell had committed suicide in 1961 - and train in medicine. However, three English professors persuaded the young man to turn his attentions to English and Urban Management. Gordon earned himself a BA in English at Dartmouth and, in 1969, was granted a $1,500 Urban Studies Fellowship. This made it possible for Gordon to return to Vancouver and start working in the city government. It was then that Campbell met Art Phillips, a city councillor and future mayor of Vancouver.

Gordon graduated from university and married Nancy Chipperfield on July 4, 1970 in New Westminster. The newlyweds went to Nigeria to teach under the Canadian University Overseas program. Gordon coached basketball and track and field while launching literary initiatives.

Campbell was accepted to Stanford to pursue a master's in education but he and Nancy chose to return to Vancouver where Gordon entered law school at UBC and Nancy completed her education degree. Campbell's law education was short-lived though. He returned to the City of Vancouver to work with Art Phillips on his mayoral campaign. When Phillips was elected, Gordon went to work for him as his executive assistant - a position he held until 1976.

 This house at 1803 Venables was built in 1902. Obviously, it has had a few upgrades!

At the age of 28, Gordon left Mayor Phillips' office and went to work as a project manager for Marathon Realty.

In 1978, the Campbells bought a house in Point Grey where they would live for the next 26 years.

Geoffrey, Gordon and Nancy's first child, was born in 1976 and Nicholas, their second, in 1979.

In 1981, Campbell left Marathon Realty and started his own business, Citycore Development Corporation that, despite Canada's economic slowdown, did well. Citycore constructed buildings in Vancouver.

Gordon hadn't forgotten about politics though. After a two-year absence, Campbell became involved with May Brown's mayoral campaign and was an active supporter of the Downtown Stadium for Vancouver committee. Brown was unsuccessful but Campbell and the committee continued to push for the stadium and to revitalize the industrially polluted land of False Creek. In 1980, Premier Bill Bennett announced the Downtown Stadium project.

I have a lot more to tell you about Mr. Gordon Campbell and will continue to consult Wikipedia for information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Dartmouth, history, medicine, Urban Development mayor, law, politics,Point Grey,