Michael's Musings

The Iconoclastic Era, Bill Bennett, Christy Clark and the 801 Club

by Michael J Morris

When Christy Clark was in Cranbrook to support Bill Bennett, the BC Liberals candidate in the May 14 provincial election, she referred to him as being "iconoclastic".

Now Ms Clark has apparently attended three different universities failing to graduate from any of them, but it did qualify her to be the B.C. minister of education at one time, so she may not know the meaning of some of the words she uses.

Mr. Bennett though is a graduate in honours English  from the University of Guelph, and a law degree from Queen's University, a most prestigious institution, so one would presume he knows word meanings.

At the time I thought it was a strange word choice by Ms Clark and still do, but after looking up the meaning on freedictionary.com, she may have fully known the meaning, and if not, it may be the best double entendre of the election campaign.

One definition is that being iconoclastic is characterized by "one who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas and institutions."

Anybody who has been paying the slightest attention to B.C. politics is aware that Mr. Bennett, to say the least, has been controversial.

Let's see now. The first incident I recall was an email he sent to a constituent, (obviously one of them), which was deemed to be out of place and he resigned from the provincial cabinet to which he had been appointed by one Gordon Campbell. I think it is safe to assume that it is a popular idea that politicians do not attack their constituents.

After a period of time, the same Mr. Campbell brought Mr. Bennett back into the cabinet, and although I don't know for sure, my best hunch is that Mr. Campbell never expected to be the next one under attack.

In November 2010, Mr. Bennett launched an attack on Mr. Campbell, which once again led to his removal from the cabinet. Darcy Wintonyk of CTVBC News called his attack on Mr. Campbell an "unleashed unprecedented tirade." So much for Mr. Bennett following traditional or popular ideas and institutions.

Shortly thereafter Mr. Bennett was kicked out of the BC Liberals caucus, and on November 19, 2010, Ron Cantelon, the caucus chair, commented, "Our operations of caucus are built on mutual respect and trust and Bill (Bennett) clearly violated these principles."

Mr. Bennett became an independent MLA but remained a member of the BC Liberal party.

Now, fast forward to the BC Liberals leadership campaign and talk show host Ms Clark was in Cranbrook seeking support at a rally organized by her supporters as she sought the party leadership. Mr. Bennett attended and was permitted to speak which was astounding in itself given the circumstances surrounding his departure from cabinet and caucus.

And what did he do? In front of Ms Clark at a rally being held on her behalf he endorsed George Abbott for party leader. When asked who his second choice was, he ignored the question.

At the end of the rally, his supporters were handing out invitations to a breakfast with Bill meeting. 

Ms Clark won the leadership and Mr. Bennett stayed in the political wilderness for some time, until on August 23, 2012, Ian Bailey of The Globe and Mail quotes Ms Clark as saying "Forgiveness is always possible" and Mr. Bennett was readmitted to the caucus and subsequently reappointed to cabinet.

To me it was more like an election was looming and at times politics, as the old saying goes, makes strange bedfellows. 

Also strange to me at least, is Mr. Bennett's campaign literature. The focus is on Bill, with very little mention of the BC Liberals or Ms Clark who brought him back from the political wilderness. I almost had impression he is running as independent.

To me the antics, not only of Mr. Bennett, who of course is free to make any comments he wishes, and Ms Clark and her caucus colleagues in accepting him back into caucus and cabinet were their business, but they are not what I want to see from those elected to serve the good citizens of British Columbia.

Global TV News is reporting this week that an "801 Club" has been formed by disenchanted BC Liberals who will launch their efforts to remove Ms Clark as party leader one minute after the polls close  (8:01 pacific time) on May 14 if it looks like the party is losing the election.

Hold on to your hats folks. It may be just the beginning of the iconoclastic era in British Columbia.  

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Full disclosure: I am not now and never have been a member of the Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook Society; however, I did conduct a workshop for its members for which I was paid.