Christy Clark: Difference between revisions

Clark hosted ''The Christy Clark Show,'' airing weekdays on [[CKNW]] 980 AM in Vancouver from August 27, 2007, until the time of her decision to enter the BC Liberal leadership election in December 2010.<ref name="radio"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Barron|first=Robert|title=Christy Clark's political parade around B.C. hits Nanaimo|url=http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=27a78995-30f3-4638-a490-306bc732c9b0|accessdate=February 27, 2013|newspaper=Nanimo Daily News|date=December 15, 2010}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Clark also served as a weekly columnist for the ''[[Vancouver Province]]'' and the ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'' newspapers during the [[British Columbia general election, 2005|2005 provincial election]] and an election analyst for [[Global BC]] and [[CTV News Channel (Canada)|CTV News Channel]] during the [[Canadian federal election, 2006|2006 federal election]].<ref name="about"/>

On December 8, 2010, Clark officially announced her intent to seek the leadership of the BC Liberal Party. While Clark had long been touted as a potential successor to BC Premier [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]], she often claimed she had no further interest in a political career.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/gary_mason/candidates-emerge-in-race-for-campbells-seat/article1815959/ |title=Candidates emerge in race for Campbell’s seat |publisher=[[Globe and Mail]]|date=November 26, 2010 |first=Gary |last= Mason |location=Toronto}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-liberals-to-decide-on-leadership-vote-1.902289 |title=B.C. Liberals to decide on leadership vote |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]|date=November 12, 2010 |accessdate=March 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.theprovince.com/news/Clark+eyes+replace+Campbell/3895503/story.html |title=Clark eyes bid to replace Campbell |publisher=[[The Province]] |date=November 28, 2010 |first=Michael |last= Smyth |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201011446/http://www.theprovince.com/news/Clark+eyes+replace+Campbell/3895503/story.html |archivedate=December 1, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Public polling conducted prior to and after the announcement of her candidacy showed that Clark was the frontrunner to succeed Campbell as leader of the BC Liberals and premier.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clark front-runner for B.C. Liberals: poll|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/11/29/bc-liberal-leadership-poll-clark.html|accessdate=September 3, 2012|newspaper=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=November 29, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Dhillon|first=Sunny|title=Clark's lead over BC Liberal leadership rivals shrinks, poll says|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-politics/clarks-lead-over-bc-liberal-leadership-rivals-shrinks-poll-says/article1915355/|accessdate=September 3, 2012|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=February 21, 2011}}</ref> Clark launched her leadership bid saying she wanted a “family-first agenda”.<ref name="National Post"/> During the campaign she tried to cast herself as an outsider from the current caucus, and as the only candidate who could provide the change voters were looking for.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bailey|first=Ian|title=Clark says only she can bring real change to BC Liberals|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/clark-says-only-she-can-bring-real-change-to-bc-liberals/article567201/|accessdate=September 3, 2012|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=February 19, 2012}}</ref> Clark's policy proposals included observing a provincial [[Family Day (Canada)|Family Day]] in February, establishing an Office of the Municipal Auditor General to monitor local government taxation, and to provide a more open government by holding 12 town hall meetings a year to hear from residents.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bailey|first=Ian|title=Clark calls for a B.C. Family Day|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/clark-calls-for-a-bc-family-day/article1864873/|accessdate=September 3, 2012|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=January 10, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Liberal leadership candidates meet for B.C. Chamber of Commerce panel|url=https://www.straight.com/article-368908/vancouver/liberal-leadership-candidates-meet-bc-chamber-commerce-panel|accessdate=September 3, 2012|newspaper=Straight.com|date=January 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bailey|first=Ian|title=Christy Clark calls for more open government in B.C.|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/christy-clark-calls-for-more-open-government-in-bc/article1856891/|accessdate=September 3, 2012|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=January 4, 2011}}</ref> Regarding the controversial [[Harmonized Sales Tax]] (HST), she campaigned early on to cancel the referendum scheduled for September 2011. She suggested a [[free vote]] in the legislature by MLAs, believing the HST referendum has little chance of success. "Let our MLAs do their jobs and let our MLAs vote down the HST. Do it by March 31 and get it over with and get on with life in B.C.", Clark told a crowd of about 40 in [[Pitt Meadows]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/news/111636924.html |title=Christy Clark makes stop in Pitt Meadows |publisher=Maple Ridge News |date=November 26, 2010 |first=Phil |last=Melnychuk |accessdate=December 9, 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214205137/http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/news/111636924.html |archivedate=December 14, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> However, she eventually decided to continue with the planned referendum.<ref>{{cite news|title=Christy Clark rivals pounce on HST 'flip-flop'|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/02/02/bc-christy-clark-hst-referendum.html|accessdate=September 4, 2012|newspaper=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=February 2, 2011}}</ref>

After Clark became premier, the Liberal Party saw a bounce in support and lead in opinion polls, after falling behind the Official Opposition NDP under Campbell.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bailey|first=Ian|title=Poll puts Clark's Liberals ahead of BC NDP; HST vote to fail|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-politics/poll-puts-clarks-liberals-ahead-of-bc-ndp-hst-vote-to-fail/article1951990/|accessdate=February 27, 2013|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=March 22, 2011}}</ref> However, the increase in support was short lived and within months the party had fallen behind the NDP once again.<ref>{{cite news|title=NDP Moves Ahead of BC Liberals|url=http://ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5367|accessdate=February 27, 2013|newspaper=Ipsos|date=October 7, 2011|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127071028/http://ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5367|archivedate=January 27, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Several polls eventually showed a statistical tie between the Liberals and the Conservative Party with support for each party in the low twenties, while support for the NDP was in the high 40s.<ref>{{cite news|title=BC Liberals and Conservatives tied for support|url=http://bc.ctvnews.ca/bc-liberals-and-conservatives-tied-for-support-poll-1.743695|accessdate=February 27, 2013|newspaper=CTV News|date=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=BC NDP set for near sweep of province|url=http://www.forumresearch.com/forms/News%20Archives/News%20Releases/44749_British_Columbia_Issues_%28Forum_Research%29_%2820120612%29.pdf|publisher=Forum Research|accessdate=February 27, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bailey|first=Ian|title=Clark on defensive as poll shows B.C. Liberals' support eroding|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-politics/clark-on-defensive-as-poll-shows-bc-liberals-support-eroding/article2390832/|accessdate=February 27, 2013|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=April 3, 2012}}</ref> Internal problems within the Conservative Party towards the end of 2012 saw the party bleed support to the Liberals.<ref>{{cite news|last=Reynolds|first=Christopher|title=Public support for Conservatives, leader John Cummins dropping: poll|url=http://www2.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=7384619|accessdate=February 27, 2013|newspaper=Canada.com|date=October 13, 2012}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Fowlie|first=Jonathan|title=B.C. Conservatives bleed support to Liberals|url=http://www.vancouversun.com/business/bc2035/Conservatives+bleed+support+Liberals/7651685/story.html|accessdate=February 27, 2013|newspaper=Vancouver Sun|date=December 4, 2012}}</ref>