Former British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell is calling on Canadians to engage in a “clear-eyed review” of the past decade of Liberal governance as the country approaches a federal election.
Campbell, who led BC’s Liberal party from 2001 to 2011, argues that Canadians have endured what he describes as “a storm of incompetence from a federal government fuelled by wishful thinking and wilful blindness.”
“It’s time for accountability,” Campbell writes in opinion pieces published in the Vancouver Sun and Castanet. “An election is no time for magical thinking. It’s time to get real.”
The former premier takes aim at Liberal leader Mark Carney, suggesting he “will do whatever he needs to do to win the vote and then he will do what he wants afterwards.” Campbell specifically criticizes Carney’s support for Bills C-69 and C-48, which he claims “lock our energy opportunity away for generations.”
Campbell argues that Canada has weakened under Liberal leadership, with declining per capita GDP, mounting government debt, and weakened economic independence. “We’re on the wrong path in Canada right now. We’re on the path to more debt, more taxes, a weaker economy, an economy more dependent on the Americans,” he says.
The former premier draws contrasts between Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, praising Poilievre for standing for “a strong, independent Canada that takes full advantage of all its economic opportunities.”
Campbell particularly focuses on baby boomers, whom he identifies as a key Liberal support base. He challenges them to think beyond their own interests: “What about your grandkids? What about your kids?”
His message concludes with a call for Canadians to renew their confidence in the country based on “our history, the power of the Canadian imagination, and a return to economic reason.”
Campbell served as Premier of British Columbia from 2001 to 2011 and was later appointed as Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
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