Premier Clark, Eby face off in critical byelection

Voters in the Vancouver-Point Grey byelection will decide today if they will send another B.C. Liberal premier to Victoria.

Premier Christy Clark is contesting the seat left vacant after former premier Gordon Campbell announced his early retirement last fall and officially left politics in March.

Clark, elected BC Liberal leader in February, is one of six candidates running in the byelection that she is expected to win, despite a spirited challenge from New Democrat David Eby, who took a leave from his job as executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association.

Clark, who promised to listen to British Columbians during her successful leadership campaign, has been criticized throughout the byelection for her no-shows at all-candidates meetings in favour of telephone town hall events and appearances at carefully scripted, feel-good announcements.

Those announcements prompted the Opposition New Democrats to ask Elections BC to investigate whether Clark violated election rules by using public funds to campaign in Vancouver-Point Grey.

Clark was in the riding Tuesday at the University of British Columbia announcing funding for three programs by a Vancouver-based research network.

The NDP complaint letter cites a May 5 news conference to announce funding for 30 new units of housing in the riding and an April 28 announcement of funding for an expansion of Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver. Ronald McDonald House is located just outside the riding boundary.

The Liberals rejected the complaints, saying Clark was doing premier's work that happened to occur during the campaign.

Clark's campaign manager, Colin Hansen, a long-time Liberal cabinet minister and Clark's riding neighbour, said Clark has met as many voters as possible in the campaign.

The former finance minister said Clark decided to hold electronic town-hall meetings with constituents where people could listen and ask questions over the telephone rather than attend the traditional all-candidates meetings, which are often stacked with partisan supporters.

"In this day and age, political parties have to find new ways of reaching out to voters, and that's why the electronic town hall is something I think is a great tool for candidates to use," he said.

"It's basically about how do we bring campaigning into the 21st Century."

But Hansen justified publishing an old-school campaign flyer that serves as an Eby attack ad.

"It sets out some of the extreme views that David Eby has espoused," he said.

"Voters have a right to know that this is an individual who supports polygamy. This is an individual who believes that we should be legalizing all illicit drugs."

Hansen said Clark's campaign put out the Eby flyer because he wanted Vancouver-Point Grey voters to know Eby believes "that when you and your family are riding on the BC Ferries it's OK for the guy sitting beside you to be watching pornography using the ferries' WiFi system."

As spokesman for the BC Civil Liberties Association, Eby has often made public statements that uphold the legal rights and freedoms of individuals in a free and democratic society.

New Democrat House Leader John Horgan said Clark's absence from the legislature during the recent session that started on April 26 has limited debate.

"It's difficult to ask questions about broader government direction when you don't have access to the premier, the leader of the executive council," he said.

"We've been making due by asking questions of relevant ministers, but, ultimately, the premier is accountable for all of the ministries, the government of B.C."

Social Development Minister Harry Bloy, the only member of the current Liberal government to support Clark's successful leadership bid, said the Liberals have all been pinch-hitting for Clark, but they are hoping for her success in the byelection.

"She's been doing great work as premier from outside of the house, but she's also been holding cabinet meetings and forming plans, and we're all working well together," he said.

Bloy, who predicted a Clark byelection victory, said she will bring "excitement to the house."

Clark, first elected to the legislature 1996 as an Opposition MLA, earned a reputation as a polished, aggressive politician. In Opposition, she quickly made her mark as a feisty partisan who featured prominently in question period.

When the Liberals took power in 2001, Clark held several cabinet posts, including education and children and families. She was also deputy premier, but quit the Campbell administration in 2004 saying she wanted to spend more time with her young son.

In her seven years away from provincial politics, Clark managed to raise her profile, and polish her debating skills, as a Vancouver radio talk show host.