XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
      
   Let them try to ignore or laugh that off.  We don't have to wait until the   
   next election   
   to get rid of many of them.  This government no longer represents the people   
   of BC.  Send   
   them home to tend to tend to their kids or gardens.   
   _______________________________________   
      
   Majority would sign petition to unseat their Liberal MLA, poll finds   
   Vancouver Sun - June 10, 2010   
      
   A proposal by anti-HST activists to recall Liberal MLAs has early support from   
   more than   
   60 per cent of people living in Liberalheld ridings, a new Angus Reid public   
   opinion poll   
   has found.   
      
   The poll found 45 per cent of people in Liberal ridings would "definitely"   
   sign a petition   
   to get rid of their MLA, and a further 17 per cent would "probably" sign such   
   a petition.   
      
   "To have 62 per cent of people saying they would probably or definitely sign   
   [a recall   
   petition], it speaks to the complete disconnect the government has with a   
   large chunk of   
   its   
      
   own base," Angus Reid research director Hamish Marshall said Wednesday. "It   
   will come   
   down, as these recall things always do, to individual organization and ground   
   game in   
   certain ridings, but it's still a staggeringly high number."   
      
   He pointed out that of those who voted Liberal in 2009, 47 per cent said they   
   would   
   probably or definitely sign a petition to recall their MLA.   
      
   Coming less than a month before the July 1 implementation of the HST, the poll   
   underscores   
   the intensity of public anger the Liberals continue to face over the new tax.   
      
   The poll found the governing Liberals now have only 26 per cent support --   
   down 20 points   
   since the election last May -- and are well behind the Opposition New   
   Democratic Party,   
   which leads with 46 per cent support.   
      
   The Green Party has 14 per cent support, up six points from the election in   
   May 2009. The   
   BC Conservatives now have eight per cent support, up from two per cent in the   
   last   
   election.   
      
   Conducted online among 1,612 British Columbians between June 1 and June 6, the   
   poll has a   
   margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.   
      
   Organizers of an anti-HST petition have threatened to mount a recall campaign   
   of certain   
   Liberal MLAs to protest the new tax, naming Premier Gordon Campbell and   
   Finance Minister   
   Colin Hansen as possible targets. Under the law, a recall petition cannot be   
   circulated   
   until 18 months after any election, meaning the process cannot begin until   
   November.   
      
   In order to succeed, a recall petition must be signed by more than 40 per cent   
   of people   
   who were registered to vote in a given riding at the time of the last election.   
      
   "If I were a Liberal MLA I would be extremely worried," NDP house leader Mike   
   Farnworth   
   said after hearing the numbers Wednesday. "That's just straight grassroots   
   anger at a   
   party that the public feels lied to them."   
      
   Farnworth said he thinks anger at the government will endure, but said his   
   party -- which   
   in the poll had only gained four points since the last election -- needs to   
   broaden its   
   appeal ahead of the election in 2013.   
      
   "I think our challenge is to position ourselves as a broad-based pragmatic   
   government that   
   wants to grow the economy, protect and create jobs and look after the   
   environment," he   
   said.   
      
   Liberal house leader Mike de Jong could not be reached for comment Wednesday.   
   However,   
   Marshall said the poll showed the Liberals appear to have few options for an   
   easy fix.   
      
   The poll found the Liberals would lose more voters than they gained if they   
   backtracked on   
   the HST. Twenty-two per cent of people said they would be more likely to vote   
   for the   
   Liberals if they scrapped the tax, while 28 per cent said they'd be less   
   likely.   
      
   The poll found a similar trend if Campbell were to step down.   
      
   jfowlie@vancouversun.com   
      
   APPETITE FOR RECALL   
      
   Respondents in ridings held by B.C. Liberals were asked if they would sign a   
   MLA recall   
   petition.   
      
   By Region   
      
                                          B.C.,    GVRD,      Vancouver Island,   
   Interior,      North   
      
   Definitely sign it            45%       43%                   53   
                       48%   
   33%   
      
   Probably sign it             17%        17%                  22   
                       14%   
   18%   
      
   Probably not sign it      13%        14%                   10   
                       12%   
   19%   
      
   Definitely not sign it     13%         14%                   10   
                       12%   
   13%   
      
   Not sure                         12%         12%                     5%   
   14%        16%   
      
      
      
   By Party Supported In Last Election   
      
                                          B.C.               BC Lib   
   ral              BC NDP   
   BC Green   
      
   Definitely sign it            45%                   31%                        
   68%   
   61%   
      
   Probably sign it             17%                   16%                      15%   
   13%   
      
   Probably not sign it      13%                    18%                        9%   
   10%   
      
   Definitely not sign it      13%                    24%                       3%   
   2%   
      
   Not sure                          12%                    11   
                           5%   
   14%   
      
   Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion Vancouver Sun Graphics   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)