XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
   From: NØ-MØre-CØns@govt.ca   
      
   Published: July 05, 2011   
      
   EDITORIAL: Premier plays fearful politics   
      
   We’ve heard of the politics of fear, but Premier Christy Clark is quickly   
   defining the politics   
   of the fearful.   
      
   The politician-turned-talk-show-host-turned-politician continues to avoid   
   defending her   
   political beliefs in public.   
      
   NDP Leader Adrian Dix challenged Clark to a debate on the HST, a verbal tussle   
   that would have   
   been aired on Vancouver’s CKNW radio station. Not surprisingly, Clark declined   
   the invitation.   
      
   The premier’s decision to avoid debating Dix follows her avoidance of speaking   
   to the HST in the   
   legislature when she invoked closure when it was her turn to speak to the   
   issue.   
      
   And Clark refused to attend all-candidates meetings during the Vancouver-Point   
   Grey byelection   
   that saw her barely defeat NDP candidate David Eby.   
      
   It is clear Clark is afraid to back up her style with substance, but why?   
      
   If Clark truly believes the HST is good for B.C. and crucial to the future of   
   this province’s   
   economy, wouldn’t she be salivating at the opportunity to discredit HST   
   opponents like Dix?   
      
   In a statement in response to Dix’s challenge, Clark said the NDP is trying to   
   politicize the   
   issue – presumably unlike Clark and the B.C. Liberals politicizing the issue   
   by running   
   information ads that look and sound suspiciously like rabidly pro-HST   
   promotional commercials.   
      
   Instead of debating her opponents during the byelection, Clark held telephone   
   town hall meetings   
   with no opponent. Instead of speaking to voters in the legislature on the HST   
   issue, Clark   
   closed debate. Instead of accepting Dix’s challenge, Clark sent Finance   
   Minister Kevin Falcon   
   throughout B.C. to bang the pro-HST drum.   
      
   Critics have long accused Clark of oozing style and possessing little   
   substance. The fact she   
   appears to be running from every challenge does nothing to counter that   
   criticism.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)