Christy Clark dodges election questions after HST loss

B.C. Premier Christy Clarkrefuses to rule out the possibility of a fall election following the failure of her Liberal government to win theHST referendum.

Results of the binding referendum were released Friday and showed 55 per centvoted to scrap the harmonized sales tax,imposed in July 2010.

Despiterepeated questioning and challenges by reporters at a news conference Friday, Clark skirted the issue,not ruling out a fall election, and saying she was concentrating on job creation in the province.

"I know you think a lot about elections," she said to one reporter. "Perhaps more than I do."

CBC TVlegislative reporter Stephen Smart asked Clark for a clarification:

"How can you expect the public and your MLAs to focus on your agenda and jobs when the election card is still on the table,"said Smart."Why not just rule that out? The questions end today and you get on with the agenda."

Clarkreferred directlyto the subject of jobs and indirectly to the election question.

"I'm going to be focused on the creation of jobs until May 2013 if that's when the election is held," Clark said.

But Clark thenadded: "So this question, this idea, this dichotomy that you draw between whether or not you can govern and not know when the election is at the same time, I think, is wrong."

Smart pressed the point again.

"Respectfully, we've all asked the same question and you've not answered it each time... Why won't you rule [an election] out?"

Clark replied: "Well, what I'm saying is I'm going tofocus on jobs. I'm going to find the best way to make sure that wedeliver on the jobs agenda."

The premier also said the legislature would reconvene in Octoberand repeated her intention to make a trade mission to India and China in November.

However, a 28-day election campaign couldbe called in the next two weeks and that would still allow enough time for the legislature to convene in October.

Fundraising letter

Further fueling election speculation was a new B.C. Liberal fundraising letterobtained Friday by CBC News.

The email letter, entitled "Message from Premier Christy Clark on HST Referendum,"was addressed to BC Liberal supporters, whoClark tellssheis "disappointed in the result"of the vote.

Clark asks supporters to donate funds to help the party realize its "plan to defend and create BC jobs and I think you will be [excited] too when it is outlined in the coming weeks."

The letter then uses language that sounds like a partyalreadyincampaign mode rather than one that has a 15-seat majority over the NDP and two years remaining in its mandate.

"The stakes are tremendously high, especially with our economy in jeopardy due to the global situation.We need to act boldly because the alternative is an NDP government led by Adrian Dix, one of the main architects of the disastrous economic policies of the 1990s."

Under B.C.'sfixed-date election law, the next general vote would be held in May 2013. But the legislation still allows a premier toask the lieutenant-governor to dissolve the legislature and hold an election at any time.