BC too hot to handle: Gordon Campbell flees to Toronto
TORONTO, Oct. 14 /CNW/ – Various reports indicate that British Columbia’s Premier, Liberal Gordon Campbell was in Toronto yesterday at Queen’s Park, accompanied by a heavy security detail.
It is ironic that the BC premier is in Ontario while his own province needs leadership most. British Columbia Teachers’ Federation are on strike protesting his unjust laws that are flouting international labour law to which Canada is a signatory.
With polls showing overwhelming support for the teachers, Premier Campbell is following the old adage “when the going gets tough, the premier gets going – right out of the province.”
It is indeed ironic that the premier has chosen to leave the province of BC when the students of his province need him the most.
“By refusing to negotiate with the BC teachers, Campbell is showing contempt for public education in the province,” says Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation President Rhonda Kimberley-Young. “We have seen this type of extreme anti-teacher, anti-public education attitude in Ontario’s recent past from the Harris/Eves Tory regime, and in the end, it doesn’t work. Every scrap of educational research indicates that no meaningful reform of education can take place without consultation and dialogue with the teachers charged to implement the reforms.”
“It is time for the BC premier to return to BC, and show both the students and teachers of BC the respect they deserve,” concluded Kimberley-Young.
OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 50,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support
personnel, attendance counsellors, and many others in education.
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When the cat’s away
This is indicative of Campbell’s decision making capabilities. Considering he was caught drunk behind the wheel of his car during a holiday in Hawaii, it begs the question, how many times did he get away with the same behavior back in BC. without getting caught. I believe the(DUI),along with deliberate absence from the province as the present crisis unfolded should sound the alarm for everyone. Campbell is incompetent/defective both as a premier and private citizen. If he had any self respect and genuine concern for his office he would have resigned. Meanwhile, as 40,000 taechers were on the picket line, he was off in Ontario whining about how Bush should honour the NAFTA ruling regarding the softwood lumber tarrifs. Ironic, isn’t it, as he lays the boots to the teacher union.
RW