B.C. cabinet minister resigns
By DIRK MEISSNER-- The Canadian Press Thursday, February 8, 2001
http://www.sunmedia.ca/CNEWSPolitics0102/08_bc-cp.html
VICTORIA (CP) -- B.C. Highways Minister Harry Lali resigned from cabinet Thursday, slamming Premier Ujjal Dosanjh's leadership just months before his unpopular government faces a provincial election.
Lali said too many decisions are being made in the premier's office.
As well, he said the last 12 months has been a period of lost opportunities for the NDP because of indecision.
Dosanjh has been premier for exactly a year. Lali did not support him in the race to replace Glen Clark as NDP leader.
Dosanjh said Lali was opposed to the moratorium on grizzly bear hunting announced by the NDP on Thursday.
"I believe that when you're in government, you deal with some very, very tough issues," Dosanjh said.
Carrier scandal tarnishes Dosanjh
"But when you have to make tough decisions, you need tough people to be in those places to make those decisions. If Mr. Lali isn't one of those people and doesn't want to be around to make those tough decisions, I wish him well."
Lali said he will not seek re-election.
Opposition Leader Gordon Campbell said this latest move just proves the NDP is in total disarray.
He said once again, the New Democrats are practising the politics of division and Dosanjh is not capable of governing the province.
Lali, 44, had been in cabinet since 1998 and represents the riding of Yale-Lillooet in the southern Interior.
His resignation comes as the provincial government tries to fight off a scandal involving its treatment of a family-run lumber company in Prince George.
Dosanjh was attorney general in 1999 when a judge issued an uncommonly scathing judgment against the government, calling its conduct abusive and the testimony of government officials dishonest.
The government filed an appeal, but dropped it after boxes of undisclosed documents were found.
An election must be called by June. |
