It's hard to think of another provincial leader in Canada who has endured as much criticism over the last couple of years as B.C. Premier Christy Clark. And as she prepares to begin a demanding election campaign, the Premier says the often withering attacks by her opponents have made her much stronger – more ready for the battle ahead.
She also believes the sometimes brutal job performance reviews she's had to read and listen to have made her a much different politician from the one who took over the reins of the province in February, 2011.
"Leadership changes people," Ms. Clark said in a recent interview with The Globe and Mail. "One thing is enduring all the criticism. I think that's made me a better person, not just a better leader. It's made me more resilient and forced me to dig deep and tether myself to my principles and what I believe in.
"You can't endure all the barbs that have been thrown at me without really knowing where you stand and what you believe in and be firm about it."
While crediting the often negative commentary for giving her strength, Ms. Clark says she's also been surprised by the general antipathy of the media toward her administration. It's her impression that many of the political observers who have given her failing grades as premier have just been unable to accept a different type of leadership.
"But beyond that, I've been surprised by the ferociousness of some of the comments," she said. "And I don't mean all of it, because some of it is fair comment. But I'm talking about the ferocious personal nature of some of the comments. That has surprised me."
And what's made it doubly difficult to handle, she says, is that many of those attacks have been levelled by people who she once worked alongside when she was a member of the media herself, hosting a talk show on radio station CKNW. Some were friends she might have shared a beer with after work.
Suddenly they were scrutinizing her every word, and making pronouncements that came with a wallop.
"And what you learn on this job is that you just have to suck it up," said Ms. Clark.
"You can't take it personally. I came to the conclusion that dwelling on criticism just holds you back, and if you internalize criticism, really what you're doing is straying from your core principles and your core purpose.
"I decided I'm going to live through the criticism because I feel what we're doing really matters. So every day when I wake up that's what makes it worth doing because I really feel what we're doing matters for my son and everybody's kids."
As she prepares to lead the Liberals into a gruelling, month-long political crusade, Ms. Clark is hoping that the public judges her more sympathetically than have members of the B.C. commentariat. She believes her B.C. Jobs Plan has been a success story, even though job numbers in B.C. have been up and down over the last year. But what truly has her hopes up is the quality of the team of candidates she's assembled.
On that score, the Premier likely has a point. There are few who thought she would be able attract any big names to run for her party given its abysmal standing in the polls. Why waste all that time and energy – not to mention money – when it appears certain defeat awaits you?
Langley Mayor Peter Fassbender is one of the more high-profile candidates the Liberals were able to entice – a decision that shocked many. Mr. Fassbender had been a critic of the Premier early in her mandate, particularly for making statements about transit that didn't seem to be based in reality. Now, he says Ms. Clark played a key role in getting him to sign nomination papers.
"What I admire about her is her energy and commitment to the province," said Mr. Fassbender. "I truly believe that – irrespective of the challenges that the party has faced and that she's faced in people's perception – if nothing else, I believe her heart is in the right place."
And while that is perhaps damning with faint praise, Ms. Clark will take it. Her party has made the quality of its candidate field a central thrust of the campaign, going so far as to eliminate the Premier's name from campaign posters and lawn signs and highlighting "Today's B.C. Liberals" instead. In that regard, the Premier is happy to take one for the team.
Ms. Clark will never know what might have happened had she followed her gut and called an election soon after winning the Liberal leadership, when the polls were much more favourable. Still, she doesn't regret the decision.
"The downside of it is that if I had called an early election we would likely have won and we would now be in the second year of a first mandate," the Premier said. "The upside of not doing it is we wouldn't be doing anything differently. We would have done the same things that we've done – pulled together a jobs plan, negotiate to bring in LNG (liquefied natural gas) to B.C., gone on free trade missions.
"The other thing is not going early has allowed me to pull a terrific team together."
But you're in a far worst position now than you were two years ago?
"That's only if you believe the polls."