British Columbia Liberal cabinet Minister Ida Chong is the first MLA to be targeted for recall by the Fight HST group.Geoff Howe For The Globe and Mail
Universities Minister Ida Chong will be the first target of anti-HST activists starting next Monday as they launch a campaign of recalls against Liberal members of the legislature.
Finance Minister Colin Hansen, who has been at the forefront of the government effort to sell the tax, and Environment Minister Murray Coell will also find themselves targeted in coming months if the effort rolls on.
After targeting Ms. Chong, who represents the Victoria-area riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head, the activists plan to move in January to Kamloops-North Thompson, represented by Terry Lake, and Comox Valley, held by Don McRae - if the government does not axe the tax.
"We want to have a successful first recall," said strategist Bill Tieleman, as the list of targeted ridings was released.
"That would be the shot heard around the Liberal world. If we can recall Ida Chong, nobody is safe."
By February, they plan for recalls in Cariboo-Chilcotin and Saanich North, held by Mr. Coell. In March, there would be Maple Ridge and Vancouver-Quilchena, held by Mr. Hansen.
Under the Recall and Initiative Act, activists will be seeking 40 per cent of registered voters within 60 days. In Oak Bay, that would be a total 18,000 voters.
"The percentages are very high and the time frame is very short. It's not an easy task, but there's a passion about getting the job done and getting it done right," said Bill Vander Zalm, the former Social Credit premier who is leader of Fight HST.
"People have volunteered to participate so I am confident we'll get it done."
Ms. Chong said she is ready to make a case for support, something she will likely do with advertising to talk about her work in her riding.
"It will probably be close to that, but in a very different way. It is 60 days and campaigns are usually only 28 days so there is more time involved," said Ms. Chong, who won her riding by about 500 votes in the 2009 election.
"This will be a distraction," she said.
She acknowledged that voters are angry about the HST, but noted they will have a chance to register their concerns in next year's referendum on the tax.
Fight HST organizers said the race to succeed Premier Gordon Campbell as leader of the Liberal Party will have no impact on the recall process.
"It's not about who's leading the Liberal Party. It's about the HST," Chris Delaney said.
"We've said that from the beginning. This isn't about us trying to get rid of a premier or put somebody else into government. This is about getting rid of the HST and having the people heard by their government. That has yet to happen."
Mr. Tieleman said there is a clear option for leadership candidates related to the referendum.
"The message to the Liberal leadership candidates and also to the Liberal Party is move the referendum up. Get this over with so it doesn't become the central issue during your leadership campaign," he said.
He added that he expects the vote would kill the tax so that the issue would effectively be off the table.
"We could have recall campaigns going on while the Liberal leadership candidates are attempting to gain support. That's not going to help them. Nobody in their right mind wants to become the new leader."