Liberal MLA urges Campbell to step down now

Outspoken Kootenay East Liberal MLA Bill Bennett is calling on Premier Gordon Campbell to step down as soon as possible.

Campbell announced his resignation earlier this month, but said he would stay on as premier until the party chooses a new leader.

However, Bennett believes the premier should step aside now.

"Premier Campbell has done, I think, a great job for the province overall," Bennett said.

"He's had a good run. I do think that it is time for a change and I know that he has indicated he will stay on. I can't imagine that at this point he would have any great desire to stay on, so I'm hoping that there may be a way for him to step all the way aside."

Bennett believes it is in the best interest of the Liberal Party to move forward as soon as possible.

"I don't want to be disrespectful of Premier Campbell because I have huge admiration for the job that he has done," he said.

"However, I think the party would be better off if we had a fresh start as soon as possible. I think it's going to take us some time to reconnect with voters and earn back some of the trust that I've think we've lost."

Bennett suggested someone else — like deputy premier Colin Hansen — could take over in the interim.

"When things start to go badly for the political party and the government, it is … [the] leader who becomes the focus of all of the negativity, all of the criticism — basically he personifies that unrest and that discontent that's out in the public now," Bennett said.

"I think it just would be better if we had a fresh start … this is not a reflection on the job that Gordon Campbell has done. What I'm saying I believe to be in the best interest of the B.C. Liberal Party."

The Liberals have not yet scheduled a date for the leadership vote.