Just hours after being selected B.C.’s next premier by the Liberal Party, Christy Clark was being asked not only about the HST and B.C. Rail, but what she planned to do about the minimum wage, provincial budget and child poverty.Hold on a second. Take a deep breath. Let her finish watching her son’s hockey game.Clark – expected to be sworn in as premier in mid-March – hadn’t even stepped foot in Victoria and already was being asked how she’ll fix everything that’s wrong in the province, in one day, no less.Clark is a political veteran, and former radio host, and surely can handle anything the opposition and the media throw her way.Which will be a lot. Already they’ve accused her of being weak on policy and full of fluff – all smile, no substance, the next Vander Zalm.She’ll have a little time to catch up before the looming HST referendum; she’ll have to decide when that will be, too.More pressing, however, is how she’ll go about trying to unite her own party, divided over the leadership race.Just one MLA supported her leadership bid: Harry BloyHowever, she’s already met with her two closest leadership rivals, George Abbott and Kevin Falcon, and declared the need for them to all work together. So expect them to remain in cabinet.Outgoing premier Gordon Campbell has also stated he’ll resign his seat in Vancouver-Point Grey so Clark, who he previously appointed deputy premier, can run in a by-election.Clark maintains that government accountability, managing the budget, creating jobs and taking care of families will top her agenda. She also pledged to cut health care spending and expand public transit.It’s time for the talking to stop.B.C. voters want to see some action to back it up. Will they give a mandate to demonstrate that?She has until May 2013 to make her mark. Maybe not even that long, as she could attempt to move the date up. She campaigned on the promise of change.We’ll see.– The News
