John van Dongen hands in his resignation papers

Posted April 27, 2009 by Sacha Peter - Link
Category: Analysis, BC Liberals Comments Off

John van Dongen resigned as Solicitor General over the speeding ticket flap. I had thought that he would lose his cabinet position after the election, but apparently the BC Liberal party thought that preemptively doing it would mitigate any future election attacks on behalf of the NDP.

During the television debate one can imagine Carole James talking about how the BC Liberals can talk about crime but can’t even keep their solicitor generals in office. This resignation will not change things, but the party can now claim that they were accountable for their actions.

Resignation was a smart political decision which will save the party a bit of brief and make their position a bit more defensible for the duration of the campaign.

Attached is his resignation:

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and BC Liberal candidate for Abbotsford South John van Dongen released the following statement today:

“Last Friday, I released a statement confirming my request to have the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles removed from my ministerial responsibly after I had been informed by the OSMV that they were implementing a prohibition on my driver’s license due to recent tickets I had received for speeding.

Over the weekend I have reflected on my actions. I have heard from those who have rightly criticized my driving record that has undermined their confidence in my role as Solicitor General. I do understand how my conduct in this respect has reflected poorly on the credibility of the office. In no way do I wish to allow my actions to distract from the tremendous work and ongoing contributions of the people who are working so hard to build confidence in our law enforcement system and in our efforts to improve public safety, particularly surrounding gangs and gun violence.

I have worked hard as Solicitor General. Over the course of the last year, I have met with people who have lost family members because of speeding and other illegal driving behaviour. I have let them down and I have let down my constituents who depend on me to set the highest public example. For that I am deeply sorry.

I hold the office of the Solicitor General in the highest regard. It carries with it a significant responsibility to reflect the policies necessary to make our communities safe.

This is why I informed the Premier this morning that I am resigning immediately from my duties as Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

I will continue to run in the upcoming election as a candidate for the BC Liberal Party in the riding of Abbotsford South and I will work hard to earn the votes and confidence of my constituents.

As I stated last week, I fully recognize the importance of public safety and compliance with the laws of our roads. I apologize to those I have let down with these latest actions, and it remains my hope that the public will continue to have confidence in the office of the Solicitor General.”

Previous analysis – Scandal hits the BC Liberals – John van Dongen.