鈥極f course, things are a lot more collegial between us and the opposition than we let on. I know there's a tremendous amount of caring on both sides of the House when any member is ill or has problems. You see a lot of collegiality that people wouldn鈥檛 know exists by the way we carry on in our debate sometimes.鈥� 鈥� sa国际传媒 Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger, Feb. 14, 2013
The Kamloops-North Thompson MLA must have been riding a wave of rapture after listening to the throne speech when he came up with that little burst of goodwill.
But it subsided quickly and this week he was back to his nasty new self.
The bombastic brawler used to include a tinge of humour in his assaults on all the poor misguided souls who didn鈥檛 see the righteousness of the sa国际传媒 Liberal cause.
But over the last while, all the fun has gone out of his approach, replaced by a nasty streak. He鈥檚 running wild and free now, in the last few weeks of his political career. And it isn鈥檛 pretty.
The latest example was his dismissal of the sa国际传媒 Conservative Party as a bunch of 鈥渦nmitigated morons鈥� and 鈥渟cum鈥� in an email flame-out.
After questions were raised Tuesday by a losing bidder about Jobs Minister Pat Bell鈥檚 role in picking the site for a Prince George wood technology centre, the sa国际传媒 Conservative Party called for Bell鈥檚 head.
Party leader John Cummins said he should be suspended, and Bell鈥檚 track record is an 鈥渦nmitigated disaster.鈥�
That brought Krueger snarling out of his corner. He composed an email that goes well over the line in tone and vocabulary.
Opening with a little love tap, he told the Conservatives they are 鈥渦nmitigated morons.
鈥淧at Bell is beloved in Prince George, for good reason. There is not one of you scum worthy to tie his shoes 鈥� nor tall enough.鈥�
Politicians usually stick with something safe, like 鈥測ours sincerely鈥� when signing a note.
Krueger closed it with: 鈥淲hat idiots you are.鈥�
It鈥檚 safe to say that the note brings an end to the sa国际传媒 Liberals鈥� on-and-off effort to reach out to the Conservatives.
It seems like only yesterday Premier Christy Clark was jetting off to the 鈥淐onservative family reunion鈥� in Ottawa to hang out with Preston Manning and learn how to network with all the right-wing thinkers.
Actually, it was almost a year ago, when there was just enough concern about a mildly surging conservative move in sa国际传媒 to warrant her trying to head it off.
Cummins ran into a string of internal party problems soon after that, and the sa国际传媒 Liberals decided they could stop worrying about being outflanked on the right.
So, as Krueger makes clear, the half-hearted outreach program has come to a screeching halt.
There was the usual eye-rolling in the sa国际传媒 Liberal caucus as Krueger鈥檚 flame-out made the rounds. Caucus officials tut-tutted and disavowed the tone. But it鈥檚 safe to assume Krueger will skate through the final few minutes of the third period untouched.
After all, they need every member they have if the budget comes to a vote.
In an interview Wednesday, Krueger said Bell鈥檚 medical issue was foremost in his mind. Bell announced last week he won鈥檛 be running again because of a recently diagnosed aneurysm.
Krueger said his colleague is in a very stressful time and 鈥渢hey put out this nasty smear news release. I just felt they were so far out of line.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a strong word (scum). But as far as I鈥檓 concerned they鈥檙e putting a good man鈥檚 life in jeopardy by adding to his general stress.鈥�
Just So You Know: The argument over Krueger鈥檚 nasty email coincided with anti-bullying day. So he was wearing a pink tie to support the cause, while defending himself from charges of using bullying language.
He turned the tables at one point, asking: 鈥淚sn鈥檛 it bullying for a retired MP on a pension who says he wants to be premier (to) attack a cabinet minister over an allegation that鈥檚 completely unproven?鈥�
The best bullying defence is a good bullying offence.
