Former British Columbia premier Gordon Campbell, centre, departs an Order of Canada ceremony after being presented the Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor-General Mary Simon (not seen) at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, on May 2.Spencer Colby /The Globe and Mail
Two decades after Gordon Campbell and Joy MacPhail were sharply at odds in the B.C. legislature as premier and opposition leader, they crossed paths publicly Thursday at Rideau Hall where both were invested into the Order of Canada.
They spoke fondly of each other, in separate interviews, with Ms. MacPhail, in particular, putting their past political clashes into a larger context.
Ms. MacPhail said it was ironic that she and Mr. Campbell were both honoured at the same time.
“But it’s also significant that in Canada, politicians who sit on opposite sides of the aisle and vigorously make our cases, as did Mr. Campbell, as did I, can become friends after we leave politics,” she said after the ceremony in which she and the former premier, among dozens of others, were honoured by Governor-General Mary Simon.
Mr. Campbell was made an officer of the Order of Canada and Ms. MacPhail was made a member.
“Our paths have crossed through the years since we both retired, and it’s always been collegial, friendly and continues to be thus,” Ms. MacPhail said.
Mr. Campbell led the BC Liberals to power in 2001, launching a decade-long run as premier of the province.
But his initial win came at great expense to the NDP, which was reduced from government to two seats in the 79-seat provincial legislature.
Ms. MacPhail and Jenny Kwan, both former NDP cabinet ministers, were left to face 77 Liberals.
Of the situation, Ms. MacPhail once said it was an unprecedented challenge. “Perhaps giving birth to a son would be the only challenge I can think of that comes close,” said the mother of one son.
In 2005, Ms. MacPhail left politics, and in the provincial election that year, the BC NDP rebounded to 33 seats.
Among the New Democrats elected in 2005 was John Horgan, who would become premier in 2017, ending 16 years of B.C. Liberal government.
Ms. Kwan later made the transition to federal politics and is now an NDP MP.
Mr. Campbell said he had chatted with Ms. MacPhail when he arrived at Rideau Hall for the ceremony.
“I have very good, positive feelings about Joy MacPhail. I think we have to recognize in public life people who have different approaches, but are trying to accomplish the same goals,” he said.
“I thought she was always very bright, very energetic. And it’s an honour to be here with her and both of us receiving the Order of Canada.”
Among other points of conflict, Ms. MacPhail was once kicked out of the legislature for calling Mr. Campbell a liar and refusing to retract her comments. After Mr. Campbell was arrested and charged during a Hawaiian vacation for impaired driving, Ms. MacPhail said he was a hypocrite for remaining in office and had lost the moral authority to govern. Two years after the incident, Mr. Campbell led the Liberals to a second majority government.
Ms. MacPhail’s citation for her honour, issued by Rideau Hall, made reference to her work in several cabinet portfolios where her accomplishments included creating B.C.’s first provincial child tax benefit.
After her political career, the citation noted that Ms. MacPhail was involved in the successful reformation of OutTV, the world’s first 2SLGBTQ!+ television network.
Mr. Campbell’s citation for his honour noted that he left his mark on Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada.
He was a three-term Vancouver mayor, then leader of the opposition B.C. Liberals, and then premier between 2001 and 2011. After provincial politics, he served as Canada’s high commissioner to Britain.
Mr. Campbell said that after leaving London, he decided to try “the dreaded east” so lived in Ontario, then moved to Victoria, and has recently moved back to Vancouver.
“Vancouver, which is where my home is, is where my friends, where my connections are. I’ve come home, which is what basically happened, but I was away for a long time,” he said.
Mr. Campbell, who was BC Liberal leader from 1993 to 2011, worked to pull together a united conservative movement in the province.
But he declined to comment in detail on the political situation in B.C., where a provincial conservative party, unrelated to the federal party, is surging in public-opinion polls ahead of the former BC Liberals, now named BC United. An election is scheduled for October.
“I think that British Columbians are going to have to decide how they feel about it,” he said, adding that his time in elected politics is long done.
“It’s 2024. I was premier in 2011. That’s a few years ago.”