Just as politicos were hanging their stockings for Santa, and getting into the last 10 days of Christmas shopping, Gary Collins resigned as MLA and Minister of Finance. Campbell hasn't even arrived in Hawaii yet, and it is already three years in a row that his government has shocked BC over the Christmas season.

Premier Campbell doesn't have to call a by-election for six months, so the Vancouver-Fairview seat will go unrepresented until the general election on May 17th. The NDP's Gregor Robertson, recently nominated to run in Vancouver-Fairview, will seize the advantage of name recognition against an unknown Campbell Liberal.

Collins' resignation forced Campbell into a small but very significant cabinet shuffle. It is understandable that Collin Hansen was made Minister of Finance, but the promotion of Shirley Bond to Minister of Health is staggering. Bond may be best known as the Minister who put in a good word for Doug Walls; nothing in her political career demonstrates the ability to take on the largest portfolio in government. She will face a lot of heat when the legislature sits on February 8th and question period resumes. She can start practicing her lines now on why the Campbell government failed on its promise to deliver health care when and where you need it. Gordon Hogg, who resigned over the Walls affair, missed the cut in the latest cabinet shuffle, but caucus chair Wendy McMahon, MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke, got the nod to a Minister of State job worth an extra $25,000 per year. Former Socred Graham Bruce was made government House Leader.

Collins was not only the Minister of Finance and government House Leader, he also was a co-chair of the Campbell re-election campaign and Minister responsible for government propaganda, including all those government TV ads. His departure must produce instability as contact networks are destroyed, and people scramble to learn who has power now.

No matter how many cabinet ministers resign, it is Campbell who must be held to account on May 17th.