It鈥檚 kind of amusing, really, the level of righteous indignation shown by members of the BC Liberal Party after one of their own did what they had all voted to do just a couple of months earlier.

91原创 MLA and interim BC Liberal leader Rich Coleman, for instance, was practically petulant as he characterized the decision by Liberal (now Independent) MLA Darryl Plecas to accept the Speaker鈥檚 chair in the BC Legislature as a 鈥渂etrayal.鈥�

Others have accused Plecas of outright dishonesty in accepting the position after he had said he would not do so without the 鈥渇ull support鈥� of the BC Liberal caucus.

But you have to wonder who he betrayed. Because of the narrow gap between the seats held by the Green-bolstered NDP government and the Liberals in opposition, and because the Speaker does not vote except to break ties, Plecas鈥檚 decision brings an added level of stability to the province鈥檚 new government.

But the importance of stability depends where you鈥檙e sitting when the ship of state enters troubled waters.

It鈥檚 now more difficult for Coleman鈥檚 Liberals to push John Horgan out of the premier鈥檚 chair, forcing an election鈥� or through the same mechanics that pried loose Christy Clark鈥檚 clutching fingers, perhaps install a new Liberal premier.

And what about the claim that Plecas did not have caucus support in taking an ultimately cooperative position requiring loyalty to process and fair government instead of to party!

Plecas received that support when the BC Liberals voted to approve Premier Clark鈥檚 unsuccessful throne speech last June. Most of Clark鈥檚 speech was taken directly from the NDP鈥檚 election campaign playbook, and the whole party fell in line behind her stated desire to create a new atmosphere of cooperation between all parties.

If all the BC Liberal MLAs really did wholeheartedly agree with Clark, then what鈥檚 their problem with Plecas?

On the other hand, if they thought 鈥� as the NDP and Green MLAs clearly did 鈥� that Clark鈥檚 throne speech was a last-ditch pack of lying intent, then all the Liberal MLAs were liars when they voted their approval.

It appears that only Plecas took Clark鈥檚 message to heart.

Contrary to what Coleman and his drogues have to say, Plecas may have been the only BC Liberal who wasn鈥檛 lying when he became Speaker last week.

And for his honesty, they kicked him out of the party.