Canadian premier faces new charges
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — Maui prosecutors have added three more charges to the drunken driving case of British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, who faces mounting pressure to resign.
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Deputy Prosecutor Mark Simonds said yesterday a formal complaint had been filed in Wailuku District Court last week, with new charges of failure to drive on the right side of the road, disregard of traffic lane markings and speeding.
British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell was charged with drunken driving after he was arrested by Maui police.
Campbell, the 55-year-old former mayor of Vancouver and currently the top elected official in the western Canadian province, was pulled over on Honoapi'ilani Highway in Napili early Jan. 10 after police noticed he was driving erratically.
According to a police report, Campbell was unable to walk a straight line and registered 0.16 on his field Breathalyzer test, double the legal standard. He was arrested, charged with drunken driving and given a March 25 court date.
Since then, Campbell has endured a barrage of criticism in Canada, where he faces a recall drive and demands that he step down from office.
Campbell could not be reached for comment yesterday, but he told the Canadian press he was not surprised by the new charges and had not made up his mind whether to return to Maui for his court hearing or let a Hawai'i attorney handle the matter for him.
Campbell has said he intends to plead no contest.
According to the police report, Campbell drove his rented SUV more than 70 mph in a 45 mph zone, crossed into the oncoming lane and weaved into a bike path before a Maui police officer pulled him over. He spent a night in the Wailuku Police Station cellblock before posting $257 in bail.
Returning to Canada the next day, the premier tearfully apologized to the people of British Columbia and Maui, where he vacations every year. He explained that he had had dinner with friends, indulged in several drinks and was pulled over while returning to his Napili condominium after 1 a.m.
Simonds said that while Campbell faces five days in jail for the DUI charge, the traffic offenses involve only fines ranging from $100 to $200. Campbell also is subject to a 14-hour substance abuse rehabilitation program and a 90-day suspension of his driver's license.
British Columbia's opposition leader, Joy MacPhail of the New Democratic Party, told the Globe and Mail newspaper that the new charges only deepen the public's concerns that Campbell no longer has the moral authority to govern. The Canadian chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving also has asked the premier to step down.
