). ▁That ▁election ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁majority ▁government ▁for ▁the ▁BC ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁led ▁by ▁Gordon ▁Campbell , ▁and ▁a ▁BC ▁New ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁official ▁opposition . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁election , ▁the ▁government ▁revealed ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁running ▁record ▁high ▁def ic its ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁intended ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁P ST ▁and ▁G ST ▁system ▁with ▁the ▁Harm on ized ▁Sales ▁Tax . ▁The ▁def ic it ▁made ▁an ▁am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁Bal anced ▁Bud get ▁and ▁Minister ial ▁Account ability ▁Act ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 9 th ▁Parliament ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁reduced ▁sp ending ▁in ▁most ▁minist ries . ▁A ▁pet ition ▁against ▁the ▁Harm on ized ▁Sales ▁Tax ▁was ▁circul ated ▁around ▁the ▁province ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁summer ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁refer endum ▁on ▁the ▁issue . ▁The ▁un pop ular ity ▁of ▁the ▁move ▁towards ▁H ST ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Premier ▁Campbell . ▁Se par ate ▁and ▁independent ▁leadership ▁elections ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁major ▁parties ▁made ▁Christ y ▁Clark ▁the ▁new ▁Premier ▁and ▁Ad rian ▁D ix ▁the ▁new ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁opposition . ▁Seven ▁ML As ▁spent ▁time ▁as ▁independ ents : ▁V icki ▁Hun ting ton ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁an ▁independent , ▁Bla ir ▁Le k st rom ▁left ▁the ▁BC ▁Liber als ▁in ▁protest ▁of ▁its ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁H ST , ▁Pat ▁P imm ▁briefly ▁left ▁the ▁BC ▁Liber als ▁during ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁being ▁investig ated ▁for ▁a ▁domestic ▁dispute