First there were the quiet departures: Iain Black and Barry Penner, both talented MLAs, gracefully bowed out of the B.C. Liberal government last year to accept jobs in the private sector.
Then there was a startling switch in loyalty as longtime Liberal backer and close Christy Clark ally Joe Trasolini decided to run for Black's old seat - as a New Democrat.
This week saw what is likely just the first of the noisy departures. Veteran legislator and former cabinet minister John van Dongen didn't just quit, and didn't just gift the B.C. Conservatives their first seat, but denounced the ethics and competency of the Clark government on his way out.
It's worth noting that van Dongen's riding is a short drive from Penner's vacant seat, which is being fiercely contested by the Conservatives. They may well wrest it from the Liberals or hobble them enough to let the NDP claim an unlikely win in the Bible Belt.
Clark didn't do herself any favours in Port Moody either, after stamping on the vehicle levy idea approved by Metro Vancouver's mayors. She claimed, wrongly, that TransLink's budget shortfall was due to the Evergreen Line, much to the surprise of the mayors - and her own transportation minister. Her office later recanted this blunder.
If nothing else, Christy Clark's time as premier demonstrates the limits of populism. You can smile and reject new taxes all you want, but sooner or later leaders have to demonstrate a genuine grasp on policy. Clark's colleagues aren't stupid, and neither are voters.
