VICTORIA - In the end, it's the tax that got him.

For nine years as the premier of British Columbia, Gordon Campbell pursued an aggressive agenda that saw him cancel union contracts but aggressively cut income taxes and champion all-day kindergarten.

He staunchly supported business and development, but made B.C. a pioneer in environmental stewardship.

He was humiliated by an impaired driving charge, but survived the next two elections to stand triumphant as his province hosted the Winter Olympic Games.

But the resilient politician was unable to recover from his bungled championing of the hated harmonized sales tax, which ultimately brought his 26-year political life to an end.

Campbell announced Wednesday he would leave his job as soon as his free-enterprise coalition B.C. Liberals can elect a successor.

Campbell rode to power in 2001 promising to cut taxes and reign in spending. His Liberals destroyed the two-term New Democrat government, winning 77 of 79 seats.

On his first day in office in June 2001, he cut personal income taxes by 25 per cent but also cut government spending and slashed civil services jobs by one-third.

The B.C. economy, which had dropped to last in Canada under the New Democrats, rebounded under Campbell and was creating jobs at record rates, spurring surplus budgets.

British Columbians started to warm up to the stiff, intellectual politician as the economy strengthened. Behind the scenes, Campbell polished his public persona with coaching and his speaking style became more animated. He cracked a smile every so often.

But it wasn't until his drunk driving arrest in Hawaii in 2003 that his popularity soared.

A tearful Campbell, with his wife Nancy by his side, admitted on television he drove drunk and was prepared to face his punishment.

His arrest mug shots were plastered throughout the province, but voters forgave him.

The following year, the police raided the legislature three days after Christmas, beginning a long-running scandal over the sale of Crown-owned B.C. Rail.

Two government aides, Dave Basi and Bobby Virk, eventually pleaded guilty this year to corruption charges after the government agreed to cover their legal fees, which amounted to $6 million.

Campbell gained national and international favour for his government's environmental agenda and moves to reconcile with aboriginals, after coming into office challenging their right to negotiate treaties.

Campbell was premier when B.C., Ottawa and the Tsawwassen First Nation negotiated the first modern-day treaty in B.C. history.

And his Liberals were the first government in North America to adopt a carbon tax as part of his agenda to cut greenhouse gas emissions by one-third by 2020.

The carbon tax, which increased the price of gasoline at the pump and home heating costs, was met with anger, but it was not as sustained as the furor over the HST.

Speculation had long held that Campbell would quit after the 2010 Winter Olympics in February.

But he showed no signs of doing so, saying as recently as September that he wouldn't quit despite the mounting HST revolt.