VICTORIA -- B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, who has admitted driving while drunk, faces major hurdles in carrying out his Liberal government's cost-cutting agenda as British Columbians debate his future.

"There is no question that what happened with the Premier is going to be a big political obstacle to overcome.

"We all, as a team, are going to have to work together to put it behind us," Deputy Premier Christy Clark said yesterday.

She said that the Liberal Premier, who admitted in an emotional news conference on Sunday that he made a mistake last week driving after drinking on a Hawaiian holiday, should be given time to re-earn the public's trust.

Ms. Clark, who also serves as Education Minister, said the Premier's personal error should be viewed separately from his devotion to his duties of public office.

"The Premier, in the last 72 hours, has been engaged in the most rigorous process of self-examination that you can imagine," she said.

"If this is going to be a real journey for him, it's going to take some time.

"Time will tell how it's changed him."

Public opinion on Mr. Campbell varied widely yesterday across British Columbia, and the topic of his Hawaiian misadventure dominated the province's airwaves.

On radio talk shows, many callers bluntly declared that the Premier must step down.

"He's making B.C. look foolish again. He must resign," a woman said.

While Mr. Campbell's critics were quick to pounce, numerous callers defended him.

"The guy's a human being. Give the guy some slack," a sympathetic listener said.

The Maui police mug shots of Mr. Campbell have turned him into the butt of jokes.

CBC Radio's national morning current-affairs show, The Current, played the theme song of the old television hit series Hawaii Five-O, and joked that Mr. Campbell would find new meaning in the long-running police show's trademark phrase, "Book 'em, Danno!"

Chris MacKenzie, a political sociologist at the University of British Columbia, expects the Liberal government to water down certain policies and plans, particularly those that would expand the availability of liquor.

"They're going to want to be prudent in how they proceed, and avoid hot-button issues."

Proposals being examined include allowing alcohol to be served on ferries, gradually closing government liquor stores and opening more private outlets, and allowing bars to open for two more hours, until 4 a.m.

The Liberals have offered assurances that no community will be left high and dry by abrupt closings of government-owned stores. Through liquor taxes, the province raises more than $640-million a year.

The New Democratic Party is critical of the Liberals for cutting taxes in 2001, saying the move has drained the treasury of much-needed revenue, instead of serving as an economic stimulant.

Mr. Campbell campaigned on a platform, dubbed the New Era agenda, of making ministries operate much more efficiently by setting rigorous performance targets. The Liberals trounced the disgraced NDP, winning 77 of 79 seats in the legislature in the May, 2001, election.

After slashing jobs in the public service and making changes to social services that angered poverty groups, Mr. Campbell increasingly became the target of protesters.

When he was charged Friday with drunk driving, his critics seized on the opportunity to discredit his government's right-of-centre agenda of fiscal restraint.

"His personal popularity was low already. That, combined with the events of last week, will make it very difficult for him in the long run to maintain his leadership," Prof. MacKenzie said.

The Liberals have emphasized the need to reinvigorate the sluggish economy, create jobs in the private sector and enliven depressed rural and resource-based communities.

But the drunk-driving charge has overshadowed that message.

"I'm personally very cognizant of the fact that we were elected to put B.C. on a positive economic track.

"If this charge were to persist as an issue, then I think it detracts from British Columbia's economic future," Liberal caucus chairman John Les said.

He said he hopes the controversy over Mr. Campbell will fade by the time a Throne Speech is delivered on Feb. 11 and the provincial budget is tabled on Feb. 18.

"A successful government needs strong leadership. The test will be to see how quickly the Premier can rebuild the trust that I think has been damaged," Mr. Les said.