Quitting his cabinet job with the BC Liberals over the controversial HST seems to mean new respect for Blair Lekstrom.

The ex-energy minister who resigned Friday is being lauded from all sides for stepping down to stand up for his constituents, although not everyone thinks actually shunning the harmonized sales tax is the right move.

"I don't agree with his decision, but I understand and I respect it," forests minister Pat Bell said Saturday, while separating himself from the fracas.

"He was under intense pressure, that was a personal issue for him when he went home every week. It was a decision he needed to make."

It was recently revealed that more people had signed a petition fighting the incoming HST in the riding of Peace River South, in northeastern B.C., than voted for Lekstrom in the last election.

He won the 2009 campaign with 4,514 votes, while anti-HST proponents say 4,985 area residents have signed a petition to repeal the incoming tax.

"It's a great day for direct democracy," said Alvin Stedel, an anti-HST campaign organizer in northeastern B.C.

"(Lekstrom's) integrity value has gone way up in the eyes of people in Peace River South and probably all across the province."

Lekstrom has held a seat in the Liberal government since 2001, but said he was elected to listen to the people when he resigned. He'll now sit as an independent backbencher.

But the politician hasn't actually come out in opposition of the tax, either.

"I would like to take this to a standstill, I would like to go out and have that open frank dialogue in a constructive manner as a government," Lekstrom said Saturday.

The government does need to raise more revenue to continue providing the programming it does, he added.

"Is that going to come from an HST -- based on ensuring our competitiveness -- (or) is it going to be based on a personal income tax increase, do we look at fees, do we look at cutting services?" he asked.

"Most British Columbians, I think, realize that the days of saying 'I'm taxed enough, I just want more,' -- realistically, most people know in their hearts that's just not possible."

Stedel said many of Lekstrom's longtime supporters were vigorous opponents of the HST, and they may have played a role in shifting the politician's approach to the tax -- which was initially favourable.

"Before he was representing the wishes of Gordon Campbell's government back to us, but now he's representing us back to the government," Stedel said.

In Lekstrom's hometown, Dawson Creek Mayor Mike Bernier said even he was surprised his friend of 20 years would make such a bold move.

"I didn't think he'd take it to the level of leaving his ministry ... I know it was a difficult decision for him," he said.

"In this area Blair has a lot of respect from people, a lot of them are standing behind him because he made his decision depending on what the community wanted."

The HST isn't favoured in the riding because residents compare their prices to those they could get in bordering Alberta, where there is already no provincial sales tax. Many residents are also elderly people living on fixed incomes, Stedel said.

"Other MLAs ... if they wish to be elected next time they probably should do the same thing Blair Lekstrom has done, because a lot of them won't be re-elected," he said.

But Bell said while he's sorry to see his colleague go, he doesn't expect anyone else in the party will jump ship over the tax.

"I'm not expecting anyone else to want to leave," he said, though noting the party is very aware many British Columbians are concerned.

"I think we've all learned a lesson that we've done a very poor job of communicating this," he said.

Bill Bennett, who's been named the new energy minister, said he too understands Lekstrom's struggle with the issue, but disagreed with how his colleague handled it.

"We have to rise above individual interests and think about the fact that our bottom line, really, is that we don't want an NDP government in the province," he said.

"(That) should hold us together when we go through tough times like this."

Lekstrom said he hasn't ruled out a return to the BC Liberals.

Hundreds of thousands have now signed the petition to boot the HST legislation, which takes effect July 1. At least 10 per cent of registered voters in each of the province's 85 ridings have signed on.

If the petition is successful, the Liberals have the option of a repeal law or a referendum by September 2011.