Less than 12 hours after B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said he knew the harmonized sales tax would not be a "political home run," a key member of his cabinet has resigned because of the controversial tax.

Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom resigned from the Liberal cabinet and caucus Friday morning.

He said the decision was the right one for his constituents, who have all been very clear about their opposition to the impending HST.

"It was a tough decision but it had to be made. Fundamentally, the HST is it," Lekstom told The Canadian Press Friday morning. "The people I represent say we want to talk to you about this, we want you to put the brakes on the HST."

Lekstrom says he's concerned about the direction the BC Liberals have taken with the tax.

"We've done, I think, a tremendous amount of work for this province but the HST issue is one that you know, we made with the best of intentions, and I think to me a clear example of it was an idea by government that forgot to bring the public along with that idea," Lekstrom said.

"It's been a challenge."

He says he knows his decision will put other caucus members in a difficult spot but would not speculate as to whether other members are considering leaving the party in protest.

In a press conference Friday morning, Gordon Campbell said he was caught off guard by the resignation.

"I wasn't expecting this one," he said, adding he's "confident in the strength of caucus and the strength of cabinet."

The premier thanked Lekstrom for his work.

"I respect his position. I understand it but....we clearly disagree."

Reporters were told Lekstrom told the leader Wednesday that he was considering leaving, but Campbell urged him to think about it further before making any rash decisions. He tendered his resignation Friday morning.

Liberal insiders say Lekstrom was under a lot of pressure in his northeastern B.C. riding because of the controversial HST, set to take effect in the province July 1.

The former mayor of Dawson Creek, B.C., was first elected in 2001 to represent the Peace River South riding. He won the last election with 4,514 votes, a total of 62 per cent of the eligible voters.

The riding borders Alberta, where there has been a strong movement to kill the provincial sales tax. The region has also been very vocal in its opposition to the HST.

Public anger against the tax has created a firestorm of controversy for the BC Liberals.

Hundreds of thousands of British Columbians have signed a petition to repeal the tax under a growing anti-HST movement spearheaded by former premier Bill Vander Zalm.

The group has exceeded its goal of gaining more than 10 per cent of signatures of registered voters in each of B.C.'s 85 ridings.

Vander Zalm said Lekstrom's resignation should be a wake-up call for Campbell.

"I'm hoping there might be others who might consider how their constituents feel about what it is they're involved with and I'm hoping that the premier is watching all of this and he's listening and he'll end the HST," he said. "That's where the people are at."

The Fight-HST group says 4,985 area residents in Lekstrom's riding have signed their petition.

Liberals slumping

The impending tax has seen the popularity of the already slumping BC Liberals sink even further.

An Angus Reid poll released Thursday found that 76 per cent of British Columbians would vote to strike down the HST if the province held a referendum.

"People are overwhelmingly opposed to it," said Hamish Marshall, Research Director for Angus Reid.

The poll also found the support for the reigning BC Liberals sagging because of "anger and rancor" towards the tax.

Across the province, 46 per cent of undecided voters say they would support the B.C. New Democrats in their riding if a provincial election were held tomorrow. The Liberals trailed with 26 per cent (down three points since April), followed by the Green Party with 14 per cent.

Respondents were also asked if they would reconsider their support if the Liberals backed off the HST. About one-in-five, or 22 per cent, said they would, but another 28 per cent were less likely to do so.

Defending the tax

Gordon Campbell still defends the unpopular tax, saying the unification of the federal and provincial taxes into a single 12 per cent tax will create jobs in B.C. and is important for the livelihood of the province.

He says both cabinet and caucus were consulted before the government brought in the HST and there was agreement to take the measure.

"We had to do what was right, not what was popular," he told reporters Friday morning.

At a fundraiser for 1,500 supporters and party members Thursday night, Campbell promised to do a better job selling the tax once it takes effect in three weeks.

The three-time premier said he understood why British Columbians hated the tax, saying the Liberals failed to properly inform taxpayers about the benefits of the levy.

Gordon Campbell also said this week his government will not be sending rebate cheques to British Columbians. Ontario's government is sending out $300 HST rebate cheques to soften the economic impact of the tax.

"We did a number of rebate cheques when we did the new carbon levy, the public doesn't generally like that," Campbell said. "I think that one of the things they feel is, ‘Don't try and trick me by sending me a cheque.'"

The federal government offered British Columbia $1.6 billion to switch to the HST.

With files from The Canadian Press