Former energy minister Blair Lekstrom's resignation over the controversial Harmonized Sales Tax may suggest dark days ahead for Premier Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals.

Lekstrom announced Friday morning he was leaving cabinet and caucus, citing cries of frustration from his constituents over the much-maligned tax.

And Simon Fraser University public policy professor Doug McArthur believes Lekstrom's highly-publicized move is just the tip of the iceberg. "I know [the Liberals] are fearful that other caucus members will go off as well," he said. "It's not just that their policy is threatened; now their very survival is threatened."

Lekstrom's Peace River South riding has seen a strong push to kill the HST, as have other ridings along the Alberta-B.C. border, and anti-HST campaigners have warned that recall campaigns could be in store for Liberal MLAs if the much-maligned tax is implemented.

One of the most vulnerable is Donna Barnett, MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, who squeaked by in the May 2009 election by a mere 88 votes. John Slater could face a recall as well; twice as many people in his Boundary-Similkameen riding signed the anti-HST petition as voted in the last election.

Other at-risk politicians include Cabinet Minister Murray Coell in Saanich North and the Islands, Pat Pimm in Peace River North, Gordon Hoag in South Surrey-White Rock, and Terry Lake in Kamloops-North Thompson.

Lake acknowledges the public backlash over the tax has "been tough politically," but stands resolute in his support of it. "At the end of the day you have to do what's right," he said.

The premier is taking his share of heat for the tax as well. Anti-HST campaigner Terry Delaney says the voter mistrust created by the tax is fueling what may become a province-wide vote of non-confidence in Campbell.

"Instead of going out in a blaze of glory with the Olympics, he's gonna go down in the flames and ashes of the HST," he said.

And unless the mood across the province changes, others in his party may consider following in Lekstrom's footsteps.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger