Fired B.C. cabinet minister Bill Bennett packs up his cabinet office Thursday. (CBC)The B.C. Liberal caucus heads into a meeting Friday that likely will decide what to do about a colleague who delivered a scathing public rant against Premier Gordon Campbell Wednesday.

Former energy minister Bill Bennett bitterly depicted Campbell as an out-of-control bully who could reduce cabinet ministers to tears. Bennett compared the caucus to battered women who put up with an abusive spouse.

The Kootenay East MLA said he was willing to stay in the Liberal caucus, but the decision is not his.

Bennett was not apologetic Thursday and said the support he'd received from the public for his criticism of the premier was overwhelmingly positive.

"People are happy there's a politician that's prepared to tell the truth and speak out," Bennett said. But, he added: "The reaction internally, from colleagues, not so good."

Bennett's tirade followed his firing Wednesday morning for publicly calling on Campbell to resign immediately for the good of the party.

Campbell did not fire back at Bennett Thursday.

"If people are calling you names, it says a lot more about them than it does about you," Campbell told CBC News.

Former mayor backs Bennett

At least one other former Liberal insider agrees with Bennett in one respect.

Campbell should step aside as soon as possible, said former Williams Lake mayor Scott Nelson.

"This coalition is fraying. The edges have started to come off of it," Nelson said Thursday. "Liberal members are leaving. The very coalition that Gordon Campbell built will be destroyed by Gordon Campbell."

But the premier gave no indication he was leaving any sooner than his currently scheduled departure, which will be sometime soon after a new leader is chosen Feb. 26.

"There's going to be a period of transition as there normally is," Campbell said. "We'll elect a new leader and the new leader will be ready to take province forward and I think it will be a very exciting time for us in the party."

Campbell hinted that he favours an experienced provincial party insider as his successor.

Premier Gordon Campbell speaks with the CBC's legislative reporter Stephen Smart Thursday. (CBC)He said that it might be a good thing that an early favourite — Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts — has said she would not pursue the leadership.

"There's a lot of homework you have to do," the premier said. "I'm not sure how much time Dianne has spent on forestry policy, on the softwood lumber agreement or what are we going to do to expand trade in China with the forest industry, or what's taking place with regards to our environmental assessments or what her position is with regards to the opportunities in energy."

Campbell said Watts has done a great job in her community, but said there are some great potential premiers in his cabinet and caucus.

With files from the CBC's Stephen Smart and Jeff Davies and The Canadian Press