Stephen Harper's former press handler and B.C. Premier Christy Clark's new Director of Communications gets heated with journalists. (Global screengrab)

Christy Clark's new press handler Sarah MacIntyre got in a heated exchange with journalists Wednesday after she told them B.C.'s premier wouldn't be answering any questions.

MacIntyre, who recently moved West after serving as Stephen Harper's press secretary, seems to be taking a page out of the playbook she learned while working for the prime minister.

And that fact certainly didn't escape the reporter who was irritated by the refusal to take questions. "Maybe that’s the way the Prime Minister’s Office used to handle it, but this is not the Prime Minister’s Office out of Eastern Canada, this is B.C.," he said.

CTV's Robert Fife says the stance MacIntyre took is similar to that adopted by the federal Tories. "The exchange brought back all the memories of what we go through every day with the Harper government: tight media control, lack of respect for the media. She's taken the Harper media plan and brought it to B.C.," he said.

That may be exactly what Christy Clark wants.

B.C.'s Liberal premier also recently hired staunch Tory Ken Boessenkool as her chief of staff. Boessenkool once served as a Harper adviser and has said he "came out of the womb right wing."

Her hires aren't the only sign Clark is cozying to Harper and his strategies. Earlier this year, the premier made headlines after being photographed at a her son's hockey game with the prime minister, Tim Horton's coffee cups clearly visible.

The pro-Harper strategy seems aimed at preventing a split of the centre-right vote with the B.C. conservatives in the next election, which could allow the NDP to win power, according to The Globe and Mail.

Only time will tell if the strategies which won the Conservatives their first majority government in more than 20 years will help Christy Clark and the Liberals stay on top in B.C.

Video via Global B.C.

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