Candidate for B.C. leadership to make campaign stop in Castlegar
By Kyra Hoggan
Provincial Liberal leadership candidate George Abbott will be in Castlegar Thursday to “meet with party members and local residents about my campaign to become the next Leader of the BC Liberal Party and the next Premier of B.C. “
In an interview Wednesday, Abbott said he’s no stranger to the Kootenays, and this stop is no less relevant than those he’ll be making in larger centres.
“Every constituency is relevant in terms of the leadership race,” he said, adding the party is currently considering a constitutional change that would give all B.C. ridings equal say in choosing a new party leader, regardless how many members a given riding may boast.
“Each constituency would have a 100 points in relations to electing the leader – the same weight as any of the 85 ridings,” he said, adding the change will be adopted or rejected by Feb. 12 of this year. “(If it is accepted), 4,251 points will be the benchmark for our new leader.”
He also said that, should he become premier, he would value this region and institute better communication mechanisms to ensure local voices are heard in Victoria.
“The Southern Interior is a tremendously important part of the province – in terms of resources, and as part of the economic and social development of B.C.”
He allowed that the B.C. Liberal government has, to this point, left some parts of the province feeling disenfranchised, and has set forth an 18-point plan to address inequities by providing better options for public participation in provincial processes.
“The big thing I’ve been emphasizing, since before coming forward (as a leadership candidate) is that, if we are to have any hope of winning this election in 2013, we have to make an extraordinary effort to reconnect with this province’s grassroots,” he said. “We’ve lost that (connection).”
Abbott will be at the Sandman Hotel at 1 p.m., Jan 6.
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