Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada welcoming new Premier-Designate of British Columbia

 

February 26, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement after Christy Clark was confirmed as the Premier-Designate of British Columbia:

 

“On behalf of our Government, I congratulate Christy Clark on her election as Leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party.

“British Columbia has a bright future and I look forward to working with Premier Clark on seizing opportunities and tackling the challenges that lie ahead.

“I would also like to once again thank outgoing Premier Gordon Campbell for his devoted service to British Columbia, his government’s tremendous cooperation in implementing Canada’s Economic Action Plan, and his tireless efforts during the incredibly successful 2010 Winter Olympic Games.”

 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Website:  http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/ 

 

 Celebrating WOMAN in OFFICE!

 

 

Christy Clark waves to supporters after she was voted the new party leader during the B.C. Liberal leaders convention in Vancouver, on February 26, 2011. Clark now becomes the premier designate of the province. MORE: http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Change+begins+tonight+Christy+Clark+promises+after+landing/4354072/story.html  

Photograph by: Andy Clark, Reuters

 

VANCOUVER — Former radio host and once-retired politician Christy Clark was elected B.C.’s next premier Saturday night in a narrow vote by B.C. Liberal Party members in which she edged out three cabinet ministers in three rounds of voting.

She will eventually be formally sworn in as B.C.’s 35th premier, replacing Gordon Campbell, who announced his resignation Nov. 3 over his handling of the deeply unpopular harmonized sales tax.

The Clark government’s first priority will be to improve the lives of B.C. families, she said, echoing the theme upon which her campaign was built.

“My commitment to putting families first starts with job creation and fighting poverty, these are going to be the top priorities for our government,” she told a crowd of cheering Liberal party members in her victory speech at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Clark was once deputy premier and a high-ranking member of Campbell’s cabinet before she chose not to run in the 2005 election, saying she wanted to raise her son, who was born in 2001.

She becomes only the second person, other than Bill Vander Zalm, to win a premiership without holding a seat in the legislative assembly.

Clark said she would seek a seat in a byelection at the earliest opportunity, possibly in Vancouver-Point Grey, which is likely to be vacated by Campbell.

Although she campaigned on the promise of a general election before the next scheduled date in 2013, on Saturday she said that an early election was not the first item on her agenda, but still a possibility. Numerous MLAs, though, urged her to consult with caucus before making such an important decision.

Clark billed herself as the outsider among the leadership candidates, distancing herself from the decisions of Campbell and his cabinet — particularly the HST. Only one MLA supported her campaign. Nonetheless, Clark said she can unite the caucus and hold together the party’s free-enterprise coalition.

“Our government will be stronger because of the dialogue we all started with British Columbians,” she said. “We are going to forge a bigger better stronger coalition together.”

During her campaign, she promised millions of dollars in tax credits for new businesses, a working income tax credit for low-income families, 12 town halls a year as premier to reconnect with voters, a raise to the minimum wage, a restoration of funds for provincial gaming grants, a Family Day holiday in February, a study of online voting in provincial elections, and a promise to link health-care funding to the rate of economic growth so that it does not overwhelm the provincial budget.

More than 80,000 Liberal party members were eligible to cast ballots by telephone and the Internet from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. About 62 per cent of them did so.

The results, compiled by computer using a weighted system to give equal representation to the province’s 85 ridings, went to three ballots.

After the first, Clark was in the lead, followed by Kevin Falcon and George Abbott. Former attorney general Mike de Jong was knocked off the ticket as the lowest-ranking candidate.

After the second ballot, Abbott was knocked off.

In the final round, Falcon was boosted by a large number of Abbott supporters, but it was not enough. Clark won with 4,420 points, compared with Falcon’s 4,080.

“We’re like a big family, and at the end of the day the family comes together and we’ll all get behind her,” Falcon after the vote. “Christy wants to bring more change … and I think probably a lot of the public at large wants to see some change and I think that’s why she probably polled well. So let’s embrace change.”

Abbott said he was disappointed, but knew by the first round that he did not have the “steam or horsepower” to win.

Clark is set to become only the second female premier in the province’s history. Former Social Credit premier Rita Johnston was the first in 1991.

Clark will lead her government against the Opposition NDP, which is also in the midst of a leadership race. Mike Farnworth, one of the NDP’s front-runner candidates, said his party was “happy to run against her.”

“She tries to position herself as an outsider, but when I hear her and look at her I say it’s more like deja vu,” he said.

“She talks about putting families first, but when she was minister of children and families she presided over some of the most draconian cuts that occurred under the Gordon Campbell administration.”

Clark must now pick a new cabinet and decide whether to table a new provincial budget. Finance minister Colin Hansen’s budget last week left almost $1 billion in flexible spending for the new administration to use on programs and services.

Instead of specifics, Clark used her victory speech to promise a more inclusive government for British Columbians.

“Change begins tonight and with that change comes a commitment to listen and a determination to do better by B.C. families. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get started.

Times Columnist report Contact: rfshaw@timescolonist.com 

 

 

A Celebration of Women adds… 

 

‘Families First’,

 promises B.C. ‘s new Premier, CHRISTY CLARK

 

 

Brava, Christy!  

 

 

 

 

A Celebration of Women