Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok could not be more excited about the results of the Liberal leadership race this past weekend, where the candidate he backed from the beginning, Andrew Wilkinson, won the leadership on the fifth ballot.
“I’m very excited and elated,” he said on Monday. “What a nail biter. It was so exciting and tense.”
Clovechok says that, despite the lengthy ballot process, the Party has already rallied behind the new leader.
“When it came to the fifth ballot, when people found out it was Andrew still in the race, there was a huge cheer. The caucus is completely behind him. Sure, there will be a few bruised egos, but the Party is united behind him.
“He’s going to be a phenomenal leader.”
Clovechok said that with the Legislature about to reconvene, it’s also fortunate that the new leader already has a seat, so there will be no need for anyone to give up their seat for the new leader.
“We didn’t just elect a new leader. Mark my words, we elected the next Premier of British Columbia.”
In the meantime, Clovechok says Wilkinson will be a phenomenal opposition leader.
“If anyone can get Mr. Horgan off his game, it’s Andrew. He is a fiscal conservative and carries the values of the BC Liberal Party, but he has a social conscience as well, and we fell down on that a bit after the last election. We have to be more focused on the needs of British Columbians.”
Clovechok was also very pleased to hear Wilkinson say in his acceptance speech that he wanted to get a a wildlife management plan in place.
“For us in Columbia River Revelstoke, in the East Kootenay that is critical. And it shows that he’s heard people.”
