BC NDP leader Adrian Dix says Premier Christy Clark will not get a free pass into the B.C Legislature.
He said the NDP will put up a candidate in the upcoming byelection in Westside-Kelowna.
“We are looking forward to running a strong campaign with an Okanagan candidate against the Premier in Westside-Kelowna,” said Dix.
“The BC NDP will run a candidate with local roots who can offer the people of Kelowna and West Kelowna a strong, local voice in the legislature.”
He said the as-of-yet unnamed NDP candidate will advocate for quality healthcare and seniors care, jobs and a thriving local economy, including local agricultural industries and opportunities for young people.
“We will hold the government accountable for its record and for the commitments it made during the election, including its commitment to a balanced budget, to decreased debt and increased job creation,” said Dix.
“The Liberal Party will not get a free pass on aspects of its record such as the threat of massive rate increases at BC Hydro due to the government’s mismanagement and the urgent need for investment in our forests.”
The local NDP constituency association will choose the party’s candidate. Carole Gordon ran for the NDP in the riding in last month’s provincial election and finished a distant second to Liberal incumbent Ben Stewart, who took 58 per cent of the vote.
On Wednesday, Stewart said he is stepping aside to let Clark run in a byelection is the hope of wining a seat in the B.C. Legislature. Clark lost her Vancouver-Point Grey seat to NDP challenger David Eby in the May 14 vote.
The Liberals won the election with 49 of the 85 sears, despite expectations from political pundits that Clark could pull it off and public opinion poll numbers that showed her party down by 20 points heading into the 28-day campaign
Dix said he planned to put every effort into supporting his party’s candidate in the Westside-Kelowna byelection and would make the case for strong, local representation.
Clark,who lives in Vancouver, said Wednesday she plans to make a second residence in the riding.
