Former Cabinet Minister Faces Pointed Questions During Liberal Leadership Debate

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The first debate in British Columbia’s liberal leadership race saw candidates target a former cabinet minister who left politics a decade ago but is now seeking the party’s highest post.

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Kevin Falcon, a former finance, health and transportation minister in the liberal governments of Prime Ministers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, faced repeated questions Tuesday about his reasons for seeking leadership after leaving politics in 2012.

“Kevin, look, you’ve done a great service to this province by serving as minister in so many important, valuable, and impactful British Columbia Liberal governments in the past, but it’s been 10 years,” said Vancouver Fellow candidate Michael Lee . of the legislature.

Lee, who previously ran for Liberal leadership but was defeated by former Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson, questioned Falcon’s commitment to the campaign and said the former minister has continued to work for his Vancouver real estate development company.

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“You could say he’s doing this on the side of his desk,” Lee said. “Will you run in the next provincial elections and will you support and be part of this team?”

Falcon, who ran for party leader in 2011 but was defeated by Christy Clark, said he decided to leave politics in 2012 because he had a young family and wanted to pursue private business opportunities.

He said he has a reputation for getting things done in public and private life and his commitment to liberals is unwavering.

“Frankly, I don’t know if we need professional politicians,” Falcón said. “This party requires, despite its great history, a reboot and rebuilding and a possible rebranding.”

Falcon, Lee and four other candidates are seeking party leadership.

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Also on the run are: Vancouver businessman Gavin Dew, former chamber of commerce executive Val Litwin, Kelowna MLA Renee Merrifield, and Skeena MLA Ellis Ross.

Liberal members will elect a new leader on February 5 to replace Wilkinson and interim leader Shirley Bond.

The 90-minute debate was broadcast on the Liberal Party’s website and Facebook page.

Merrifield and Ross, both members of the current Liberal Opposition group, continued to press Falcon about his reasons for entering the leadership race.

“If the future of BC is so important to you, why wasn’t it on the ballot with the rest of us in 2017 or even 2020?” Ross said of back-to-back Liberal losses.

“Will you run if you don’t win the race for leadership?” Merrifield asked.

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Falcón said he was running for party leader and prime minister of the province.

The candidates also presented visions for the future of the party, focusing on rebuilding public trust, solving the housing affordability situation in the province, and ensuring that childcare does not become entangled in bureaucracy under New Democracy rule.

“Showing off the bridges we built in the past will not attract new voters,” Lee said.

Ross, the former head of the Kitimat Haisla Nation, said his daughter voted for him in the 2020 election, but she told him she did not support the BC Liberals as a whole.

Ahead of the debate, Stewart Prest, a professor in the Simon Fraser University political science department, said the candidates could clearly indicate the future direction of the party, which lost power in 2017 after four consecutive administrations.

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“The terrain has changed a bit and the party seems to be trying to figure out what that dominant story is going to be that brings the party back together when it is being pushed in different directions,” he said.

Prest said he will look for cues from the candidates that indicate where they want to take the party, which could range from changing the name to renewing and reorienting the Liberals.

The Liberals lost 13 seats in the October 2020 elections that saw Prime Minister John Horgan’s new Democrats reelected by a majority, winning 58 seats to 28 for the Liberals and two Greens.

Wilkinson resigned shortly after the election.

Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Mary Polak said the debate will allow party members to consider the approaches candidates have in guiding the Liberals in the opposition while building a solid program to win the election.

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“The party membership is ready to support someone who can show them a credible plan,” said Polak, who was defeated at his Langley last October.

A publicly released election autopsy by Liberals last June said the defeat of the October 2020 election was the result of factors including a half-hearted platform, an uneasy leader, and the widespread perception within the party that the campaign He was heading for defeat.

The report said liberals must embark on a rebranding that supports voters’ values ​​and aspirations.

“Many perceive that the party lacks diversity, fairly or unfairly,” the report says. “BC Liberals need to recruit, listen to, and uplift British Columbia citizens of all genders, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and economic background. The province has changed and so have the BC Liberals. “

Prest said he will look at the extent to which a candidate says he is prepared to push for broad change within the party.

“It will be interesting to watch it during the debate, as one of our first chances to see if there is a candidate willing to give voice to that kind of approach,” he said.