The first hat has been thrown in the ring for the BC Liberal Party leadership.
Skeena MLA and Kitimat resident Ellis Ross has announced his candidacy.
The Kitimat resident was first elected MLA in 2017, and before that he served on council with the Haisla Nation from 2003 to 2016, with his final five years as chief.
He was asked why he’s seeking party leadership.
“I’m not happy where B.C. is heading, in the last three years now. And I truly love being from B.C. and I love being from Canada. And I do want a future for my kids, my grand kids, and I want B.C. to be strong. Society-wise, economic-wise. I think we owe it to our future to make sure that happens.”
Ross was a strong advocate for LNG development while serving the Haisla Nation, and he was awarded the Order of B.C. in 2014.
This week, Andrew Wilkinson formally resigned as party leader, which gives the Liberals one year to have a permanent leader in place.
Wilkinson announced he would be stepping down after leading his party to a disappointing election result, where the Liberals lost 13 seats, falling from 41 to 28 seats in the BC Legislature while the NDP claimed a majority mandate.
Ross was asked why the Liberals lost so many seats in last fall’s election.
“I just think ultimately no one expected a snap election to be called in the middle of an pandemic. Nobody. Especially for us, when we had cooperated for the government along with the Green Party. The last thing I ever thought was that. Nobody, including the NDP National Party, said an election was going to be called. It is what it is.”
Prince George – Valemount MLA Shirley Bond was named interim caucus leader of the party last November, and will hold that position at least through the spring session in Victoria.
Speaking to NL News yesterday, Bond wouldn’t speculate whether a new leader will be in place for September, saying right now is an important process for the rebuilding party.
“The leadership election organizing committee is meeting weekly to look at the specifics of that selection process. And there is a requirement that within 28 days, they will indicate the specific details. So I’m looking forward to that,” Bond says.
“So I don’t want to speculate. Obviously the party executive will receive a report from the leadership organizing committee. We need to contemplate the fact that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, which precludes people from campaigning in a way that they normally would. So all of those factors will be considered.”
