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Local Election Issues: Liberal Christy Clark

B.C. Premier balancing local riding with provincial issues in Kelowna West
web1_Clark-photo-by-Fletcher
BC Liberal leader Christy Clark. - Image: Tom Fletcher.

Having a local riding candidate that is a party leader is nothing new for Central Okanagan voters.

W.A.C. Bennett served as Premier while leader of the Social Credit Party while representing a Kelowna riding, as did his son Bill Bennett. Now BC Liberal leader Christy Clark carries on that tradition, seeking to win a second consecutive election and retaining her MLA seat for Kelowna West.

“The Bennetts faced the same challenge that I do. We would all like to be home in Kelowna a lot more than we get to but that comes with the responsibility of governing the whole province,” Clark said.

“The people of Kelowna understand the premier has a big job to represent everyone from Cranbrook to Fort Nelson to Prince Rupert to Victoria, but my credo has always been to keep the interests of Kelowna in the forefront of my mind all the time.”

Clark also saluted the many volunteers in her riding who work on her constituency campaign in her absence on the provincial campaign trail.

“I am so thankful to be surrounded by just the best volunteers in the province, people who care about their community. They are real doers just like so many people are in Kelowna.”

Clark said the Liberal campaign formula to earn voter support is job creation, 220,000 jobs created over the past four years; the lowest unemployment rate in Canada; and prudent fiscal management of government.

“I hope people will say we have delivered for the community, from the $41 million water treatment project, the upgrades on Westside Road and those still underway, introduction of new BC Hydro transmission line, to investments in the hospital, airport and the invasive mussels inspection program,” she said.

For more on the 2017 BC Election coverage click here.



Barry Gerding

About the Author: Barry Gerding

Senior regional reporter for Black Press Media in the Okanagan. I have been a journalist in the B.C. community newspaper field for 37 years...
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