VICTORIA — The race to replace former premier Christy Clark as leader of British Columbia's Liberal party is getting crowded, with as many as eight candidates expected to announce by the end of this week.
Former Liberal cabinet minister Andrew Wilkinson is the latest to seek the leadership, and both former education minister Mike Bernier and past finance minister Mike de Jong are also expected to announce their candidacy.
Former transportation minister Todd Stone put out a video saying he is carefully considering a decision, and then added that under his leadership the B.C. Liberal Party would not accept taxpayer subsidies as proposed by the NDP.
Recently-elected Vancouver Liberal Michael Lee has indicated he'll also join federal MP Dianne Watts, Terrace businesswoman Lucy Sagar and backbench Liberal Sam Sullivan in the contest to lead B.C.'s Opposition.
Former B.C. environment minister Mary Polak introduced Wilkinson as the person who can help rebuild the Liberal party and bring it back to victory.
Wilkinson says he's running for party leader because B.C. needs a person who understands every part of the province.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to encourage me to put my name forward for leader of the BC Liberal Party. It's a decision that I'm carefully considering. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few thoughts on the need for a fresh vision for our party and our province. Please share if you agree.
Posted by Todd Stone on Sunday, 24 September 2017
