Cook picked as NDP candidate
A UBC Okanagan PhD candidate has stepped up to take on Premier Christy Clark in the upcoming provincial election.
Shelley Cook will be formally chosen as the NDP candidate in the Kelowna West riding at a party nomination meeting scheduled for March 18.
She’ll be running against Clark, who is the incumbent MLA, Green Robert Mellalieu, and independent Brian Thiesen in the May 9 vote.
“This was something I really wanted to be a part of,” said Cook.
“I think my call to action for me was around some of the concerns I saw with the middle and lower class individuals, the struggles of the average man and woman in B.C., and feeling like because of my perspective on issues, I could certainly make a difference,” said Cook.
Cook is currently leading two research studies at UBC Okanagan, focusing on homelessness.
She was formerly the executive director of the John Howard Society in Kelowna.
“I’m new to politics, but the work I did was very political,” said Cook. “I’m not 100 per cent sure what to expect, but my firm belief is what you care about can change the world, and I care about people; I’m hopeful it will make a difference, and I want to do everything I can to ensure that happens.”
Cook plans to focus on issues directly impacting middle and low income people, including housing, child care, mental health support and jobs, she said.
“I plan to be out there and learning more about the needs and interests of people in the riding,” she said. “I need to get out and talk to the average person and find out what are the things that concern them now and in the future. I just have a general sense that we’re not taking care of all people equally, and I have a desire to see a bigger push towards inclusive, supportive, diverse communities.”
Cook lives on the Kelowna side of the Kelowna West riding, where she has been since 2011, although she has lived in the Central Okanagan since 2003.
Cook will be hosting a meet and greet today at Parkinson Recreation Centre from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The nomination meeting is March 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the BCGEU building on Borden Avenue, near the Capri centre.
For more information, search Kelowna West Provincial NDP on Facebook.