Stewart sworn in as MLA
The excitement of getting elected MLA in Kelowna West has not yet worn off for Ben Stewart, who was officially sworn into the Legislative Assembly Tuesday morning.
“I was describing it was being a little like election night,” Stewart said from Victoria following the ceremony. “There’s a sense of euphoria when you realize you’ve actually done it. I didn’t have any assumptions that we were going to win.”
Stewart was elected in the Feb. 14 byelection, with 55 per cent of the votes.
Stewart hopes to have his office in West Kelowna on Dobbin Road reopened next week, but he has already started speaking with constituents about local issues.
“No sooner did I finish election night than the phone started ringing about issues to do with the flooding and dock issues,” he said.
One of Stewart’s first orders of business will be organizing a meeting to discuss the new taxes for foreign buyers and speculators announced by the provincial government last week.
“There’s a lot of people that are uneasy about the recent budget announcements about the taxation for people that are not necessarily paying taxes in B.C., absentee owners,” said Stewart. “I’m going to get together a round table of people as soon as we have a break week . . . to see how we can come up with a solution for affordability in the Central Okanagan. I don’t think the public has been very well consulted on that, and I frankly I’ve heard a lot of anger.”
During Stewart’s last run as MLA from 2009 to 2013, he served several positions, including minister of citizens’ services, minister of community and rural development and minister of agriculture.
An announcement has yet to be made on what Stewart’s role will be as part of the Opposition, but Stewart said Tuesday leader Andrew Wilkinson has offered him a position.
“He asked me if I would do something, and I’ve said I would,” said Stewart.