Todd Stone tells why he should be next leader of B.C. Liberals
Interior’s only candidate for leadership of B.C. Liberal Party outlines issues as he sees them
The B.C. Liberals need to become a more diverse party that connects with younger voters, says leadership candidate Todd Stone.
“Where I think we missed the mark a little bit in the last campaign was demonstrating that we really understood the challenges that some British Columbians are facing,” said Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson and former minister of transportation, in an interview with The Daily Courier Wednesday.
“I sit across the floor and look at the New Democrats in the legislature, and they have eight MLAs under the age of 40; we have zero.”
The NDP government also has more women and more minorities than the Liberals, he said.
“We can and must do better at reaching out to all British Columbians.”
Stone was prompted to run for the leadership after the NDP took power this summer.
“I was watching what the new government was doing, and brick by brick they’ve been dismantling the strong economic foundation that we painstakingly built with British Columbians for years,” he said. “I decided I couldn’t sit on the sidelines. I needed to step up and do what I could to fight back.”
In his campaign, Stone is focusing on issues such as access to child care and supports for seniors.
“More long-term care beds are needed in this province, better supports for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.”
As a former tech CEO, Stone is also focusing on expanding the technology sector.
“I think it’s really, really important to harness and embrace the technology sector,” he said. “We see that in a big way here in Kelowna with the technology sector becoming such a big part of the local economy. There’s a lot more we can do to take the tech sector to the next level and help more tech companies start and grow faster than is the case today.”
Stone is the only candidate from the Interior, which he sees as an advantage.
“I’ve got the Interior in my bones,” he said. “I think I offer a crossover appeal where I’m as relatable in Kelowna and Williams Lake as I am in Yaletown in Vancouver, and that really matters in a province as big and diverse as British Columbia.”
Besides running in the Liberal leadership race and standing up to Premier John Horgan in the legislature, Stone said his next battle is preparing for the upcoming referendum on proportional representation, which he says has the potential to take away the voice of rural British Columbia.
“I am opposed to changing our electoral system first and foremost,” he said. “With all of its flaws, the current system we have does guarantee two things: one, there’s an intimate relationship between an MLA and who that MLA represents, and I also think that the current system allows for majority governments most of the time.”
Voters in the Kelowna West riding have been awaiting a byelection since former premier Christy Clark stepped down as MLA in July.
Clark was re-elected in the May election, but after the Liberals lost a confidence vote and Horgan became premier, Clark resigned as Kelowna West MLA and Liberal leader.
Former MLA and cabinet minister Ben Stewart will be the Liberal candidate in the byelection. He was re-elected in 2013, but gave up his seat shortly after so Clark could run in a byelection after losing her Vancouver seat.
“He will be welcomed back with open arms,” said Stone, who also criticized Horgan for not yet calling the byelection.
“Premier John Horgan is playing politics with this byelection as if to say that the voice of people in this riding doesn’t matter, that they don’t deserve to have a voice in the legislature as soon as possible,” said Stone. “There are 87 seats, and there’s one seat that’s empty right now that does not have someone advocating for the issues that matter in that riding.”
Stone is one of six candidates vying for the B.C. Liberal leadership. The others are Mike de Jong, Michael Lee, Sam Sullivan, Diane Watts and Andrew Wilkinson. The new leader will be chosen Feb. 3. A leadership debate will be held in Kelowna Dec. 2 at the Coast Capri Hotel. Doors open at 10 a.m., with the debate starting at 10:30 a.m.