MLA backs Wilkinson for B.C. Liberal leader
Norm Letnick says Andrew Wilkinson appealed to him as ‘all-around candidate’
Andrew Wilkinson is the best person to lead the B.C. Liberals, says Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick.
Letnick endorsed Wilkinson Thursday morning in Kelowna, one day after KelownaMission MLA Steve Thomson endorsed Todd Stone for the same job.
“I was looking for an all-around candidate, one that could best serve my constituents,” Letnick said of choosing Wilkinson.
“He practised as a medical doctor around British Columbia, he studied and practised as a lawyer . . . he’s been a leader on the bureaucracy side of government . . . as well as on the political side,” said Letnick. “When I looked at all the candidates . . . at the end of the day, he crossed the finish line ahead of the others.”
Letnick said a deciding factor for him was the fact the Liberals lost so many seats in the Lower Mainland in the last election.
“If we are going to win government back, we need to win back those Lower Mainland seats,” he said. “Andrew Wilkinson lives there, he represents the people there, and that’s another reason why I’m supporting him for this job, because we need boots on the ground.”
Wilkinson was elected as an MLA in 2013, representing Vancouver-Quilchena.
He is currently the Liberal critic for the attorney general.
Letnick is one of 13 current MLAs to endorse Wilkinson in the Liberal leadership race, in which party members will vote in early February.
Former Kelowna mayor Walter Gray announced his support for Wilkinson last week.
Wilkinson said Thursday his goal as Liberal leader would be to ensure young people have the best opportunity to get the skills they need to find jobs in B.C.
“That means we’ve got to have the right tax policy (and) the right incentives to make sure employers and investors are settling here in British Columbia and building our economy and creating the employment that we need,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure people have the confidence to continue to invest in the Okanagan.”
Wilkinson said what sets him apart from the other candidates is that he has lived and worked all over British Columbia, including Dease Lake, Campbell River and Kamloops.
“It gives (me) the ability to ask the questions in each community with some understanding of their way of life,” he said. “I’m comfortable throughout B.C., and I think it’s a real advantage.”