Leadership hopeful campaigns with Stewart

BC Liberals to pick their new leader in less than 30 days

The race for MLA in Kelowna West is heating up, even though B.C. Premier John Horgan has yet to call the provincial byelection.

B. Liberal Party leadership hopeful Michael Lee was in the Okanagan over the weekend and spent part of Saturday door knocking on the Westside with Ben Stewart, B. Liberal candidate for Kelowna West.

It’s the fourth time in six weeks Lee, one of six candidates for party leader, has been in the Okanagan.

With the campaign for leadership of the B.C. Liberals down to less than 30 days and the deadline has passed for new party memberships, Lee was in the Okanagan not only to support Stewart, but to reach out to party members.

The BC Liberals had between 15 and 20 volunteers out door-knocking in Kelowna West Saturday, with an opportunity to meet and talk with Lee afterward.

“This byelection is going to be a key point for us,” said Lee, noting the byelection will be under the new Liberal leader.

“I think that there’s no question that this is a bit of a test in terms of the last election,” said Stewart, who added they expect the writ is going to be dropped any day.

“Feb. 3 is the absolute last day that the premier that the premier can call the byelection,” said Stewart.

Stewart resigned as MLA in 2013 to allow then-premier Christy Clark to run in the riding.

The seat has been empty since Clark stepped down as both MLA and Liberal Party leader after the Liberals lost power following the May 2017 provincial election.

“It’s a long time for people to not have somebody available to help sort out provincial concerns,” said Stewart.

One of the issues Stewart said Lee and the other leadership candidates are going to face is affordability.

Lee has been promoting a balanced message for the BC Liberals, noting it’s a false choice to continue to believe that people have to choose between the economy and the environment.

The BC Liberals will be voting for a new leader Feb. 1 to 3.

Stewart will be running against the NDP’s Shelley Cook and Green Robert Stupka in the byelection.

BARB AGUIAR/Westside Weekly Michael Lee, BC Liberal leadership candidate, was out Saturday morning on the Westside, door knocking with Ben Stewart, Liberal candidate for the upcoming Kelowna West byelection. Stewart said he expects the writ to be dropped any day now for the...