Premier gives MLA strong endorsement

Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett (Liberal) has officially announced his intention to run for a fourth term.

Bennett made the announcement Friday, June 8 during his constituency association’s gala evening at Colombo Lodge in Cranbrook.

Premier Christy Clark, on hand for the Friday evening meeting, said she believes Bennett’s standing in his riding is as strong as it has ever been.

“Bill put 360 people in the Colombo Hall last night. They were the most enthusiastic group I have ever seen,” she said. “It sold out in less than a week and it was a huge fundraiser for the riding. If you want to find out if a riding is healthy, see if you can put together a 360 person fundraiser in a week! And if you can, the folks are ready for the campaign.”

Bennett was first elected in 2001 when he defeated incumbent NDP MLA Erda Walsh. He has held five cabinet posts in that time.

He was kicked out of the Liberal Party in November 2010, two days after being removed from cabinet (as Minister of Energy). After Campbell stepped down as Premier and a new leader (Clark) was chosen, Bennett (forced to sit in the Legislature as an independent) was welcomed back into the Liberal fold.

Clark, in a Saturday morning (June 9) interview at the Kootenay Child Development Centre in Cranbrook, said Bennett is a tireless worker and is relieved and pleased to know he’s officially running again.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am. The thing is, Bill is the kind of politician people want. They want people who will speak their mind – that will be honest – that will stand up for their communities and for their values. That’s why I made him our platform co-chair. He is going to be building our platform and our plan for the campaign and then for the next term of government. Because we need to reflect the kind of values that Bill Bennett brings to Victoria, in our government that Bill has brought in the past.

“I’m really excited about what is coming up,” she said, turning to look at Fairmont Hot Springs resident Doug Clovechok who was seated nearby. “And Doug Clovechok is going to win in the other riding and I can tell you why. He is out working harder than

just about any candidate I’ve ever seen and he hasn’t even been nominated officially yet, so I am feeling really confident about both these ridings.

“Here’s the other thing, too, about the Kootenays. People here are entrepreneurial, self motivated, tenacious; they believe in free enterprise. Those are all things that I believe in and that our government believes in. With 17 new and expanded mines on the books with a real commitment to our resource sector, we don’t believe that resource extraction is a disease, like our opposition seems to believe. We believe it is the opportunity of a lifetime and it is an opportunity of a lifetime for all those families that depend on mining and forestry to be able to put food on the table for their kids. And I think that is what is going to win us the election.”

Bennett, whose political career seemed headed for independent status in the waning days of Gordon Campbell’s reign at the helm of the Liberal Party after he publically questioned the then Premier’s leadership, says he stands firmly behind Clark as she heads toward her first election for the top seat in B.C. politics.

“What I have come to believe in and it has certainly been reinforced in the past 24 hours is if we could clone Christy Clark and put her in every village, town and city in British Columbia  between now and next May (2013) the NDP wouldn’t have a chance. Let’s get Christy Clark and Adrian Dix on the stage together. Let’s see them discuss the issues, let’s find out what the NDP is all about and let’s get Christy Clark out there talking to people like she has over the last 24 hours in the East Kootenay,” he said, adding,  “She’s real; she’s a real human being that cares about people. She’s the perfect person to move us forward.”

“We have our work cut out for us,” Clark admitted. “The next three months I am going to be traveling the province. I am sure I am going to be back here in the Kootenays in the next three months as well, just talking to people – finding out what their hopes and dreams are for British Columbia. Talking to them about what our hopes and dreams are for this province as well and doing what Bill said – just getting out of Victoria and getting into peoples’ living rooms where we can have an honest conversation about what they want for their kids.”

The next provincial election (the 40^th in the province’s history) will be May 14, 2013.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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