91原创鈥檚 Liberal MLAs are singing the praises of their party鈥檚 new leader, following Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Andrew Wilkinson鈥檚 win over the weekend.
Wilkinson edged out former Surrey mayor Dianne Watts for the top spot, earning enough points from second and third placements to win the B.C. Liberal leadership with 4,621 points.
Congratulations to Andrew Wilkinson, BC Liberal Leader
鈥� Today's BC Liberals (@bcliberals)
Following Christy Clark鈥檚 Aug. 4 departure, veteran 91原创 East MLA Rich Coleman held the interim-leader post until a new leader was elected.
Coleman called Wilkinson 鈥渁 really solid guy.鈥�
鈥淗e was the president of the party in 1998 and he actually hosted the B.C. Liberal convention here, so we go way back,鈥� Coleman said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 always been a real class act. He鈥檚 a very capable guy. He鈥檒l do a good job.鈥�
Mary Polak was happy with the result. The longtime 91原创 MLA said that two of the reasons she worked on Wilkinson鈥檚 team for leadership were his authenticity and integrity.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of those rare people in politics who is exactly what he seems,鈥� Polak said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no hidden agenda. He鈥檚 a very straightforward person, and I very much appreciate that.鈥�
Polak said Wilkinson is grounded in 鈥渨hat has been the traditional identity of our coalition party, around free enterprise.鈥�
She said in B.C., there are rural and urban sensibilities that need to be brought together.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 do things that exacerbate the divide,鈥� Polak said. 鈥淵ou need to look at the province as a whole.鈥�
HERE WE GO: The new leader of the is Andrew Wilkinson
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Following the vote, Wilkinson thanked the other candidates and reminded party members of the come-from-behind election win by Clark in 2013 and the landslide victory led by Gordon Campell in 2001.
鈥淭hink about fiscal responsibility, that we are the party that does not spend our children鈥檚 money,鈥� Wilkinson told a boisterous crowd at the Vancouver Wall Centre hotel on Saturday. 鈥淎ll of us have to come together now.鈥�
Watts, who led the leadership race going into the fifth round, finished with 4,075 points.
Wilkinson has an impressive resume as a politician, lawyer, and licensed physician. He was appointed minister of advanced education on Dec. 18, 2014, and prior to that, served as minister of technology, innovation and citizens鈥� services from June 2013, after being elected MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena in the 2013 general election.
Prior to being elected MLA, Wilkinson worked as a lawyer in the Vancouver offices of a major national law firm, and before being called to the bar he was a licensed physician, living and working as a doctor in Campbell River, Lillooet and Dease Lake.
鈥淗e鈥檚 no slouch,鈥� Polak said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 also a Rhodes scholar in his spare time. He also served as deputy minister under the (Gordon) Campbell government for a time, so he鈥檚 well acquainted with how government works.鈥�
Polak believes Wilkinson brings to the table 鈥渢he whole package,鈥� and in doing so positions the B.C. Liberal Party as a political force moving forward.
鈥淣ow we have our leadership settled and it鈥檚 time for us to get to work to make sure our party is properly rebuilt,鈥� Polak said.
鈥淎ndrew鈥檚 job as a leader is to bring everybody back together,鈥� Coleman said.
鈥淭he toughest thing, I鈥檝e always said, for a political party is a leadership campaign. When you鈥檙e done, you have to go heal. Last time after Christy (Clark won the party election) there were people who were disappointed or threatened to leave, or (said they) can鈥檛 work with her, and they found out they could, and she grew into the leadership, and became the most exceptional leader in B.C. political history. I think he can do the same thing.鈥�
Coleman hands over reins
Coleman was, in the opinion of many of the party faithful, a strong candidate to run as Liberal leader.
But the 91原创 East MLA said that for private reasons, he decided not to run.
鈥淭he leadership thing鈥� at times you think emotionally you鈥檇 like to do it, but I look at it from a different perspective,鈥� Coleman said.
鈥淚 have been leaving on Sundays to go to Victoria for 22 years. I looked at that, and the family, and all of that stuff, and I knew how invested emotionally people around me get in things, and I really felt that I didn鈥檛 want to put them through it, and felt it would be the right thing for me not to run for leader. It was a private decision for me.鈥�
The age of the former deputy premier and solicitor general (he was born in 1956) also factored into his decision to not throw his hat in the ring.
鈥淛ust thinking about where I wanted to be five, 10 years from now. Obviously I鈥檝e got a term to finish and I鈥檝e got another decision to make going into the next election, and I鈥檒l make that decision about a year from now.鈥�
Coleman said you have to have a 鈥渃ertain fire in your belly鈥� to lead a political party.
鈥淚 said to (former Liberal premier) Gordon Campbell once, 鈥楲ook, I鈥檇 make a really good lieutenant.鈥� And he said 鈥榊ou鈥檇 make an unbelievable lieutenant,鈥欌�� Coleman related.
鈥淚 can make sure the work gets done and the trains run on time, take care of people, sit down, get to know them, and help them learn their portfolios and things and that鈥檚 what I鈥檒l continue to do.鈥�
