On Wednesday, Radio talk-show host Christy Clark became the first outsider to the current Liberal caucus to announce her candidacy for the B.C. Liberal leadership.
She said she plans to roll out a family-first agenda during her campaign, but provided no immediate details. In her campaign launch in downtown Vancouver she did give a nod to northern B.C., saying she wants to build on the province's resource economy.
"The resource based economy is not just important to rural communities, but to the biggest forest-dependent economy in the province, Vancouver," said Clark.
As a former Liberal MLA and cabinet minister, Clark does have ties to the party, but she is the candidate farthest removed from the current Liberal government.
Elected in 1996 - and appointed Minister of Education and deputy premier in 2001, and later holding the children and families portfolio - she left politics in 2005 to spend more time with her family.
In 2007, she started a radio-talk show, from which she has taken a leave of absence.
In response to reporters' questions, Clark sidestepped whether she is returning to politics regardless of whether she is successful in her bid for the leadership. She said that she has a mortgage to pay and food to put on her table, noting she is the only candidate so far that is giving up a pay cheque.
She said, however, that she would entertain any offers if she is unsuccessful in her leadership bid.
Clark joins Moira Stilwell, George Abbott, Kevin Falcon and Mike de Jong in the race. All four were cabinet ministers, who have stepped down from their posts.
Clark took a different position on the harmonized sales tax (HST) than the other candidates, who have called for a referendum on the tax to be moved up from a Sept. 24, 2011 date.
She wants the public and Liberal caucus to consider holding a free vote in the legislature as early as March because Clark believes the referendum is a foregone conclusion and will deliver a no vote. Her opponents, however, have said the public have won the right to have a say on the HST.
Clark said moving up a decision to March, will end the uncertainty on the tax sooner.
She pledged to bring a more open and responsive leaderships style, with information flowing up from the public, not down from Victoria.
Political scientist Norman Ruff said that although Clark will be a front-running candidate with Falcon, she will face criticism as an opportunist.
There is a question of whether she's entered the race simply because she sees an opportunity to gain the premiership, or whether she is serious about re-entering politics, observed Ruff, a professor emeritus at the University of Victoria.
It's not immediately clear when Clark might visit Prince George.
A new regionally-weighted voting system makes it more important for candidates to gain party support throughout the province.
Falcon stopped off in Prince George the same day he announced his candidacy in the Lower Mainland. De Jong has had a low-key visit to Prince George, in which he held no public events.
