Christy Clark, like George Abbott, made her way to Prince George Tuesday night to gather final momentum in the race for BC Liberal Party leader. About 50 people joined her and special guest Pamela Martin at an evening reception at the Days Inn.
Prior to Prince George, Clark and her team had also made northern stops in Williams Lake and Quesnel on Tuesday, followed by more hustle on the hustings today.
"I don't actually know where I'll be during the day on Thursday, they [Clark's campaign team] are not telling me," she told The Citizen during a free moment in the proceedings. She has a large reception scheduled in Vancouver that night.
"We are visiting all the places that need our support right now, where the volunteers have done a great job and where the issues need addressed most to help send the message that Saturday is a very important day for the province and I want to be the choice people make. I knew I would be in Williams Lake and Quesnel and Prince George at this point, and Wednesday back in the Lower Mainland for a visit there, but on Thursday I will go wherever I'm needed most."
A large contingent of the city's Sikh community were in evidence at Clark's event, including speeches in both Punjabi and English languages. Clark's supporters sat in rows of tables while she and her key campaign supporters stood with her at the front of the room for dialogue that was passionate at times, casual at times, and was followed by circulation of the room that ensured she shook the hand of everyone and held brief one-on-one discussions with those who wished.
If there was one message that ran clearest during the 90-minute appearance it was the importance of party members investing the time to take part in the leadership vote. The final four candidates are all seasoned political veterans, all go back at least to the 1990s as party representatives, all have cabinet experience, and each is trying to differentiate themselves not only from each other but unpopular policies under outgoing Premier Gordon Campbell. Clark was obviously lobbying for the support of all those in the Days Inn room Tuesday night, but the overarching spirit was for the party members to all put in their votes in the leadership convention.
Clark spent time stressing her belief that the vote on Saturday was about more than who would be leader and Premier-elect on Sunday, but who was going to be best at taking on the NDP come the next provincial election. She made her case that the NDP would be best fought be her.
The Liberal party and the province will know in a matter whatever time remains on the countdown clock Clark has posted on her campaign home page. When her plane lifted off from Prince George Airport Tuesday night that clock stated "three days, 19 hours, 30 minutes, 45 seconds."
