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Christy Clark: Why I Should Be Leader

In her own words, premier-designate Christy Clark details her three priorities for B.C. government and a new vision for BC Liberal leadership.

By Christy Clark /

Christy Clark BC Liberal Leader
Commentators believe Premier Clark’s biggest challenge will come from either John Horgan or Mike Farnsworth.

In her own words, premier-designate Christy Clark details her three priorities for B.C. government and a new vision for BC Liberal leadership.

UPDATE: Christy Clark defeated Kevin Falcon in the BC Liberal leadership vote of 26 Saturday 2011. Her narrow victory – 52 per cent to 48 per cent – came on the third ballot, after George Abbot (3rd) and Mike de Jong (4th) had dropped out. Clark must now hunt for a seat in the B.C. legislature, meaning that one of her 47 MLAs needs to step down to allow for a by-election this spring.
 
Christy Clark Wins! New B.C. Premier: Bill Tieleman
Christy Clark Defeats Kevin Falcon on the Third Ballot: Vancouver Sun
Christy Clark Voted BC Liberal Leader (video of her acceptance speech): CBC
Christy Clark Will Be B.C.’s Next Premier: Vancouver Sun
Christy Clark’s First Task is to Find a Seat in the B.C. Legislature: Globe and Mail

I AM RUNNING FOR LEADER of the BC Liberals – and to lead us to an election victory over the NDP – to bring new leadership to our province. That means more than simply a new Premier, it means a new way of doing business for our government.

This means delivering on three core priorities.

First, we need to focus on fiscal responsibility. It is the only way to make sure we can effectively deliver the services on which British Columbians rely and build the kind of innovation we need to prosper in a rapidly changing world.

The government I want to lead will focus on balancing the books. I will not play games with B.C.’s debt – essentially a tax on our grandchildren. I will make sure that the people who drive our growth are not blind-sided by half-baked policies driven by cynical political considerations. Cutting taxes is the ultimate goal, but I will not cut them if it means cutting back on things like rural development, heart operations, and the key our future prosperity, education.
 
To build our economy I will also create a blue-ribbon economic advisory panel composed of B.C. business leaders. To me, it makes no sense for government to embark on long-range fiscal policies without input from the people who create and sustain jobs.
 
Second, I bring a fresh perspective that will open up our government to the people who pay for it – citizens from one end of British Columbia to the other. We need to entrench measures in government decision-making that bring more views to the table, improve transparency and open up our legislative functions beyond the Victoria bubble.
 
Third, the provincial government needs to recognize that family stability and economic progress go hand-in-hand. I am offering a “Families First” policy framework that makes sure all government decisions give families more flexibility and choices in matters that are important to them: job creation and stability, lifelong learning, early childhood education, K-12 learning, elder care, and community safety.

My perspective is shaped by years outside the cocoon of the Legislature – with me you can count on a leader who is direct, responsive, and committed to bringing positive, prosperous change to B.C.
 
I hope you will take a couple of minutes to learn about my fiscal policies in this video.