Liberal leadership hopefuls debate in Kamloops
The Tournament Capital is playing host on Wednesday, Feb, 2, to a political showdown that could have implications on who gets to lead the province.
The B.C. Liberal Party’s Kamloops-North Thompson and Kamloops-South Thompson constituency associations are bringing the six candidates in the party’s leadership race together for a fundraiser and debate at the Kamloops Convention Centre.
All six candidates — including MLAs George Abbott, Mike de Jong, Kevin Falcon and Moira Stilwell, along with former MLA Christy Clark and former Parksville mayor Ed Mayne — will take part.
However, the event is open only to registered B.C. Liberal members.
“It’s an opportunity for a fairly wide swath of Interior ridings in the central part of the province to attend and hear a debate,” said Hoberly Hove, president of the Kamloops-South Thompson Liberal constituency association.
He added the debate is expected to draw members from neighbouring ridings in the Shuswap, Merritt and 100 Mile House.
Hove said the party hopes to fill the convention centre for the debate and dinner.
That would be 400 members.
There are between 400 and 500 B.C. Liberal members in the Kamloops area.
The hour-long debate, which will start at 5 p.m., will be moderated by former Kamloops Liberal MLA Claude Richmond
Part of the format includes submitted online questions by party members, which will be given to the candidates in advance.
The candidates will also be invited to speak at a dinner that follows the debate.
It’s the second in a series of all-candidate debates planned by the party, the first of which was held in Vancouver last week.
It will also mean return visits to Kamloops for all candidates, aside from Stilwell and Mayne.
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