He’s new to the Legislature, but Michael Lee is confident he’s the future of the B.C. Liberals.
Lee, who was elected Vancouver-Langara MLA for the first time in the spring, is seeking the leadership of the party.
“I want to bring change and renewal. The B.C. Liberals are the one party that can best represent all of the concerns,” he said of economic, social and environmental issues.
Lee was in Vernon Wednesday and has been making the rounds across the province.
“People are hearing my message and they recognize we need something different,” he said.
“B.C. Liberals do care about their communities, their children and their grandchildren. It’s about balance. We can take care of both (environment and economy).”
Lee is currently among eight candidates for the party leadership. The others are Michael de Jong, Sam Sullivan, Lucy Sager, Dianne Watts, Todd Stone, Mike Bernier and Andrew Wilkinson.
“It’s a good situation for the party because we need new perspectives. We’ll try to create new energy,” said Lee of the multiple options for party members to consider.
Lee is a business lawyer with a focus on the forestry, mining, energy and technology sectors, and he has also been involved in community work with social service, educational and youth organizations.
Prior to that, he was involved in politics behind the scenes, including serving as staff for former prime minister Kim Campbell.
As he tours the province, he is hearing concerns about the NDP government and its policies towards pipelines and the Site C hydro project.
“They’ve created great uncertainty for the province,” he said, adding that investors may think twice before coming to the province.
Lee says the NDP have also kept some election promises unfulfilled such as $10 a day child care.