The revolving door has started.
Just this week, three of the people wanting to be the next leader of the B.C. Liberal Party made stops in Vernon, speaking to party faithful and the media.
And it’s likely there will be more to come as the other eight candidates, at this time, try to increase their profile.
Top of the agenda is to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack and that could be particularly difficult given that most of them are MLAs and have been colleagues for years. How do they distance themselves from each other without appearing to have created divisions within the Liberal family?
The other reality is that most of them were part of Christy Clark’s government, which went from a majority position to minority status during this spring’s election, only to have power snatched away by the NDP and Greens.
While the Liberals were responsible for some positive activities over their tenure, a lot of British Columbians were not satisfied with the policies of the day. The candidates now wanting to be leader will be painted with both the good and the bad.
While only members of the B.C. Liberal Party can vote for the new leader Feb. 1 to 3, the implications for the entire province are significant. After all, the victor will be leader of the official opposition and potentially the next premier.
It will be interesting to see if the party can create a fresh, new image or if will be more of the same old stuff.