By Matt Fetinko

Bond’s next steps; potential new direction for BC Liberals?

Nov 24, 2020 | 3:27 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Listening and learning were the two recurring themes from BC Liberal Interim Leader, Shirley Bond, during a Tuesday morning Zoom call with media.

While again stating there is no interest to run as the permanent leader, Bond said she will be sworn in Wednesday. That process will take two days for the full Liberal caucus. Meanwhile, there is no set date for the interim leadership campaign, Bond said of that, “There is a lot of work to do.” Bond will not endorse any permanent leader candidates once they do come forward.

In the meantime, Bond will be having talks with Liberal MLAs as they wait for Premier Horgan’s Cabinet to be announced, which is expected on Thursday. Bond will then begin to match that cabinet. But all of this does come at a slight cost of her own personal projects, the long fought for surgical tower, for example, as her scope broadens from region to province.

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“I will continue to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of my constituents just like any other MLA. But I, obviously, will have to balance that with a broader provincial view, supporting my caucus colleagues in the work that they’re doing as well,” she said earlier this week.

As for Bond’s designation as interim leader, that is being viewed as the right decision one local expert. Chris Beach, Political Science Instructor at CNC, said that due to not only her location outside the Lower Mainland but also her experience within the party. One that may be taking a new direction.

“The BC Liberal Party is going to have to make a decision. Do they go farther right as they’ve done before or do they move more to the centre and given the fact they lost a lot of seats in the Lower Mainland, there is a strong possibility that they’re going to be more of a real centrist party,” Beach explained.

Bond will serve as interim leader until a new permanent leader is chosen to replace Andrew Wilkinson who officially stepped down via Facebook over the weekend.