Kevin Falcon won the Vancouver-Kiltsena primary by an overwhelming majority on Saturday with 6,200 votes – more than double the 2,590 ballots cast by his nearest NDP candidate Jeanette Ashe, according to preliminary results. The victory was expected in the Liberal stronghold, which was represented by two former party leaders, Andrew Wilkinson and Gordon Campbell. “Tonight we received a wonderful message from Vancouver-Kilzena voters, saying it was time for the rhetoric to end, it’s time for a government that is working,” Falcon told a crowd of supporters at the party’s headquarters. Vancouver. . The former cabinet minister has had no voice in the legislature since winning the party leadership race in February. It fills the vacancy left by former Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson, who won riding in 2020 but resigned to open the Falcon to sit in the legislature. Falcon, 59, is returning to politics after leaving a decade ago to spend more time with his young family and work in the private sector at a Vancouver investment and real estate company. He has held a number of portfolios in the cabinet since his first election in 2001, including transport, health, finance and deputy prime minister. Falcon finished second in the 2011 leadership race, losing to Christie Clark, who served as prime minister until the party lost power in 2017. Falcon said in an interview that he had heard concerns from voters about housing and fuel prices, as well as a lack of access to family doctors. “We have people who are really struggling to make ends meet and this government has done nothing but raise taxes, raise spending, to no avail,” he said. Ashe, a political scientist married to Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, congratulated Falcon on his victory. She said she was proud of the NDP campaign and its focus on the Falcon record, which she said included working for the rich and good connections. Her campaign was not about personal attacks, but about checking a former politician’s background, she said. “His record has been profound and devastating cuts in healthcare, housing, education,” she said in an interview. Greens candidate Wendy Haiko with 10 percent, Conservative Dallas Brody with 7 percent and Liberal Sandra Philosopher-Sipper with 1 percent also claimed the seat. The results from Elections BC are not final, but Falcon said he expects to be in the legislature before the end of the current sitting. His first mandate as leader of the official opposition will be to address gaps in rhetoric and promises that will be made on issues such as gas prices, housing costs, rental prices and taxes. “I now have a position in the legislature to hold the government accountable by looking them in the eye and asking them the difficult questions I intend to ask.” Liberal politicians of the past and present have said they look forward to watching Falcon in the legislature. Wilkinson, who failed to lead the party to victory in the 2020 election, said “the aftermath is perfect”, but would offer advice or lessons only if asked. He described Falcon as a “very credible, very thoughtful” candidate and said he fully supported the new leader. Trevor Halford, MLA of Surrey-White Rock, said Shirley Bond had been a strong interim leader and was looking forward to watching Falcon’s transition to a formal opposition leader. “Kevin will ask some very direct and very difficult questions because he is a guy who wants results. And we will be there to support them in this. “ Greens leader Sonia Furstenau said she hoped to continue working with the Liberal parliamentary group on a common ground, such as the all-party Health Committee to tackle the drug poisoning crisis. This Canadian Press report was first published on April 30, 2022.
