Mike de Jong, the longtime Liberal cabinet minister who recently celebrated 24 years as a B.C. MLA, paid a brief visit to Osoyoos last week to meet supporters and talk about why he believes he’s the best candidate to replace former premier Christy Clark as the leader of the B.C. Liberal Party. (Keith Lacey photo)

One of the clear frontrunners to become the new leader of the Liberal Party of British Columbia paid a brief visit to Osoyoos last week to discuss why he should win the race to replace former premier Christy Clark.

Mike de Jong, who recently celebrated his 24th year in provincial politics as the MLA for Abbotsford West, said he entered the race to become the Liberal leader simply because so many people he respected and admired were relentless in encouraging him to run.

“It wasn’t something I immediately thought about,” said de Jong in seeking the Liberal leadership. “I think what in large part changed my mind was the e-mails and phone calls and encouragement I received … the tremendous amount of support out there.”

De Jong was re-elected in 2013 as the MLA for Abbotsford West, an area he has represented since first being elected to the Legislative Assembly in a 1994 by-election. He was reappointed as Minister of Finance in 2013, a position he held until this summer when Premier John Horgan and the NDP formed the new government.

A six-term MLA, de Jong has previously served as Minister of Health, Attorney General, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Minister of Labour and Citizens’ Services, and Minister of Forests. He also served as Government House Leader.

Before entering provincial politics, de Jong served two terms as an elected school trustee in Abbotsford and was a practising lawyer with his own firm.

Still an avid beer league hockey player, de Jong played for the Abbottsford Pilots Jr. B hockey team and still lives on the Matsqui Prairie farm where he grew up near Abbottsford.

Former Liberal premier Gordon Campbell encouraged him to run as an MLA back in 1994, even though the NDP and Social Credit had dominated the riding for more than 40 years, said de Jong.

He ended up defeating legendary former Social Credit Party leader Grace McCarthy, who recently passed away, by less than 50 votes.

It was an exciting time in British Columbia politics as “the province shifted” from the conservative values of the Social Credit and NDP parties to “the free enterprise Liberals,” he said.

The past 24 years have flown by incredibly quickly and he’s thoroughly enjoyed his political career and proud of the fact he’s held down several high-profile cabinet positions, said de Jong.

“They say that time flies when you’re having fun … and these past 24 years have flown by because I really do enjoy what I do,” he said.

While winning the leadership race is his top priority before the final votes are cast in early February, de Jong said he will also focus on ensuring the governing NDP and Horgan are held accountable for their decisions.

“First and foremost, we, as a party, have to pride ourselves in being strong in opposition and we have to hold Horgan and the NDP accountable,” he said.

While Clark and the Liberals “certainly weren’t perfect and made our fair share of mistakes” during a 16-year run as the party in power, de Jong said he’s proud of the fact this province became a national leader in economic development and job growth over the past several years.

If he does win the leadership, de Jong said one of his top priorities would be to increase educational opportunities for all British Columbians.

He has formally proposed that the Liberals would provide a Retired Education Savings Plan (RESP) of $100 per month or $1,200 in total for all students when they start school. The provincial government would add $500 per year.

The plan would allow matching contributions from the federal government and parents, he said.

“This would allow those who graduate from high school to have $10,000 to $15,000 available to them to pursue their post-secondary education,” he said. “No one would be able to say they couldn’t pursue their education because they couldn’t afford it.

“If families were allowed to top this off, the restrictions of financial impediments to higher education would disappear.”

Another priority would be “decentralizing government … so not everything is centred in Victoria and Vancouver,” said de Jong.

He applauds moves by the Liberals to move the head office for the province’s forestry branch to Prince George and move the head office for the B.C. Lottery Corporation to Kamloops several years ago, he said.

“You are empowering other parts of this province and telling them you will play a role and benefit” from having key provincial departments located outside of Victoria and the Lower Mainland, he said.

Using a hockey analogy, de Jong says the Liberals “need a good captain to lead the team” and he believes his small-town upbringing and many years in the upper echelons of government provide him with the necessary leadership skills to lead the Liberal party.

“Many of the people I’ve met in my travels tell me they support me because I’ve always been there in good times and bad,” he said. “It’s easy to lead a team when you’re winning 4-1, but it’s much more difficult when you’re trailing 4-1. These people know I will be there when we’re down 4-1.”

De Jong said he plans on spending much of the next three months travelling across the province to meet regular citizens and convince them he’s the best choice to lead the party.

“There are a lot of good candidates seeking the leadership, which is very good for the party’s future,” he said. “My job is to convince them I’m the best captain for our Liberal team so we can re-energize British Columbians.”

De Jong said he expects to return to Osoyoos and the Okanagan Valley as the leadership race continues over the winter towards February’s vote.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times