CONVERSATION WITH KEVIN

Leadership for a New Generation

Every generation gets a chance to define its future. Here in British Columbia, the BC Liberal Party and our province are at that moment. Our leadership race is a chance to renew our party and province, and help define not only our future, but also our children's future.

When you start talking about BC’s future, you have to start by talking with all British Columbians and their families about the things that are important to them. Not just rural British Columbians or urban British Columbians but all British Columbians. Because when everything is said and done, it’s our people and their ideas that set us apart as a great place to live, work and do business.

For me, it means a style that boils down to three words: listen, learn, lead. During my nine years in government, including overseeing the health and transportation ministries, that’s the approach I’ve taken. I know that approach works and it’s key to reconnecting with British Columbians and making sure that we’re listening when British Columbians speak up.

The Day After the HST Referendum

The HST is going to be the first place to demonstrate that we’ve heard British Columbians, loud and clear. They told us in no uncertain terms that they didn’t like the way the HST was introduced, and they really question its value to their families and our economy. Frankly, we did a bad job, and we need to do much better going forward.

I want to see the HST referendum date moved up. We’ve got lots of work to do in BC and there’s no reason to wait until September. I want to make sure that we all know what we’re going to do as a province the day after the referendum, regardless of the outcome. So, I want to make sure British Columbians get the chance to make a choice, but I also want government to have outlined an effective plan for the day after the referendum to act on what British Columbians decide.

Frankly, I think the HST is good for BC. But, if British Columbians vote it down, I’ll repeal it, and we’ll have the best plan possible in place to deal with that decision. But, I also want to make sure that before we vote, that every British Columbian knows the facts -- not the spin -- the facts, because that vote is about our future. Part of the discussion I want to have with British Columbia is whether we should consider changes. For example, should we reduce the rate from 12% to 10%? What if that was phased in with a 1% reduction in 2011 and the other 1% when provincial revenues warrant. I want to have a full, open and informed discussion with British Columbians and use the mandate provided by the referendum to give people a real choice.

The key point though is, whatever British Columbians decide, we’ll be ready to move forward with an effective plan in either outcome.

Investing in Ourselves

Our leadership race is about the future, not just the future of our party, but also the future of our province. When Jessica and I look at Josephine, our 10 month old daughter, we realize how much actually changes in a single generation.

Twenty years from now, about 80 per cent of the jobs that my daughter might be interested in pursuing don’t even exist today. That’s the kind of world we’re heading into. The world is a much smaller place than a generation ago, and that means our kids need to be ready to compete with the best and the brightest from around the world. Every parent understands that, Jessica and I certainly do. If we don’t prepare our children for that future, then frankly we will have failed as a province.

I want to make sure we’re investing in our people, in ourselves. It starts by ensuring British Columbians have good childcare choices, early education options, a strong and effective public school system, help for children that need support to learn, and the kind of post-secondary education and training that prepares our kids for a whole new world. It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to having with British Columbia families right across the province, that’s where it has to start.

The Power and Opportunities of Northern and Interior British Columbia

BC’s interior and north account for 60 per cent of our provincial economy, and no place in our province has been more affected by the international recession. I want to leverage every asset we can to rebuild our northern and interior economy so that we can put that powerful economic engine back to work for British Columbia. The fact is, BC’s economy is inextricably linked to the people and natural resources that exist beyond the lower mainland and they’re going to play a big part in providing the revenues we need for healthcare and education.

I want us to develop a vision that recognizes the power and potential of these regions. It should be a vision built on a pretty bold action plan that includes making our north and interior the preferred supply chain between the two largest economies in the world, China and the USA. This opportunity means leveraging the Port of Prince Rupert, and Prince George’s rail and international airport connections to increase trade traffic because this northern corridor offers Asia and the US the most efficient trade route and I want us to turn that capacity into jobs and opportunities.

I will pull together community leaders to leverage these and other ideas that recognize the potential we all see to create a new, vibrant economy with the kinds of jobs and opportunities families and northern communities are looking for. I want to drive a true northern agenda - informed by northerners - not Victoria.

Investing in Ourselves and Leveraging Our People, Talent and Resources

Any made-in-BC economic plan for the future has to take into account the tremendous contributions and capacity of our Asian communities. No other province in Canada has better connections to places like China, India, Korea, or the Philippines. We need to leverage those connections to access markets, build business alliances and identify overseas opportunities. I don’t think we’ve done enough to put those connections to work for British Columbia.

I also want to make sure that both our First Nations and non First Nations communities are a big part of BC’s economic future. If we’re going to create jobs and opportunities right across the province, communities need to be part of that decision.

I also want to talk to British Columbians about how we can encourage new investment in R&D as well as growing our green technology sector in order to grow new, sustainable jobs here in BC.

Families First

For me, this campaign is all about families because they’re at the core of everything I want to do, starting with more childcare options. Jessica and I know, firsthand, that parents with young families want seamless childcare. So I want to talk to British Columbians about how we do that and whether, for instance, our schools could provide safe and family-friendly locations for before and after school daycare.

About 30 per cent of children across BC aren’t ready for kindergarten, and that’s not good enough. Early childhood education is the best investment we can make in BC’s future. Every parent knows that the early years are the most important. I see that as a new dad and watch my daughter changing by the week. So, if we want to give our kids the best possible chance to succeed, we need to give them the benefit of an early childhood education.

No family in British Columbia appreciates our public healthcare system more than mine. My mom was a nurse for 30 years, over 20 of them at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, and my dad suffered for years with a degenerative disease that eventually took his life. My brother Greg was critically injured and received outstanding care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops and the regional burn unit at VGH. Our family’s experience reinforced just how valuable our public healthcare system is. At the same time, when I was Minister of Health, I understood that money alone wasn’t the answer to making sure we have a great healthcare system that’s there when we need it.

We’re already spending almost 50 per cent of our provincial budget on healthcare. I believe the key is to be more creative and more innovative on how we get as much patient care as possible out of those billions of dollars.

Listen, Learn, Lead

Over the next few months, as we head to February 26 and the leadership vote, I want to talk to as many people as possible because our party is a coalition of British Columbians committed to a free enterprise province with the kind of strong economy that allows us to make major investments in healthcare, education and social programs for the most vulnerable British Columbians. I want to use this time to show British Columbians that a BC Liberal Party with Kevin Falcon as Premier is prepared to listen, learn and lead as we build a better British Columbia together.