As the race for the Liberal leadership heats up, most contenders last week were in Vancouver to meet and court community leaders at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention. Vancouver-Langara MLA Michael Lee took time out of that schedule for a reception in Terrace where he officially announced his candidacy.
“I didn’t want to do it in Vancouver,” he said in an interview at the Terrace Standard. “We need to look at a more balanced message for this province…I want people here to feel they’re more a part of this process. And I needed to send an early signal as to how I see this province.”
Born and raised in Vancouver, Lee has worked for 20 years as a business lawyer in forestry, energy, technology and particularly mining in metallurgical coal and precious metals across the province and within the northwest region.
Lee is calling for more development in these sectors, but with an emphasis on sustainable practices.
“When people are concerned about the environment, for example, like the Green Party or the NDP, they’re not the only parties that are concerned about that.
“Because of my business and legal career, I know we have some of the most stringent regulations in the country, if not the world. Also strong and top safety standards. So we should be developing our resources responsibly in a way that can be a part of our B.C. brand—that’s strong resource development, innovation and technology. That’s what I’m looking to build more of.”
Before returning to the UBCM conference Lee met with Kitsumkalum leaders, saying B.C. needs to partner with Indigenous communities in new ways to ensure shared prosperity.