Recent visits by provincial cabinet ministers over the past several months does more than hint that the provincial Liberal government has the Skeena riding squarely in its sights for next May’s election.
As it is, Premier Christy Clark’s appointment of former Haisla chief councillor Ellis Ross as her candidate raises the riding’s profile.
He is, as the political phrasing goes, a star candidate, something highlighted at the Liberal party’s recent convention which featured a speech by Ross on its first day.
Advanced education minister Andrew Wilkinson was here for the Northwest Community College trades building renovation project announcement, transportation minister Todd Stone stopped to announce a series of highways projects, Liberal MLA Gordon Hogg presented awards to seven young aboriginal athletes here last week and aboriginal relations and reconciliation minster John Rustad, one of the hardest-working cabinet ministers, has made repeated visits to announce aboriginal job training projects.
Even finance minister Mike de Jong, the holder of the province’s chequebook, visited ever-so politely to dampen the local and regional calls for a new Mills Memorial Hospital is needed.
Still, the largest issue here remains the call for a new Mills. It is not without reason something along those lines will be announced as an election platform capper next spring.