British Columbians have a rare opportunity to vote for the next premier of the province, says Kevin Falcon, a B.C. Liberal leadership candidate.
Falcon and George Abbott stopped briefly in the Alberni Valley last Saturday to talk to party members.
Residents with Liberal party memberships will vote on Feb. 26 for not only the party leader, but because of the circumstances of Gordon Campbell’s resignation, also the premier of B.C.
Falcon described what he calls the three L’s of leadership: listening, learning and leading. “To me, it’s very important we have a leadership style that understands when you listen to people you can learn a lot,” Falcon said while on the road in the North Island.
Once you listen, you can apply what you’ve learned to policy decisions, he added.
If elected as premier Falcon also said he would restore the resource sector.
, something that would require expansion into Asian markets.
B.C. currently sells almost half of its forestry exports to Asia, and Falcon said that along with diversification is key to success.
“The world is turning its mind to new energy products from pellets to synthetic gas to cellulosic ethanol, and B.C. has developed a hub of companies capable of building this business,” he said.
Falcon has the backing of some major businesses in the province, but says he is mindful of individuals and those not involved in big business.
“A lot of those businesses are the job creators in our economy,” he said. Even after two of the worst years economically, the province has one of the lowest unemployment rates it’s ever had (about seven per cent), and he said he’s proud of that business support.
editor@albernivalleynews.com
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