Parksville-Qualicum MLA says new Liberal leader will be good for the Island

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WATCH: Michelle Stilwell says Andrew Wilkinson was the only leadership candidate who asked about Vancouver Island.

The Liberal leadership convention began with six strong candidates but several hours and five ballots after it began, Andrew Wilkinson was declared the winner.

He then took no time taking aim at the NDP.

“My task is to make sure we hold the NDP to account with smart, incisive questions that will make their skin crawl,” Wilkinson told supporters in Vancouver.

The former doctor and lawyer turned politician was a deputy minister in the Gordon Campbell government.

Wilkinson held several cabinet positions under Christy Clark including as minister of advanced education, minister of technology and innovation and attorney general.

On Saturday night he had the most caucus support with endorsements from 13 MLAs including Vancouver Island’s only Liberal MLA, Parksville- Qualicum’s Michelle Stilwell.

“He has the experience of having been our party president, having served as a deputy minister in government, as an MLA, as a minister for Christy Clark so he?s got every box checked in experience and I think that knowledge and experience will help him do what we need to do to get back into government,” said Stilwell.

She adds Wilkinson is the best party leader to get more liberal seats on the island.

“You know I will say he was the one candidate who spoke to me specifically about Vancouver Island and you know, had an interest, a genuine concern for what we needed and how we needed to move forward to obviously grow the seats here on Vancouver Island,” she added.

The B.C. Liberals had a specific Vancouver Island platform during the last election but it clearly did not resonate with voters garnering only one seat.

Stilwell says she and Wilkinson have already looked over the platform and discussed changes for the next election.

Dean StoltzDean Stoltz

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