Abbott to seek B.C. Liberal leadership

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The first of the cabinet heavyweights seeking Gordon Campbell's job will enter the race to succeed the Premier Thursday as Education Minister George Abbott launches a long-expected leadership bid.

Moira Stilwell, a rookie MLA who has been economic and skills-development minister was first into the contest this week, but Mr. Abbott's political experience is more formidable.

He has been an MLA for 14 years with a cabinet résumé that includes stints in health, aboriginal relations, community relations and sustainable resource management.

Other senior cabinet ministers, such as Kevin Falcon in Health, have said they are considering leadership bids.

Last month, Mr. Abbott was shuffled into education. The president of the BC Teachers Federation said there was time for one meeting with Mr. Abbott before this week's developments, which will likely see him resign from cabinet to focus on the race.

"We had a good, sincere and productive meeting," said Susan Lambert, but she noted that Mr. Abbott has put out statements that have echoed controversial policies of his predecessor. "Despite the warm and sincere rhetoric of the meeting, the actions he took as Minister of Education did not depart from the previous minister and that was disappointing for us.

"We haven't had a chance, I don't think, to have a relationship with him that would prove he can put actions to his words so I can't predict what he would be like as a premier. I do know he's personable and a person I can talk to and that's good."

But Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs was more effusive about Mr. Abbott, who has been praised for some reconciliation efforts with first nations.

"He has proven to be a good listener," noted Mr. Phillip, adding he expected Mr. Abbott would "do all right" as premier.

For more than a week, the droll and affable Mr. Abbott has been teasing the media with suggestions that he was entering the race.

The teasing ends Thursday as the former college-level political-science instructor who lives in Sicamous has scheduled a news conference at a Vancouver hotel that a campaign source said will mark his entry into a race that ends with a Feb. 26 vote.

If Mr. Abbott wins, he will be the first premier from outside the Lower Mainland elected with party or voter support since Bill Bennett in the 1980s, and Mr. Abbott has said his rural roots provide a vital broad perspective of B.C.

Asked about the issue earlier this month, Mr. Abbott dryly noted: "Somehow I was able to thrive and survive for four years as health minister despite coming from a small town."

One source said Thursday's launch will cast Mr. Abbott as a politician with appeal across B.C.

"There is an effort to get a crowd of people there from a cross section of the province," the source said. "There are a fair number of people who are concerned about the future of non-metropolitan British Columbia."

The source also said to expect to see representatives from first nations and the resource sector, who see Mr. Abbott as a candidate who will be able to achieve progress in settling land claims.

Without providing specifics, Mr. Abbott indicated Wednesday that he will enter the race with a detailed vision of where he would like to take the province.

"It is important to have some policy to give - first of all, the electors of the British Columbia Liberal Party and, subsequently, the electors of the province - a sense of where you want to take this province. I do think it's important," he told reporters.

So far, Mr. Abbott has called for the moving up of the HST referendum from next September to June so that debate over the issue does not take place during the summer, when he feels voters might be too distracted to pay attention.

On Wednesday, he added a call for a review of B.C.'s $8 minimum wage - the lowest in Canada - to see whether it is time to raise it.

The B.C. Liberal government has fiercely opposed hiking the minimum wage, suggesting such a move would kill jobs.