That is NOT something Christy Clark will do -- it is however, something that Sean Upshaw is firmly committed to!

Where has he been you say (well some will be glad I've been away for awhile), but it has been a busy few weeks, and a few changes in where things are at.  

Regardless, with only a couple of days until the Westside - Kelowna by-election (voting takes place on Wednesday), I wanted to be sure I had at least one post online before hand.

Let me start by saying sometimes I get accused of being negative, when it comes to politics in BC.  Personally, I like to think that in reality that I point out areas of concern, and where improvement might be needed here in our province.

BC Conservative candidate Sean Upshaw
meets with voter on the streets of Westside
Kelowna to talk issues and concerns.

That said ... through the general election in BC, and having spent Saturday with campaign volunteers for BC Conservative candidate Sean Upshaw, I know that  people at the 'ground' level, no matter what party they are affiliated with, are sincere in wishing BC to be a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

I had a chance to say hello to a couple of workers for both the NDP and the BC Liberals while in Kelowna that day, and that just reaffirmed this.

So with that in mind, I'd like to send out 'Kudo's' to all who give of their time and energy. 

Meantime, BC Conservative Party candidate Sean Upshaw, in the Westside Kelowna by-election, will continue right up to election day hitting the doors steps of the riding. Sean is a 'local' candidate that wants to serve the people of the Kelowna, and he knows what that means ... meeting people wherever they are ... whether on the street, in a coffee shop, buying groceries, or on the doorstep. 

He wants to be a true representative to the people of his community, which is why he continually reminds himself that the word 'serv'e, is in Conservative. 

The BC Provincial election is over, the Liberals won a majority, and there is NO need to fear the BC NDP coming to power. 

Christy Clark lost her own riding -- and it is obvious that the people of Vancouver Point Grey were not at all pleased with how she 'represented' them.  They gave her a chance the first time in a by-election ... they saw how she served them ... and they chose to elect someone else they felt would better do the job. 

Did the BC Liberals win a majority government because they had Christy Clark as their leader? We'll find out soon enough, once the by-election is actually called.

Yes a 'Win For The Ages' for the BC Liberal
Party -- but was it a win for her leadership?

Does Christy Clark deserve a free-pass, in Westside-Kelowna, to get in to the legislature?

I certainly don't think so ... and regardless, two teams are in place who will indeed challenge her ability to be in the legislature as an elected Premier.  And, perhaps even one or two strong independent candidate will also step forward in the days ahead.  

Lots has been written in the news media over the past week and a half ... here is just a snapshot. 

MacLeans (June 5th)
Clark was defeated in her Vancouver-Point Grey riding, where she spent little time as she toured the province. The Liberals were widely expected to get badly pummelled in the vote and the party’s come-from-behind win to increase its number of seats in the legislature is largely attributed to Clark’s campaign skills. 

The Liberals said on election night she sacrificed her own riding to do it, making a byelection necessary. 

Vancouver Province (June 5th)
... said ... that she felt that Kelowna “is a natural political home for me and the values I believe in.”

“This is the cradle of free enterprise,” Clark said, noting that premiers WAC Bennett and his son Bill Bennett represented the people of Kelowna during their long reigns. “Among all the offers that I received from MLAs, this one felt the most natural.”  

BC NDP (June 5th)
We are looking forward to running a strong campaign with an Okanagan candidate against the Premier in Westside-Kelowna. 

The BC NDP will run a candidate with local roots who can offer the people of Kelowna and West Kelowna a strong, local voice in the legislature. 

The local constituency association will choose our candidate and we will be in a position to announce who that is in due course. 

The Armchair Mayor (June 6th)
I’m not one of those who gets all sentimental about Christy Clark “deserving” a seat in the B.C. Legislature ... 

Westside-Kelowna is a strange choice for Clark. She’s from the Coast, after all.

... according to Clark, though, Kelowna is her “natural political home.” Apparently, she’s had an epiphany after all these years. Clark, who lives in Vancouver-Fairview, lost in Vancouver-Point Grey. She is a Lower Mainlander through and through, but suddenly her political heart is in the Interior. 

... this being a democracy, the people should have a say, and she should have to earn her seat.