MICHAEL Lee, former lawyer and MLA for Vancouver-Langara, on Tuesday announced his bid for the BC Liberal leadership.
He said his vision is about making the path to success wider and more affordable, for all British Columbians.
“I want to lead the BC Liberal Party and the province so we can create a more prosperous and caring British Columbia where our kids, and their kids, will be able to afford to live,” Lee said.
Liberal MLA and former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan, former Surrey mayor and Conservative MP Dianne Watts, and former ministers Andrew Wilkinson, Mike Bernier and Mike de Jong are also in the leadership race.
Lee discussed his ideas to make the path to success wider including:
* Creating affordable, connected communities by increasing housing supply and investing in transit service and infrastructure;
* Free membership in the BC Liberal Party, the first step towards inviting British Columbians to shape a long-term strategic vision for the entire province;
* To get more British Columbians working and more companies hiring them, rebalancing *B.C.’s tax system to encourage hard work and contribution to society; and,
* Investing in health care beyond the hospital.
Lee said he wants to approach politics in a new way, moving past the false choice between the economy, environment, social programs, and infrastructure.
“We need them all – we can’t pick and choose,” said Lee. “They’re interconnected.”
“I’m going to keep our party focused on creating opportunities for the next generation. It’s about using all our strengths, including our abundant resources, our innovative health care system, and our remarkable diversity, to create and attract more trade and investment to build the best British Columbia,” Lee added.
Before entering politics Michael was a prominent business lawyer in Vancouver, where he worked for 20 years with forestry, mining, energy and technology companies across BC. Before earning his law degree at the University of Victoria, he worked as a special assistant to former Conservative prime minister Kim Campbell. He also has a 30-year record of community service, active in several social service, educational, and children and youth organizations.
Lee holds a BSc in Biology, a BA (Hons) in Political Science and an MA in Political Science. He also has a law degree from the University of Victoria. A son of immigrants, Michael was born and raised in Vancouver.
