The race to replace B.C. NDP Leader Adrian Dix in September has its first official contender.
Port Coquitlam MLA and finance critic Mike Farnworth confirmed Sunday that he will run for leader of the opposition party at their convention this September.
“It’s no secret I’ve been thinking about it,” he said. “I just wanted to talk with party members and make sure I’m the right person.”
Farnworth, who came a close second to Dix in the last leadership bid in 2011, thinks he has what it takes to beat Premier Christy Clark and end the B.C. Liberals’ 16-year reign as the governing party when the next election is called in 2017.
“What we want to do first is show a positive economic vision,” said Farnworth. “But we’re under no illusion that we have to fight hard. We’ll be fighting fire with fire.”
Farnworth said fighting shouldn’t be too hard and threw a few first punches. “Right now the province has the worst private-sector job creation in the country,” he said. “People are concerned about things like education and appalled by a government that’s prepared to force a strike.”
As for lessons from the past, Farnworth said not to take polls for granted — a reference to the majority that the B.C. Liberals won in last year’s provincial election, contradicting what the polls were projecting.
The NDP leadership vote takes place at their convention in Vancouver on Sept. 28.
Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming has also expressed interest in running for the party leadership but has not officially entered the race.
