B.C. politicians front and centre: Singh, Clark, others on federal stage

As the fallout from Justin Trudeau’s much-anticipated resignation announcement reverberates across Canada, at least two British Columbians will feature prominently in national politics in the coming weeks and months.

As the fallout from Justin Trudeau’s much-anticipated resignation announcement reverberates across Canada, at least two British Columbians will feature prominently in national politics in the coming weeks and months. 

The demands of leading the federal NDP have seen Jagmeet Singh spend a lot of time outside his Burnaby riding, and that could increase if he finds himself the leader of the official opposition. He’s already pitching himself to voters as an alternative to the two biggest parties.

“It doesn't matter who the next Liberal leader is, they've let you down, they do not deserve another chance,” he said at a virtual press conference on Monday. “And if you are worried about the cuts of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, if you find it unacceptable, just simply wrong that the rich keep on getting richer and the middle class is falling further behind, stand with us.”

Observers speculate, however, that if Singh loses seats at a time the Liberals are on their back foot, his own political future could be in jeopardy.

While she hasn’t yet made it official, former B.C. premier Christy Clark, is expected to announce her intention to seek the federal Liberal leadership. Despite requests from CTV News, she wouldn’t speak publicly on Monday and instead relied on social media posts thanking Trudeau “for his service to the country that he so clearly loves.”

Clark is an underdog candidate, with several of Trudeau’s cabinet ministers posting higher approval numbers in opinion polls. However, her status as somewhat of an outsider without the baggage of the previous administration, may give her a fighting chance. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/who-should-lead-the-liberals-none-of-the-above-poll-finds-1.7103700

“She could perhaps offer an alternative, suggesting the Liberals have, in a sense, lost their way, lost touch with voters across the country and can offer that that sense of return to a connect with the grass roots of Canadians,” said Stewart Prest, a political scientist at UBC.