Open letter: Kevin Krueger on endorsing George Abbott for B.C. Liberal leader

B.C. minister of social development and Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger has issued the following open letter:

February 24, 2011

Two days from now, members of the B.C. Liberal Party have the honour and tremendous responsibility of choosing the next Premier of British Columbia, who will serve British Columbians until the election scheduled by legislation for 2013. Two weeks ago our Party, by a momentous vote, made sure that members from every constituency of this great province will have equal power in making this choice, just as they will in the election.

I have served as the Government Caucus’ representative on the B.C. Liberal Party Executive for ten years with President Mickey Patryluk, and during the current Leadership contest I have also served as Co-Chair with Mickey on the Constitutional Oversight Committee. This has been a wonderful campaign, with candidates brim-full of ideas and energy signing up tens of thousands of new members. We are living in exhilarating times!

Yesterday I resigned from both of my Party positions, because I wish to publicly declare support for the person I believe best-qualified and positioned to lead the B.C. Liberal Party, the Government Caucus, and the Province in our field of four very strong candidates.

I have been a student of leadership all my life. In my previous career I spent more than a decade in elected union leadership positions, and another decade in management positions, with my primary focus developing people and successful teams. In government, I served our entire first term as Chief Government Whip, to use the traditional title. A Whip knows the Caucus, and each MLA’s strengths and weaknesses and level of commitment and contribution to the team. I have worked with Mike and George fifteen years, Christy and Kevin the entire time they have held office, nine and ten years respectively. I have held five Cabinet portfolios, and had the privilege of working very closely with Kevin, George and Mike and observing their work ethics and competencies, which are stellar.

In my private life I have served on many Church and other Boards. I am an avid and earnest observer of leaders in all that I do, and a lifelong learner of leadership.

We have accomplished much together as a Party, and a government. Under the inspired and inspiring leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell, and by the grace of God, we have restored British Columbia’s status in Canada to leadership among the provinces. In our robust and resilient, diversified economy, in our Triple A credit rating, our New Relationship with First Nations, healthy relationships with the federal government and those of all provinces, territories and neighbouring states, income tax reductions, regulatory streamlining, environmental stewardship, health-care, educational and social development outcomes, elimination of inter-provincial trade barriers, expansion of Asia-Pacific markets and job creation, we have together made British Columbia Canada’s leading province.

Choosing the right leader to fill the giant shoes of Gordon Campbell is a gigantic responsibility; the future of all British Columbians depends on it. We must never go back to the NDP days when B.C. sagged under accumulating deficits, crushing debt growth, overwhelming taxation, out-migration of our young people, shrinking employment, diminishing opportunities, bitter class warfare, mismanagement and chaos.

The NDP is marching backwards into the ”˜90’s, choosing a leader between two former NDP Chiefs of Staff from that dark decade, and a former Cabinet Minister of that disastrous, failed government.

B.C. Liberals are choosing a candidate from a field of four very strong candidates, two wonderful people having stepped out of the race to support George Abbott. One of these four will carry the torch of British Columbia, passed from the hand of our Premier Gordon Campbell, to build on the tremendous achievements of the B.C. Liberal Party, and lead us in the glowing future of Canada’s Pacific Gateway province. Premier Campbell lead us out of the swamp of the 1990’s, and back to leadership for Canada, moving from worst-performing province, to best.

While serving shoulder-to-shoulder with all four leadership candidates for these many years, including five years of Opposition service with Christy, George and Mike, I have keenly watched and studied their strengths and weaknesses, work ethics, leadership abilities and results. I am privileged and grateful to be the friend of each of them.

We are choosing a new Leader in a time of great opportunity, following a very trying eighteen months of being pummeled by an unhappy public who felt we were guilty of failure to communicate and seek permission before the HST decision. We need to do better, and we know it. We need a Leader who is a genuine listener, an inclusive, thoughtful, respectful, experienced, respected, strong, honest, intelligent, skilled coalition-builder. These traits are apparent across this field of excellent candidates, yet from my long years of observation, I see one who presents himself most clearly as the best Leader for the B.C. Liberal Party and the Province of British Columbia for the challenges of today.

That Leader is George Abbott.

George has distinguished himself as a team player and leader consistently over the fifteen years we have served British Columbians together. His is the carefully considered, thoughtful, respectfully submitted opinion that often sums up and enhances the submissions of our colleagues and carries the day in caucus decisions. He is kind, considerate, reasonable, inclusive, and tremendously appreciated and respected. He is a team and relationship-builder, and a mentor to others, including me. He is moderate in his approaches, language and views, yet tremendously strong and resolute in tough situations. He is a gifted thinker, well-schooled in the art of politics, and by far our strongest candidate to maintain and build the “coalition of the reasonable,” as he puts it, ensuring that we of the B.C. Liberal Party thrive as British Columbians’ choice for government.

When our team needed a House Leader on short notice in our darkest hour – mid-session 1997 – George shouldered the job, and lead admirably. Through fifteen years of assignments, first as a leading Opposition Critic, then a range of Cabinet posts including four years in the toughest crucible of all, George shone as a leader. Through it all, he consistently has demonstrated grace, strength, kindness, resolute determination, courage, respect and goodness.

George’s successes as a husband, father, farmer, academic, teacher, and elected representative at four levels over three decades speak for themselves. He walks the walk, and my wife and I love the way he talks the talk. His famous self-deprecating humour and charming manner of expressing his convictions are winning traits that will serve British Columbians well in our Premier. In fifteen years of close observation, I have seen him strong as steel when the team needed it, yet consistently gentle as a shepherd with his colleagues, individually and collectively.

He is head and shoulders the best Premier candidate for our time. His lifelong experience with rural and small community issues and intimate familiarity with British Columbia’s resource-rich, yet thinly-populated interior, and his highly-respected, friendly status with First Nations will serve British Columbians well.

I have been thoroughly impressed with the cordial, mutually respectful relationship between George and Kevin Falcon, who will be my second ballot choice. I believe that Kevin will also be Premier one day. George Abbott is the right choice for Premier of British Columbia and Leader of the B.C. Liberal Party in the decision to be made February 26, 2011.

Sincerely, Kevin Krueger

Comments

9 Comments

monty/that's me

Feb 25, 2011 at 11:17am

Whoopee-do. This is the goof who first decimated health care. How soon we all forget the corruption of this entire lot.

Buy a sled, head for the hills. Make snow angels. Perhaps this nightmare
will disappear and we will wake up from this bad dream.

ds

Feb 25, 2011 at 11:44am

George is the only true liberal of the bunch and it's too bad you never learneed anything from your union days or as a church offical. The shoe has to fit on both feet and by that I mean not only big business but also the people of this province. I hope your right about your chioce because I don't think the rest of them care two hoots about anybody but themselves.

agree with ds

Feb 25, 2011 at 2:02pm

Abbott is the only one in the group who has a back bone and openly admitted there needed to be changes and he is prepared to move on the controversal Families and Children. Something the rest of the group While other members, Christie included, talks the talks but will not not do the walk, and when it comes to giving to hoots, the rest have no problem stepping over small children to get ahead. You know who especially scary, Clark and family especially after her questionable involement in BC. One has to ponder is her and her brother back to help sell off the rest of the province or maybe Not but who can tell.

lee kenney

Feb 26, 2011 at 6:24am

ah,praise from k.k.,now that gordo has gone same as it ever was!Lots off rhetoric and b.s.We need change not more of the same partisan praise from a political sock puppet.

Dan Clay

Feb 26, 2011 at 7:39am

Kruger claims he is a church member? What kind of religion informs its constituents that it is ok to bash the poor and make the wealthy richer? I dont know what good book claims exploitation of our environment is ok.
I am sick of this right wing fundamental religious ideology being substituted as an excuse for government.Vote them all out 10 years is too costly for us, and I fear we have had back room deals done with their corporate supporters, and that will be the next per vue of this corrupt provincial govt.

Mike Schneider

Feb 26, 2011 at 9:33am

George Abbott understands business but also understands that families need opportunity to succeed. George wants to promote primary industry in BC and I am all for that. George also understands that agriculture and tourism should fit in to the "primary" designation. He is a consensus builder and will keep the Liberal party unified.

whatAjoke

Feb 26, 2011 at 10:34am

I don't know what's funnier..

a) Kevin Kruger giving his endorsement
OR
b) Kevin Kruger actually thinking anyone gives a rip about WHO he endorses

Bahahahaha!

glen p robbins

Feb 26, 2011 at 2:21pm

imo - a little over the top - quasi sermon- and somewhat self serving, but why not. Krueger's case is his own, he sets out his time with the candidates - chooses Abbott as best.

Krueger is from Kamloops and Abbott is up the street. If Abbott wins Premier - the North and Interior sitting MLA's will receive many--Cabinet Positions - likely Krueger (no matter how that might dissappoint many of you) as well. De Jong is Abbotsford which is federally 50% Conservative--if he puts Christy over -- his career starts down the shitter - so he must pick between Abbott and Falcon. If de Jong helps Abbott he gets renewed political life. If Falcon beats him to it - then he's Finance Minister - because Stilwell will be likely for the big one Health.

Coquitlam - Port Moody - Port Coquitlam goes open season as early leverage against Farnworth - Black won't get Cabinet - backed Falcon and was premier douche on Children and Families - Abbott cannot pick him or his little buddy from Burke Mountain-- (meet the new Tri-City boss).

Can't pick Christy -- because of her political baggage.

If Christy wins - everything changes----Harper will draw down on BC Liberal coalition (bet the farm on that). Stockwell Day remains the senior federal Minister from BC (he is from the Okanagan) - so Abbott will freeze the BC Conservative ambitions which will flourish most quickly in the North and Interior if the lid is taken off by Harper et al.

The federal Conservatives can launch the BC Conservatives more easily from Vancouver Island where the likely next leader - former Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Brian Peckford is from - see Peckford vs Mayne.

Glen P Robbins is not a BC lawyer - he is a BC 'political - lawyer hunter'
Are you being hunted?

Nik Black

Feb 26, 2011 at 4:42pm

No one cares what Kevin Krueger has to say. Even then, what a bunch of over the top hooha. Kevin, you sound like a needle waving junkie.

And I agree with Dan Clay - what kind of religion thinks it's OK to bash the poor and make the wealthy richer?