Gavin Dew has announced that he will not be running to become the next leader of the BC Conservatives.The Kelowna-Mission MLA argued that becoming leader would prevent him from having enough time with his children.."I love this province, but I love my kids more," he wrote in a post on X. "Political titles come and go, but family is the cornerstone of our society. We often talk about doing politics for our children and grandchildren, but that only matters if we are actually there for them. Right now, my kids are at a critical stage in their lives and they need their dad to be present."Dew assured his constituents that he is nonetheless "committed to standing up for the people of Kelowna, to my critic role focussing on jobs and the economy, and to ensuring our party is ready to win the next election.""Our job now is to finish the task of building a serious new government in waiting," he continued. "At a time like this, we can't afford to be divided. British Columbians are done with David Eby's failed government. We need all hands on deck to defeat the NDP, restore economic confidence, and deliver common sense change for people and families.".Dew added that the next leader of the party "must be a premier in waiting.""They need to understand policy and politics, they need to understand the economy, and most importantly they need to understand people," he noted. "They need to know the importance of teamwork. They need to both hold the NDP accountable and grow our voter coalition by inspiring British Columbians with a positive vision."Dew explained that having been through a leadership race before, he knows "the commitment it requires and the toll it takes.""It's great to see a wide range of impressive candidates stepping forward to run," he continued. "Deciding who to support will be hard, and that’s a good thing. To everyone who has called, emailed, texted, or stopped me at the airport, at community events, or at kids’ birthday parties to urge me to run: thank you. I am humbled by your confidence, but this is not my time."More to come...
