MLA Dan Ashton said it was a difficult morning as former Premier Christy Clark announced she was not only stepping down as leader of the B.C. Liberals but resigning her seat as well.
The announcement was unexpected, according to Ashton, coming out as the B.C. Liberal caucus met in Penticton Friday.
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“The entire caucus has great respect for Christy Clark. She has done an incredible job,” said Ashton. “You don’t have to look very far to see what she has done for this province.”
Ashton said Clark’s decision to resign was a personal one but also driven by larger ideals.
“She did it for the party,” said Ashton. “She was putting the party and the province ahead of herself.”
Clark’s resignation follows the Liberal’s minority election victory being stripped away in June by a non-confidence vote supported by the B.C. Green and NDP parties.
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Ashton thinks the electorate has misjudged Clark and what has been accomplished for the province under her leadership.
“She’s a very good leader,” said Ashton. “She and the party have left a strong legacy.”
Ashton will be sitting in opposition when the legislature resumes. When it does, he said his focus will be on standing up for that legacy the party created over the last decade.