February 10, 2005 - Sheraton Hotel, Guildford
Good afternoon everybody. And isn’t it a great BC afternoon? Let me start by saying how pleased I am that you’re all here today. It’s great to be back in Surrey, but it’s really great to be here today because we have a great announcement to make.
First, I’d like to introduce some of the people that are here with us today that are part of the Surrey team, that have done such a great job of bringing the new Simon Fraser campus to Surrey. The new Cloverdale Technology Centre to Surrey. The new record breaking business environment. First, the leader of Surrey, the person who has really put this city on the map as one of the great cities of Canada in the future and the golden decade that lies ahead, Mayor Doug McCallum is with us. Two of Mayor McCallum’s counselors: Counselor Barb Steele and Counselor Diane Watts join us today.
I’m also very pleased to say that we have a number of members of our Surrey caucus with us today. Our caucus chair for the entire BC Liberal caucus, Gordon Hogg, from Surrey-White Rock is with us. The Minister of State for Mental Health, from Surrey-Green Timbers, Brenda Locke is with us. The MLA for Surrey-Newton, Tony Bhullar is with us. The MLA for Burnaby- Edmonds, the Minister of State for Resort Development, Patty Sahota is with us today. A Minister I know that you’re particularly interested in Daniel, the Minister of Education, Tom Christiansen is with us today. And the MLA for Surrey- Tynehead, Dave Hayer joins us today.
I want to say, Daniel, that the announcement that you’re about to make is exciting certainly to me and it goes along with announcements we’ve heard from others who have decided that they want to take part in the legislature of British Columbia, to help drive us and take us into a golden decade ahead. We’ve got a great education system, a superb health care system and a system that supports those who need our assistance. A great sustainable economy in British Columbia, but equally important, an economy that generates jobs for young people in the future. So I want to introduce everybody in the room to the next MLA for Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, Greg Moore joins us today. Greg, thanks for coming. And the next MLA for the great riding of Delta-North, Jeannie Kanakos is with us today as well.
So let me say how pleased I am to have all of you with us today. It is really important, I think, as we think about the future of British Columbia to think about our representation. Think about the people who will stand in the legislature and serve the needs of all British Columbians. And I think it is really a great day when we can announce that someone of the caliber of this gentleman that I’m going to introduce is willing to put his name forward to serve in the legislature of British Columbia. I spend a lot of time recruiting candidates across the province to serve and we know that every time someone puts their name forward they’re committing themselves and they’re putting their personal lives on hold a little bit, while they try and move forward in creating an even better public life for us.
We’ve always been a Party that’s been concerned about the next generation of British Columbians. We’ve been concerned about our young people. And as you know we’ve been very excited about the opportunity to host the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics Games. In fact, and I know Daniel you know this, there are just five years and two days until we actually light the Olympic torch in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Now Daniel Igali is someone whom I first met here in Surrey at a Chamber of Commerce lunch. But I met him as so many millions of Canadians met him, on a television screen. I was watching as he wrestled for Canada and I watched as he was the first Canadian to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games in the 2000 Games in Sidney. And Daniel has two things that are incredibly important I think. First, Daniel understands the importance of having a plan, of committing himself to it, of dedicating himself to it, and of reaching into himself to be the best that he can possibly be. And we know that Daniel, because you’re probably the only person in this room who actually ever got to stand on the number one podium at an Olympic Games and listened to our national anthem being played because of what you did.
So today I am proud to tell all of you that Daniel Igali has agreed to seek the nomination of the BC Liberal Party for the election on May 17th in Surrey- Newton. I am very pleased on behalf of all of the BC Liberal team and all of the members of the BC Liberal Party to say: “welcome Daniel”. We’re with you and we know that you will be the next MLA for Surrey- Newton following the May 17th election. Daniel Igali, ladies and gentlemen.
