WHISTLER (NEWS1130) – Free enterprise. Those are two words you can expect to hear a lot from the BC Liberals between now and the provincial election in May.

The BC Liberal Convention kicked off in Whistler today with a lengthy discussion on the topic of free enterprise.

“Put aside your political affiliation,” Premier Christy Clark said in her opening address.  “Do you want to be part of building a free enterprise coalition in British Columbia?  Do you want to be part of creating a thriving private sector in our province? Yes!”

Clark then turned over the stage to Brad Bennett, the son of Bill Bennett and grandson of WAC Bennett.

“In the past 60 years free enterprise has been successful of governing the province for 80 percent of the last 60 years,” Bennett says.  “I can think of a couple good reasons for that.  One is the NDP just isn’t very good at governing.”

Clark also got an endorsement from former BC cabinet minister and Social Credit Party leader Jack Weisgerber.  Weisgerber isn’t attending the event in person, but sent a video message in which he voiced his support for a government that backs businesses.

“Let me speak to you about an election that is the most critical since 1996,” Weisgarber said.  “in that election, we split the free enterprise vote and our economy paid the price.  We can’t make that same mistake again.”

John Martin, who ran against the Liberals for the BC Conservative Party in Chilliwack in a by-election earlier this year, knows about splitting the vote.  He has now ditched the Conservatives and joined Christy Clark’s slate of candidates for the upcoming election in May.

“I don’t think any of us saw this coming” Martin joked in his speech.  “I had the best seat in the house for a train wreck last April.  Important lessons came out of that by-election.  The first is when the non NDP vote is pursued by more than one party, the NDP wins.”

He compared his candidacy to the Eagle’s reunion tour that was called Hell Freezes Over.

Christy Clark is expected to continue her attempt to paint herself as the only business friendly candidate who has a shot at winning the May election when she delivers her keynote address on Saturday.

It is an opinion NDP house leader John Horgan strongly disagrees with.

“I think the fact that 900 people from the business community assembled with Adrian Dix in downtown Vancouver speaks to what the real world thinks about whether or not the NDP is a free enterprise party.  Of course we are,” Horgan says.  “Where the Liberals have run afoul with the public is they’ve started talking to elites and they’re not talking to the people anymore.  If they wanted to talk about ideas, we could have been in the Legislature doing that.”

Most of the day was spent hearing suggestions from the crowd on how BC’s economy can be improved.

The convention continues Saturday with sessions on cabinet accountability, a policy discussion and a speech by the premier.

Delegates were greeted by a few dozen protesters when they arrived Friday morning.

Social workers represented by the BC Government Employees Union are locked in a labour dispute with the province.

They wrote “We love the BCGEU,” in the snow outside the hotel where the convention is being held.



News1130 has a reporter in Whistler for the convention. Follow @Jesse_Johnston for updates.

You can watch a livestream of the events at the BC Liberal convention right here.

Schedule:
Friday October 26th
Free Enterprise Friday (11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

Saturday October 27th
Cabinet Accountability (9 9.m. – 10 a.m.)
Policy Plenary (10:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.)
Premier’s Keynote (4 p.m. – 5 p.m.)