Justin Trudeau during his visit to Kamloops in January 2019. (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

TRUDEAU IN TOWN

Trudeau in Kamloops; will declare Lake as Liberal nominee

May 21, 2019 | 5:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — The prime minister is in Kamloops Tuesday (May 21), his second visit to the River City this year after a visit in January that included a town hall at Thompson Rivers University.

Justin Trudeau is already fully in campaign mode as the Liberals try to shake off scandals and win re-election in October, and tonight he will officially be declaring Terry Lake as the Liberal candidate in the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding.

“This is our home and I have proudly represented Kamloops at the local and provincial level for many years,” said Lake ahead of Tuesday’s event at the Kamloops Coast Hotel. “To have the opportunity to do that on the federal stage is a tremendous privilege.”

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Trudeau is here primarily to introduce and promote Lake as a local candidate, the former mayor of Kamloops and B.C. Health Minister.

But Lake feels the prime minister is in the Interior to try to bolster support in a region where the Liberals only hold one seat.

“I think it shows the committment the party has for the Interior of B.C.,” noted Lake. “We’ve got an MP in Kelowna, Steve Fuhr. We’ve got excellent candidates in the North Okanagan in Cindy Derkaz, Connie Denesiuk in the South Okanagan. So I think the party really believes, and I think it’s a good belief, that we can have some success in the Interior.”

TRU political science professor Robert Hanlon believes a high-profile candidate like Lake is exactly what the party needs amid scandals like SNC-Lavalin.

“There’s a lot of scandals unfortunately the Liberals are dealing with. Not only SNC-Lavalin, you also have pipelines, you have the issue with China. The list just goes on and on,” said Hanlon. “Really, what they’re looking for is someone that can relate to the community, that is well-known, can cut through some of these kinds of challenges they’ve been facing and try to turn a page.”

Sitting MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Cathy McLeod says Trudeau’s government will be judged on its record to date and what she says is its ‘anti-energy’ policy, but she says the attention on the Interior and province is exciting.

Meanwhile, Hanlon says tariffs being lifted on steel and aluminum is some good news for the Liberal Party, and he says only time will tell if Lake can break through the scandals and win the riding.

For his part, Lake says it won’t be the last time Trudeau is in Kamloops.

“I’m hopeful we’ll have him back here through the campaign,” he said. “Obviously, he’ll have a very busy schedule, but there is, as I said, a commitment on the part of the Prime Minister and the party to support the Interior of B.C. I think they view it as very important.”