The BC NDP has elected their new party president – North Vancouver City Councillor Craig Keating.
Keating won in the first round of voting defeating former Surrey MLA Jagrup Brar by a margin of 485 votes to 303 votes. Keating, a five-term city councillor and former BC NDP candidate, will be taking over the party president’s seat from Moe Sihota.
“Top of mind for BC New Democrats right now is renewal,” Keating said in a press release. “I look forward to working to bring people together in that process while at the same time helping the party organization reach its overarching strategic goals.”
Other top priorities for the party according to Keating include “modernizing the party database, reinvigorating British Columbians to get engaged in the political process and ensuring the BC Liberals are held to account.”
The NDP is also expected to set the date for a leadership vote to replace Adrian Dix before the party’s annual convention wraps up in Vancouver.
Yesterday, the outgoing leader offered an explanation for May’s stunning election loss, saying the party did a poor job of telling British Columbians why the liberals should not be re-elected.
Dix admitted two key mistakes were made during the campaign, including his controversial announcement about the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
Federal NDP Leader Tom Mulcair told the convention that after last May’s surprising defeat of BC’s New Democrats he won’t be taking anything for granted in the next federal election.
Keith Baldrey’s report on the convention
~ with files from CP
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