Mike de Jong was first elected to the B.C. legislature in 1994 as the Liberal member for the Fraser Valley riding of Matsqui east of Vancouver, later representing the riding of Abbotsford-Mount Lehman, and, currently, Abbotsford West.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Veteran B.C. politician Mike de Jong, an eight-term member of the provincial legislature who held a number of cabinet posts including finance and health, has decided to seek a federal Conservative nomination.
Mr. de Jong said in an interview Wednesday that he will look to represent the Conservatives in Abbotsford-South Langley, which is being created out of part of the Abbotsford riding now held by departing Tory MP Ed Fast.
In February, Mr. de Jong had said that he would not seek re-election as a member of BC United. The party is the new iteration of the BC Liberal Party, which had been the centre-right challenger to the NDP in the province, and governed the province from 2001 until 2017.
“I’m up for the challenge” the 60-year-old Mr. de Jong said of his federal asperations. “I think I bring some experience that will be helpful in whatever capacity I am asked to serve, but the first thing I have to do is secure the nomination in Abbotsford-South Langley.”
Mr. de Jong had said months ago that he was contemplating making a move to federal politics.
Others in BC United have also considered the federal Conservatives under Leader Pierre Poilievre. For example, former cabinet minister Ellis Ross announced in January that he would run for the federal party.
Mr. de Jong said issues such as continued federal deficits accumulating, with no attempt to try and curb them, prompted him to run.
“Canadians aren’t an ATM machine for Mr. Trudeau and his colleagues to continuously make withdrawals from with higher taxes and spending, and that’s what we saw yesterday,” he said, referring to the federal budget.
He said that federal financing is driving inflation and compromising the government’s ability to provide services.
“There’s no prospect that Mr. Trudeau and his government intend to change their ways so I believe it’s time for a new government. I believe Pierre Poilievre is the guy to lead that government, and I am going to do what I can to help him.”
Mr. de Jong was first elected to the B.C. legislature in 1994 as the Liberal member for the Fraser Valley riding of Matsqui east of Vancouver, later representing the riding of Abbotsford-Mount Lehman, and, currently, Abbotsford West.
Between the B.C. Liberals winning power in 2001 and the BC NDP gaining power in 2017, Mr. de Jong held a number of cabinet posts.
They were finance, health, attorney-general, multiculturalism, public safety and solicitor-general, aboriginal relations and reconciliation, labour and citizen’s services and forests.
Currently, BC United is running third in several public-opinion polls, behind the governing NDP and the BC Conservative Party, which has no official ties to the federal party. The next B.C. election is in October.
Mr. de Jong said he is still a committed “free enterpriser” but that the vote is split.
“I’ll work as I can to remind people about the dangers associated with that and hope that, by the time the election rolls around in October, people will understand that the vote needs to coalesce,” he said.
Mr. de Jong believes BC United is best equipped to represent the free-enterprise vote. “But time will tell and most of the heavy lifting there will done by the people continuing in my absence and those who are succeeding me after 30 years.”