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Former Kamloops mayor and MLA Terry Lake is making the jump to federal politics.
Lake is seeking the nomination to be the Liberal Party of Canada candidate in the 2019 federal election.
Lake served as councillor and then mayor of Kamloops and before serving two terms as MLA for Kamloops North Thompson.
He led the Ranching Task Force in 2009, the Sled Dog Task Force in 2010 before serving as Environment Minister from 2011-13.
Then Premier Christy Clark named Lake Health Minister following the 2013 election, a role he held until the 2017 election in which he did not run. Since September 2017, Lake has held the position of vice-president of corporate social responsibility for Hexo Corp, one of Canada’s largest cannabis producers.
“I feel Canada is at a crossroads,” said Lake. “We can continue to make progress on climate action, reconciliation with indigenous peoples, reducing childhood poverty or we can succumb to a wave of populism that promises simple answers to the complex problems that our country faces”.
Lake, who helped develop BC’s five conditions for increased pipeline capacity, said the country needs to implement a national climate action plan that recognizes the need to transition away from fossil fuels in sensible and pragmatic ways that do not strangle the economic growth that is vital to support health care, education and social services. Lake is supportive of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion as part of that plan.
As BC Health Minister, Lake led the effort to combat the overdose crisis implementing a significant expansion of harm reduction services and increased funding for treatment services but he says more needs to be done.
“We need to devise a national substance use prevention and treatment strategy that takes an evidence-based approach within a health care model if we are to make real progress,” said Lake, adding if he becomes the federal Liberal candidate he will take a leave of absence from Hexo Corp once the election campaign officially begins.
