Rich Coleman seeking a sixth term as Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA


Rich Coleman is announcing today (Sunday, Sept. 11) that he will run for a sixth term as MLA in Fort Langley-Aldergrove, according to The Province newspaper. The announcement will come at his annual picnic for his supporters.
The announcement is not surprising. Coleman is partway through a job that he has put a great deal of personal time and energy into - getting a commitment that a major LNG plant will be built in B.C. - and he wants to see at least one plant underway before hanging up his spurs.
Coleman is also one of the shrewdest political campaigners operating in B.C. today. He is not a front and centre retail politician like Premier Christy Clark, whom he supports unreservedly. He is a backroom details guy - and his work in the 2013 campaign was masterful. Few people saw a BC Liberal election victory coming then, but he did.
He was convinced that innovative use of the information available to the BC Liberals, through polling and other campaigning techniques, combined with Clark's magnetic and sunny personality, would win them a fourth straight term - and it did. No one was happier on election night than he was.
He was named deputy premier as a reward, and put in charge of the LNG file. It's been a tough challenge, with lower natural gas prices and a slump in energy prices, but he is persisting. He also remains the  minister of housing, a position he has held since the BC Liberals won the 2001 election. That portfolio has its own set of challenges, as housing becomes more difficult to afford for both buyers and renters, particularly in Greater Vancouver. Homelessness issues are also troubling.
He has been a very good MLA for Fort Langley-Aldergrove, ensuring that provincial tax dollars is available for a wide variety of projects. Perhaps his most notable contribution on that front was funding for the Langley Events Centre, which has turned out to be a shining jewel in Langley's crown and a potent economic development boost to Langley.
The arrival of the Vancouver Giants at the Events Centre this month is proof that it is one of the most superb facilities in the province. Its central location makes it accessible from anywhere in the Lower Mainland and the province, and it has been exceptionally well-run since Langley Township took over its operations.
Coleman first went into politics to ensure there were opportunities for his children and young people in general. Now he is doing the work for his grandchildren, as he says frequently. Overall, the BC Liberals have delivered on the economic front, but of course there have been many challenges along the way, with the most recent and notable one the severe unaffordability of housing.
At this juncture, the BC Liberals seem set to win the May, 2017 provincial election, unless circumstances change significantly. The NDP is in some disarray and is divided on  key economic issues, such as pipelines, the Site C dam and LNG.
Coleman will again be running the BC Liberal campaign, along with Transportation Minister Todd Stone. He will keep a careful eye on every variable and factor there is, and do his best to deliver a fifth term to his party.
He is a hard worker, personable, honest and a community champion. Don't ever count him out.



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