Victory speech reinforces Rice campaign's core beliefs and themes

Jennifer Rice streamed her victory
speech live through Facebook on
Tuesday evening as she celebrated
the results from the North Coast
(photo from Rice campaign
Facebook page)

An enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Prince Rupert Legion Tuesday night to celebrate the electoral success of North Coast NDP MLA Jennifer Rice, an evening which saw the incumbent returned to office with a strong majority of the votes from across the region.

The NDP workers and supporters in attendance applauded loudly as Ms. Rice recounted the results and the success of their work and offered her shout outs to the many campaign workers in the communities that make up the North Coast riding.

Her nine minute address available here from her Facebook page struck a number of themes from the campaign, from the social engagement with voters from door knocking across the region, to the larger political issues that framed the 2017 campaign. 

"I just want to acknowledge everyone, everyone on this campaign, and say thank you, because this is not about me, this is about all of us. And you have all stepped up and done a phenomenal job and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, from the tip of my toes I am so grateful.  ... I am grateful that you were working so hard for a better BC because that was what this campaign is about, it's about making a better BC for all of us and not just a select few that are at the top, or within an inner circle, it's about everyone regardless of who you are, where you come from, or where you live"

The returning MLA took note of the still  unsettled provincial count and recounted for the NDP faithful how she believes that the has done a good job over the last four years in delivering the message that when government is making decisions, that they need to reflect the needs of rural and remote British Columbia.

"I'm just going to acknowledge that tonight in North Coast we won and we have another four years and regardless of what the outcome is, regardless of the basketball score here, I  fully intend to keep being a voice for everyone here in North Coast, that includes Prince Rupert and all the outlying communities, that includes Haida Gwaii and the Central Coast communities it's about all of you. And again, whatever happens I will bring the issues, I will try to influence government, so that when they are making decisions, which tend to be with an urban centric view, that they reflect the needs of where we live and what living in rural and remote British Columbia is like. I think I've done a good job for the last four years ..."

A good portion of the remainder of her address was to thank those that worked on her campaign, from family members whether local or from Ontario, as well as those campaign workers that came to the riding from other parts of the country to lend a hand, as well as to the local workers that made for a large part of the evening's success.

Such was the euphoria at their victory and the prospect of her return to the Legislature, that the focus of the speech from Tuesday night's video was firmly directed towards the NDP success on the night, with no mention of Herb Pond or Hondo Arendt the two candidates that Ms. Rice competed against in the riding during the course of the five week campaign.

As the stream of campaign workers and supporters took to the stage, some spoke to their confidence for what the next four years will bring, while others were already suggesting that the workers get ready to do it all over again in four years time.

For more items related to the 2017 Election campaign see our North Coast Votes Archive page here, a wider overview of the provincial campaign can be found on our Darcy McGee portal.