Murphy Abraham, the former chief of Lake Babine Nation, will be running for the BC NDP in Nechako Lakes.
"People in my community know we're facing significant challenges," he said in a statement released to media Wednesday. "The BC NDP is prepared to tackle those challenges head-on."
He'll be running against BC Conservatives Leader John Rustad, the current MLA for Nechako Lakes.
During his time in office, Abraham secured $50 million to build a community cultural centres and oversaw a 20,000-hectare land transfer to return territory to the Lake Babine Nation.
He now aims to address housing, healthcare, and affordability issues for the people of Nechako Lakes.
"David Eby's BC NDP team is focused on building homes, hiring doctors and nurses, and putting money back into your pockets," Abraham said. "In contrast, John Rustad's record is marked by cost-cutting and risks we can't afford."
Abraham said the NDP has, since forming government in July 2017, addressed key issues important to the people of Nechako Lakes, including:
- New restrictions on short-term rentals, a speculation tax, and streamlined approvals to expedite the construction of 300,000 new homes.
- Better access to healthcare with the hiring 800 additional family doctors and a new medical school at SFU Surrey to train more doctors.
- Eliminating MSP premiums, lowering ICBC rates by $500 annually, increasing the BC Family Benefit by $445, halving childcare fees, and making birth control free.
- Creating 75,000 well-paying jobs in the past year, positioning B.C. as a leader in the Canadian economy with the highest wages in the country.
"Murphy has a long history of improving the lives of his constituents, whether through building community cultural centres or running sports and cultural programs for youth," said Eby in the press release. "The people of Nechako Lakes can rely on him to advocate for their needs."
