Mike de Jong seeking federal Conservative nomination
Veteran B.C. politician Mike de Jong has announced he's seeking a nomination to run for the federal Conservative Party in the next election.
The B.C. United MLA, who was first elected to the provincial legislature in 1994, confirmed his bid to represent Pierre Poilievre's party in the Abbotsford-South Langley riding on Wednesday.
In a statement, de Jong referenced Tuesday's federal budget, accusing Prime Minster Justin Trudeau of having an "insatiable willingness to pile more crushing debt on the shoulders of Canadians."
"In times of both challenge and prosperity, I have remained unwavering in my dedication to fiscal responsibility, ensuring that we live within our means while investing in the priorities that matter most to our community," de Jong said.
The 61-year-old confirmed he would be leaving provincial politics in February, but alluded to a possible federal run.
The long-time MLA has held a number of key cabinet roles during his three decades in B.C. politics, including health minister and attorney general.
He was the finance minister when his party – under its previous name, the BC Liberals – was voted out of office in 2017. After taking power, the NDP accused the Liberals of having left the provincial auto-insurer, ICBC, in a "financial dumpster fire," with a projected net loss of $1.3 billion that fiscal year.
But de Jong also boasted tabling five consecutive balanced budgets.
During B.C.'s money laundering inquiry in 2022, de Jong acknowledged his government bore some responsibility for failing to address rampant money laundering in casinos that took place from 2015 to 2017, while he was gaming minister.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Conservatives push motion calling for Carney to testify, say it's about 'accountability'
The federal Conservatives made good on their promise to push for former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to testify before MPs, resulting in a heated political debate in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
London Drugs stores remain closed, 'cybersecurity incident' may have breached personal data
London Drugs says it is working with third-party security experts as the company tries to reopen dozens of stores across Western Canada that were shuttered by a cybersecurity incident Sunday.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.