Local Community Advertising
It was a decisive win for Tracy Gray in Kelowna-Lake Country, but she didn't talk a lot about this as a win for the Conservatives. Instead, her speech focused on thanking not just her supporters, but also her opponents including her main combatant in the campaign, Stephen Fuhr.
Gray estimates she and her team knocked on over 54,000 doors during the campaign, so she began by thanking those people, her family and closest supporters at her victory speech. But despite the decisive nature of her victory, her words were delivered with humility, as she spoke about her opponents in the political process.
"I would like to thank Mr. Fuhr for his contributions over the last term," Gray said to her party faithful at a ballroom at the Ramada Hotel. "And for all the previous MP's that have come before me, and I stand on their shoulders." She went on to acknowledge all of the other candidates. There were seven nominated in Kelowna-Lake Country. "It really takes fortitude," said Gray, "to run as a candidate."
After her speech, Gray laid out for reporters her priorities as she looks ahead to being part of a Conservative party that remains in the role of the official opposition.
"A lot of the tax burden that I talked about a lot during the campaign," she said, "and some of the tax changes that have happened for small business which was one of the major reasons why I decided to run."
She mentioned she will passionately work to defend our valley against invasive mussel species, and also lists mental health and addiction as a priority.
With Gray's victory coming against a backdrop of a Conservative Party that failed to win the election, she simply vows to do her job as an effective MP. "It's just a matter of being able to represent the constituents here. So it will be even more so important to make sure that our voice is heard."
For his part, the departing Liberal MP, Stephen Fuhr was also gracious in defeat, congratulating Tracy Gray. He then became emotional as he urged her to keep the staff members that he kept when he took over the MP's office from Ron Cannan.
Local Community Advertising