NDP's Lali defiantly enters leader's race

Veteran MLA Harry Lali has entered the B.C. NDP leadership race with some controversial comments aimed at the party's quotas for gender and ethnic minorities.

Lali, the MLA for Fraser-Nicola, kicked off his campaign in Merritt Thursday, saying he is not the candidate of the NDP establishment, the pollsters, or the pundits.

"If there is blood on the NDP convention floor due to full, honest and meaningful debate of contentious issues, then so be it," he said.

An issue of particular concern to Lali is the the party's equity quotas for candidates and officials.

He said the rules, which are aimed at attracting candidates who are female or minorities, are anti-democratic.

"There are a number of equity groups," Lali said. "When you count them all, what you leave out are older white males and everbody is afraid to stand up for and speak out for older white males."

One quota that came to light last week demands that at least one among the party's leader, president and treasurer be a woman.

That would mean the next party leader would have to be female, unless either the president or treasurer — currently men — were to step down.

Lali also said he would "put people first," rank-and-file New Democrats and rural voters in particular.

Other declared candidates in the race so far include Sunshine Coast-Powell River MLA Nicholas Simons and marijuana activist Dana Larsen.

The leadership campaign was triggered by an abrupt resignation announcement by leader Carole James in early December.

The new leader will be elected Apr. 17.