As a former competitive athlete and sportsman I can relate to Michelle Stilwell’s drive and ambition to achieve the pinnacle of her sport in front of her fellow countrymen. I wish her well and also acknowledge her amazing accomplishments in that field to date.
That said, I/we are still waiting for her to redirect her energies into being a full-time MLA.
In my view, Stilwell is following the politician’s credo of showing up for photo ops for every program and event and (passively) take credit for them even if they would have happened without you. Former MLA Ron Cantelon and MP James Lunney have been prime examples of that approach.
When Stilwell declared herself as a candidate, her personal platform was straight out of the NDP handbook, and yet she took the “gold medal” route, opting for star candidate status with the party that mostly just pays lip service to her declared goals.
Having taken on so many roles and responsibilities, Stilwell continues to be the “track star,” but without the hard work and training that we know is required to build a solid base for future achievements.
Festooned with unearned political medals and plaudits, I fail to see how Stilwell can have any personal satisfaction in her performance to date.
Hopefully this foray back into glory on the athletic track is her last hurrah in that field of endeavour and then she can throw her energies into making a real difference for her constituents and her community as, regardless of political affiliation, most of us (I believe) think she is capable of doing.
Mike HughesParksville