Federal Liberal leadership hopeful Joyce Murray says the Okanagan should not be ignored.
Murray, a Vancouver Quadra MP, made a campaign stop at DeDutch Pannekoek House Sunday in Kelowna. She also made stops in Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Vernon and Penticton over the weekend.
"It's important that the views of the Okanagan are heard, so it's great to come back and meet with people," she said in an interview Monday.
Murray said many people who met her were interested in the Liberal party opening up the leadership race to all voters.
"Anyone who signs up as a supporter at the party website can vote in the leadership race, as long as they're not a member of a rival leadership," she said.
Murray said she wants to reform the electoral system by working with the other parties.
She said she wants to hold run-off nominations and choose a single candidate to go against the Conservative candidate in vulnerable ridings.
Murray used an analogy of the Canadian Olympic hockey team to make her point.
"It would be like rival hockey players of competitive teams coming together for Canada, and then going their separate ways once the job is done," she said.
After that, she's proposing to move beyond the first-past-the-post voting system, to a system where the popular vote can be reflected with the number of seats in the House of Commons.
"My plan is to co-operate with the progressive party to defeat Stephen Harper and do electoral reform. Canadians actually have the chance to affect the outcome by their choice of Liberal party leader."
NDP leader Thomas Mulcair has said he doesn't want to work with the Liberals, while Green Party leader Elizabeth May has said she supports partnership.
Murray said she has a vision for a sustainable society and environment, and doesn't support the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
"I think the pipeline is an outdated business model by exporting a crude resource and exporting green house gas emissions. I think we need to put a price on carbon so we're not polluting for free. We need to see a national energy strategy to supply the oil needs of Canadians."
She said it's a great time to be a woman in politics in Canada.
"I think the testosterone during question period in Ottawa turns people off of voting," she said.
"Then you look at the new Premier of Ontario, Katherine Wynne, who's known as a mediator and co-operator while working. It's a different way of doing politics and I think it's time we have a woman in charge of the Liberal Party."
Voting takes place from April 7-14.