British Columbia's next premier could be Attorney General Mike de Jong, and tomorrow's 10 a.m. announcement at the Abbotsford Airport could be the beginning of de Jong's Liberal leadership bid.

The Abbotsford-West MLA has done nothing to dispel rampant speculation that he will be tossing his name into the ring to become the province's 35th premier, and Wednesday's announcement is just more fuel on the fire.

Education minister George Abbott and rookie Vancouver-Langara MLA Moira Stilwell are already in the running, and de Jong's press conference tomorrow comes a day after Health Minister Kevin Falcon's expected leadership bid announcement this morning.

BC Liberal MLAs will be selecting a new leader in a party vote set for Feb. 26 following three-term Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell's surprise resignation Nov. 3.

George Abbott has the support of several MLAs for his leadership bid, including longtime de Jong riding cohorts Abbotsford South MLA and former Solicitor General John van Dongen and Abbotsford-Mission MLA Randy Hawes.

"I've known George for a long time, I've known Mike for a long time, but George seems to me at this time in our history, we need a broader outreach and George can provide that because he can appeal to every side of the political spectrum," Hawes said.

Asked if the fact that both he and van Dongen were throwing their weight behind Abbot was indicative of fissures forming in the party, or could be perceived by the public as a snub, Hawes responded by saying he hopes not.

"I'm not thinking of this as regional. I'm thinking of it as 'who today, in my opinion, has the broadest outreach to the people of British Columbia,'" he said.

"Frankly, right now I think that's George."

For his part van Dongen said the Liberal's are not trusted by the public, and are disconnected from the people they are supposed to be representing, and a change in leadership and governing style is required.

"Clearly, our government was no longer cutting it with the people," van Dongen said.

Van Dongen said he takes the decision of leadership of the party very seriously and while a number of MLAs he counts as friends would have liked his support, he chose Abbott because he's inclusive and a good listener - a style vastly different than the "strong" leadership Gordon Campbell provided.

"[Under Campbell] we knew who the boss was and the direction we were going," van Dongen said, adding that he perceives de Jong's leadership style as too close to Campbell's.

"It's quite similar, let's put it that way. In any leadership process you will see differences and changing alignments . . . I want to come out at the end with a team of people who have gone through an instructive process based on integrity."

A host of issues is at play in the leadership campaign, not the least of which are a fractured Liberal Party following Campbell's departure, the question of the highly-contentious Harmonized Sales Tax, a dismal minimum wage and an NDP Party that is chomping at the bit for another shot at running the province.