Darlene Bennett is undaunted by Elections BC乌鸦传媒檚 announcement Tuesday that her initiative petition calling for a referendum on Surrey乌鸦传媒檚 policing transition has failed.
乌鸦传媒淚t think it乌鸦传媒檚 a clear voice for Surrey, Surrey wants a referendum and we乌鸦传媒檒l keep the pressure on the provincial government because they still have the ability to call for one,乌鸦传媒� she told the Now-Leader. It乌鸦传媒檚 not a provincial 乌鸦传媒減roblem乌鸦传媒� but a regional one, she said, adding she was expecting this outcome but the fight is not over.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e asking for a referendum only for Surrey.乌鸦传媒� She said she乌鸦传媒檚 not disappointed.
All told, 42,942 signatures were delivered to Elections BC in Victoria on Monday. That乌鸦传媒檚 just 2,622 shy of the 45,564 votes Mayor Doug McCallum, champion of the controversial policing switchover, received in the 2018 civic election.
McCallum issued a statement Tuesday that since Elections BC announced the 乌鸦传媒渇ailure乌鸦传媒� of the petition 乌鸦传媒渋t is clearly time to move on.
乌鸦传媒淭he work of the Surrey Police Service has remained focused on the task at hand for a safe and smooth transition. Surrey Police will take another significant step forward when the first SPS officers hit the streets alongside Surrey RCMP members by the end of the month,乌鸦传媒� he said in his written statement.
Elections BC乌鸦传媒檚 statement notes that under the Recall and Initiative Act a petition must gather signatures from at least 10 per cent of the registered voters in each of the province乌鸦传媒檚 87 electoral districts to succeed.
乌鸦传媒淚t was clear upon submission that the petition did not receive the required number of signatures in each electoral district. As a result, Elections BC will not be counting or validating any of the signatures submitted,乌鸦传媒� Elections BC乌鸦传媒檚 statement reads.
Bennett said it was always her campaign乌鸦传媒檚 intention to collect signatures in Surrey.
乌鸦传媒淵ou know, 42,942 signatures during a global pandemic, crazy weather systems and you know, the interference with the mayor, this is huge. People are mad and they want a voice in this,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 still in play, it乌鸦传媒檚 still a win and this is a clear message to the provincial government that the residents of Surrey want a referendum.乌鸦传媒�
Campaign strategist Bill Tieleman said as far as the campaign for a referendum in Surrey is concerned, it乌鸦传媒檚 still 乌鸦传媒渢otally game on.乌鸦传媒� Cabinet, he noted, could make a decision 乌鸦传媒渢oday, tomorrow, a week before Christmas,乌鸦传媒� and proceed with a referendum in Surrey. 乌鸦传媒淚t doesn乌鸦传媒檛 end the issue at all.乌鸦传媒�
Tieleman said the campaign team will be making public and private 乌鸦传媒渞epresentations乌鸦传媒� to the provincial government and will meet later this week to discuss what the future holds for their cause. 乌鸦传媒淧eople want a vote,乌鸦传媒� he noted. 乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 think there乌鸦传媒檚 any reason we should stop this campaign at this stage because we don乌鸦传媒檛 have a referendum yet. And if we don乌鸦传媒檛 get a referendum I think the municipal election will be the referendum, next year.乌鸦传媒�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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