Central Okanagan political candidates are gearing up for a campaign after B.C. Premier John Horgan officially terminated his minority government agreement with the B.C. Green Party on Sept. 21 and called an election for Oct. 24.
BC Liberals Norm Letnick and Ben Stewart 乌鸦传媒� who previously represented the Kelowna-Lake Country and Kelowna West ridings respectively 乌鸦传媒� will both be back on the ballot in October alongside a new face.
Local developer Renee Merrifield, will be running for the Liberals in Kelowna-Mission. That riding was formerly held by Steve Thomson but he announced in December he would not be seeking reelection after more than a decade in the legislature.
Letnick and Stewart both maintain that this election has been called sheerly out of the political interest of the BC NDP, calling the snap election 乌鸦传媒渦nnecessary.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淲e have a fixed election date for a reason: so politicians like Mr. Horgan can乌鸦传媒檛 try to arrange election dates when it suits political parties,乌鸦传媒� said Letnick. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 obviously putting his own needs above those of the province.乌鸦传媒�
READ MORE: Citing stability, B.C. Premier calls snap election for Oct. 24
Letnick said he hopes people see the election call for 乌鸦传媒渨hat it is乌鸦传媒� and go to the polls with that in mind.
Stewart said the election call is 乌鸦传媒減olitical opportunism乌鸦传媒� on Horgan乌鸦传媒檚 part.
乌鸦传媒淗e clearly doesn乌鸦传媒檛 want to have any impediments to be able to govern,乌鸦传媒� Stewart said. 乌鸦传媒淎nd working with the CASA agreement (with the Greens), which they乌鸦传媒檝e done successfully for the last three-plus years, wasn乌鸦传媒檛 acceptable I guess.乌鸦传媒�
At a news conference in his home community of Langford Sept. 21, Horgan said he has 乌鸦传媒渟truggled mightily乌鸦传媒� with the decision to call an early vote, but the long duration of the pandemic requires stability. That stability is eroded three and a half years into his term with former B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver sitting as an independent and preparing to retire, he said.
乌鸦传媒淚 believe the best way forward is to put the politics behind us,乌鸦传媒� Horgan said, adding that sticking to the legislated election schedule would be 乌鸦传媒渢ime well wasted.乌鸦传媒�
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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