White Rock councillor and business owner Ernie Klassen won乌鸦传媒檛 be seeking provincial office as independent candidate 乌鸦传媒� but he is seeking an accounting for money he is owed by the BC United Party.
Klassen was BC United乌鸦传媒檚 before leader Kevin Falcon乌鸦传媒檚 bombshell announcement on Aug. 28 that he was suspending the party乌鸦传媒檚 campaign in the upcoming election 乌鸦传媒� and encouraging party candidates to run under the Conservative banner.
That was not a path Klassen 乌鸦传媒� who is also White Rock Pride Society past president 乌鸦传媒� wanted to take, he said.
乌鸦传媒淎lthough I had a lot of people asking me if I would run as an independent 乌鸦传媒� and a few people who were prepared to help me 乌鸦传媒� I didn乌鸦传媒檛 feel I had enough time to pull that together,乌鸦传媒� he said. (Brent Chapman continues as the Conservative candidate for Surrey South, contesting the riding with the NDP乌鸦传媒檚 Haroon Ghaffar.)
But Klassen, who was taking a brief vacation in Mexico when Falcon made the announcement, said he and other former BC United candidates are still out-of-pocket for already-incurred campaign expenses, for which they were supposed to be reimbursed by the party.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e been keeping in touch with each other, and there乌鸦传媒檚 a whole group of us that are still owed money,乌鸦传媒� Klassen told Peace Arch News.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 asking that there be an audit so we can find out what happened to the money. Nobody seems to be able to give us answers. The only thing we乌鸦传媒檙e hearing is that it乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒榰nforeseen乌鸦传媒� and that 乌鸦传媒榠t never happened before.乌鸦传媒� The whole party seems to be in chaos.乌鸦传媒�
Reached by Peace Arch News, BC United deputy campaign manager Adam Wilson said Wednesday that the party is working on the issue.
乌鸦传媒淲e are currently working through all the expenses provided to us by our candidates, and working with Elections BC to understand how reporting will work, prior to providing reimbursements,乌鸦传媒� Wilson said.
The irony of his situation, Klassen acknowledges, is that he had been actively courted by BC United for a long time before he ultimately announced his candidacy in early August.
乌鸦传媒淚 kept saying no, and then I finally said yes,乌鸦传媒� he noted.
An Aug. 7 media release from the party touted Klassen as a 乌鸦传媒渨ell-respected White Rock city councillor乌鸦传媒� who brought 乌鸦传媒渁 wealth of experience from the public and private sectors to the team.乌鸦传媒�
Klassen said that, while there is still talk of running a few candidates to keep the party alive, 乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know who in their right mind would vote for BC United, now.乌鸦传媒�
He said, however, he remains a believer in the 乌鸦传媒淏C United philosophy乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� particularly in offering 乌鸦传媒渁 middle-of-the-road alternative for local voters.
乌鸦传媒淚 don't believe it乌鸦传媒檚 in the best interest of British Columbians to have a two-party system,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 will help to rebuild a middle-of-the-road party, whatever it ends up being called. That乌鸦传媒檚 where my philosophy is situated in the political world.乌鸦传媒�
