In Vancouver-Langara, where Dr. Moira Stilwell holds the court for the Liberals, it is rumoured that she will not be running in the next election. And even though she has not made those intentions official, there are already a number rushing to be candidates with the riding executive telling everybody that he is under Christy Clark’s umbrella and no other candidate need apply.
By R. Paul Dhillon
SURREY – It’s natural that interest in seeking a provincial government ticket would be hot ahead of an election year with the election slated for May 9 but the summer heat is going to the heads of those seeking to be on the BC Liberal ticket in ridings not currently held by the governing party or those where incumbents are planning to leave.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone , during a stop in Surrey to pow-vow with local Liberals at York Centre Wednesday, said that 38 MLAs have already told Premier Christy Clark that they are running again and that leaves a lot of seats for new candidates open, especially the new ones, including one in the Surrey area, where a number of a names from the Indo-Canadian community have already come forward to stake their claim or get ready to sign members for a nomination battle royale.
But while many are waiting for the party’s official Green Light committee to give them the go ahead to seek nominations but others are jumping the gun to be the so-called acclaimed candidates.
In Vancouver-Langara, where Dr. Moira Stilwell holds the court for the Liberals, it is rumoured that she will not be running in the next election. And even though she has not made those intentions official, there are already a number rushing to be candidates with the riding executive telling everybody that he is under Christy Clark’s umbrella and no other candidate need apply.
Sources told the LINK that Michael Lee, who is the riding president, has let his intentions be known that he is the chosen one for the riding and no one else need apply but BC Liberals have been clear and Clark has been adamant that there will be nominations for riding that don’t have an incumbent to ensure that the democratic process is followed.
So will Michael Lee be the acclaimed and so-called under Christy Clark’s umbrella or is this just a lot of hot air to scare away potential candidates from the riding? Perhaps Lee can answer some of our questions as he could not be reached at press time.
Also in Surrey, too many Indo-Canadian “King-Makers” are telling people that they will have to bow to them to get the party nominations – is this just more “power-play” nonsense or has Clark really appointed a “King-maker” or two to the Surrey Throne!
All of this is playing more like a bad episode of Game of Thrones!
