Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Who's Running in 2017?



With the provincial election just a short ten and a half months away, it seems rather odd that there is no word on who may be running in 2017, for the  Kamloops North and South Thompson ridings, with two exceptions. 



BC Liberal Transportation Minister Todd Stone, by all accounts, will be running
BC Liberal Health Minister Terry Lake
again, however two term Health Minister Terry Lake has yet to announce his intentions.  Lake was elected in 2009, for Kamloops North Thompson, after serving on Kamloops Council as both a councillor and Mayor.



For the moment both BC Conservative Party, and the NDP, have no rumours or talks of anyone running.



I find this especially interesting for the NDP, given that they held a special election readiness / preparation workshop in Kamloops over the weekend. 

According to the BC NDP website ... Forward 2016 will showcase new ideas, strategies and technology being used in elections across North America. In addition to covering the latest campaign techniques in voter contact, communications, data and campaign management, the weekend will focus on what the NDP campaign of the future will look like and what new approaches will be essential to success in 2017.



With several hundred members in town, along with leader John Horgan, and
several prominent Cabinet Critics, one would have thought this would have been the ideal opportunity for potential candidates to have been showcased, and / or announcements made regarding intentions to seek the nominations.



I have to say I find it strange that this did not happen.



Will Kathy Kendall or Tom Friedman step up again ... or will Bill Sundhu, after a well-fought attempt to win the seat for the Federal NDP last year, take a shot provincially for either of the two Kamloops ridings?



As for the BC Conservative Party, no names have yet to surface as to who may be willing to run in either riding, although rumours are out there that Peter Sharp (the 2013 Kamloops South Thompson candidate) has moved his support to the BC Liberal Party.



So ... who's running in 2017?  Only time will tell, however with less than a year to go, the NDP and BC Conservatives better start name dropping soon if they want to have any chance of taking on the well-funded BC Liberal machine.



In Kamloops, I'm Alan Forseth.

Terry Lake (L) and Todd Stone (R)
UPDATE:  Since posting this piece yesterday, Transportation Minister Todd Stone has been acclaimed as the BC Liberal candidate for Kamloops South Thompson.  This news was announced today (Monday June 27th)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH: Without a strong local presence, there is NO reason for anyone to tune in to local(?) radio

LOCAL HOMETOWN RADIO IS DYING … and without serious measures put in place, it will likely never see the light of day again. For well over four decades, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has presided over its’ demise, and for that I say, “Shame”. Without out a word to say enough was enough, the CRTC has allowed corporate Canada to buy up one radio station after the other, and then allowed them to slash staff to the point where some so-called local radio stations do nothing more than air programming that originates from communities well outside the region in which they are located. Case in point?   On CHNL* 610 in Kamloops, the morning show hosted by Vinnie and Randi, DOES NOT originate from Kamloops -- it doesn’t even originate here in BC. It’s a program that Stingray airs across multiple radio stations in Western Canada. It doesn’t end there. Not only are Vinnie and Rando doing mornings on CHNL, but they also show up on sister station Country 103 … and of course o...
5 comments
Read more

Conservative Economic Team Responds to Urgent Industry Concerns

 " For far too long, the BC NDP has ignored the economic challenges facing British Columbians. Manufacturing jobs are vanishing, forestry is in decline, and private sector employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, affordability has worsened for both families and businesses. British Columbians deserve better, and we’re here to deliver real solutions to rebuild our economy and create jobs that support everyday working people and their families ." – Gavin Dew, MLA and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economy, Development, and Innovation.   December 3, 2024, Vancouver, BC – The Conservative economic team met today with business leaders and stakeholders to tackle critical issues impacting British Columbia’s economy. Attended by 9 critics from the Conservative Caucus, this meeting was convened by MLA Gavin Dew – Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation - as a direct response to an October 30th open letter from seven of the province’s largest industry associations. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- We need certainly in our markets, and certainly in our fibre supply, before we no longer have a forest industry in this province

Image Government of BC I think we all realize that the threat of Trump’s 25% tariff is like other provocative statements he’s made in the past. That said, we should have reason to be concerned. Tariffs don’t benefit anyone. A tariff of that magnitude – included on our own softwood lumber exports, will make things more expensive for Americans, and cause friction in the supply chain. If imposed, a twenty-five percent tariff will be equally detrimental to the citizens and economy of the United States, as well as the people of BC. There are two things, however, of equal concern to the threat of punitive tariffs by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. One is our antiquated stumpage fees. It is a legacy from decades ago, and one incapable of responding to changing market conditions. We need to revamp our stumpage system to better reflect market conditions, and our economic costs. Instead, a value-added tax system will be instantly responsive to current market conditions and will encou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more