Brenda Dorosz is officially seeking the NDP nomination for this riding in the next election. She said her promise is to listen to the people. (Richard McGuire photo)
Brenda Dorosz, the woman who led the fight to save Osoyoos Secondary School, was green lighted Tuesday to seek the provincial NDP nomination in Boundary-Similkameen.
“I decided to run because I think I can be a strong voice for the Boundary-Similkameen,” Dorosz said in an interview Tuesday. “I don’t think we’ve had a voice in the last few years.”
Dorosz said she was the first potential NDP candidate approved to seek the nomination.
Allan Patton, of rural Oliver, and Colleen Ross, of Grand Forks, are also believed to be interested in the nomination, but until they are green lighted, they can’t say they are candidates for the nomination.
Dorosz said the nomination meeting is scheduled for Jan. 15.
The winner of the nomination will face MLA Linda Larson, the B.C. Liberal incumbent, in the next provincial election set for May 9, 2017.
Only people who were NDP party members more than 90 days prior to the nomination meeting will be eligible to vote for a candidate. This means the cutoff date is in less than a week.
Dorosz said all the prospective candidates have known about the cutoff date and have been quietly selling memberships even before they were green lighted.
“I believe that changes need to happen in all of British Columbia,” said Dorosz. “Education is important to me, but so is the economy, seniors, healthcare, post secondary education – there’s so much going on in our province that we need to change.”
Dorosz said she was approached and urged to run by many people.
Ultimately, she said, the decision was made within her family.
“It’s fantastic news,” she said of the approval to contest the nomination.
The news came at a time when Dorosz is working flat out at the winery where she works with this year’s grape harvest.
By Richard McGuire
