B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Efforts to find a high-profile provincial NDP candidate for Boundary-Similkameen may be going on without the direct involvement of the riding association.
Last week Dave Ligertwood, vice president and treasurer of the association, said he was unaware of approaches by the party to high-profile potential candidates.
“That’s all hearsay,” said Ligertwood. “No one on our constituency executive has approached any of the people mentioned.”
Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff last week said she had a lengthy conversation with NDP Leader John Horgan recently, but when the topic of her potential candidacy came up, she turned him down.
“I have told John Horgan I will not run provincially,” said McKortoff.
Former mayor Stu Wells has also been approached by members of the NDP caucus, but says he’s not seeking the nomination and he has other plans.
But to Ligertwood, talk of an NDP nomination is premature and it won’t be happening in the summer.
“We know we’re going to be having our nomination meetings throughout the province in the fall and we’re planning ours for probably early November,” said Ligertwood.
He declined to discuss any potential local candidates who may be seeking papers to run.
“Everything that goes on with the people who may or may not be interested at this point is private,” said Ligertwood. “It’s confidential to them, because we can’t discuss people officially that haven’t officially done anything.”
Ligertwood said the party would send out nomination packages when it’s ready, but this hasn’t happened yet.
MLA Linda Larson was acclaimed in June as the B.C. Liberal candidate to seek re-election in the May 9, 2017 provincial election.
Ligertwood points out that her nomination was a simple process, but it’s more complicated when a party that’s not the incumbent has to look for candidates.
The NDP riding association held its annual general meeting on July 10 and Ligertwood said this was combined with a founding meeting for the new riding association.
The founding meeting was a necessary step because the riding boundaries have changed with redistribution.
Until the founding meeting was held, the association couldn’t move forward with nominations.
Ligertwood said the association must also file reports with Elections B.C. to wind down the old association and register the new one.
“Officially the constituency doesn’t change until Elections B.C. gets that paperwork,” he said.
In a recent interview, Craig Keating, provincial NDP president, said the provincial party executive has the constitutional authority to set nomination dates, but it does so in co-operation with the local riding association.
The provincial executive must also approve any would-be candidates for the nomination.
So far only Allan Patton, a former Area C (Rural Oliver) director with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, has indicated he would like to run.
He cautioned that he can’t really say he’s running until he has completed his papers and been vetted by the party.
Larson won in 2013 with 47 per cent of votes compared to 39 per cent for the NDP.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Mayor Sue McKortoff. (Richard McGuire file photo)
