NDP candidate Colleen Ross offered independent candidate Dr. Peter Entwistle an advisory role if he would withdraw his candidacy. The incident, which occurred about a month ago, came to light on Friday and has led to accusations and counter accusations. (Richard McGuire photo)
(This story has been updated to include comments from the NDP received Monday afternoon suggesting Dr. Peter Entwistle had not yet filed papers as a candidate when the conversation took place. The NDP had previously declined to comment when contacted Saturday).
A report that NDP candidate Colleen Ross offered independent candidate Dr. Peter Entwistle an advisory position if he would not run in Tuesday’s election for the riding of Boundary-Similkameen has led to accusations and counteraccusations in the final days of the provincial election campaign.
The report appeared in the Penticton Herald on Friday and was based on interviews with Ross and Entwistle.
“Ross feels Entwistle would be better off to take on the role of NDP health champion, rather than MLA,” said the story by Erin Christie.
The Herald’s report led the B.C. Liberals to issue a statement on Saturday saying they were asking the RCMP to investigate.
The NDP did not initially comment on the story when contacted by the Osoyoos Times on Saturday, but on Monday a representative of Ross’ campaign said the date of the NDP candidate’s conversation with Entwistle was in fact March 30, which made it before Entwistle filed as a candidate.
This means it was not accurate to say Ross encouraged Entwistle to step down, she said.
Entwistle announced his resignation as chief of staff at South Okanagan General Hospital on March 28 and indicated at the time he was considering running in the election. He didn’t formally announce he would run until a few days later in early April.
Entwistle reiterated to the Osoyoos Times his statement in the Herald’s Friday report that Ross asked him to step down and offered him an “advisor’s” position, an offer he rejected.
On Saturday afternoon, however, the Herald posted a “clarification” on its website.
“After reviewing tape of both interviews (with Ross and Entwistle), the position Entwistle was describing was that of an unpaid advisor, and not a government job or position,” the Herald’s “clarification” said.
The Ross campaign sent the Osoyoos Times a statement Monday also saying no offer of employment was made.
“There was no offer of employment made,” said Ross in the statement. “Peter and I agreed on a shared vision to improve public health care, which is urgently needed, so I asked him to consider uniting forces in order to defeat Christy Clark. He opted instead to file his official paperwork to run in the race here, which is fine.
“The B.C. Liberals are once again making stuff up, showing that they are desperate because they know people in Boundary-Similkameen are ready to defeat Christy Clark and ready to elect a new government.”
On Saturday morning, after the Herald’s story was published, but before the “clarification” appeared, the B.C. Liberals issued a statement saying they had written to the RCMP asking them to investigate whether there was any criminal wrongdoing in the offer.
The Liberal statement made no reference to their Boundary-Similkameen candidate, Linda Larson, the incumbent MLA.
Instead, it quoted Andrew Wilkinson, their candidate in Vancouver-Quilchena, also an incumbent, calling on NDP Leader John Horgan to remove Ross as the NDP candidate.
The Osoyoos Times initially asked Ross by email on Saturday to comment on the Liberal statement.
She referred the request to Glen Sanford, NDP deputy director.
Sanford declined to issue a written statement or to discuss the matter on the record. He referred the Osoyoos Times to the Herald’s “clarification,” which says the offer was for an unpaid position.
Whether or not the position came with payment could make a difference in law, but Entwistle said he’s concerned about it either way because it reflects on the integrity of the electoral process.
“If I was offered a position in exchange for stepping down, whether it was a financially rewarded position or a volunteer position, it doesn’t really make any difference,” Entwistle said. “It’s an inducement either way.”
Entwistle said he doesn’t know if it was a paid position because he rejected it immediately.
“I wasn’t interested,” he said. “I have a concern that the offer was to make me drop out. I declined because I don’t think it was in the best interest of our riding.”
Entwistle said the meeting took place at his house and both candidates had their agents with them.
The conversation dealt with other political matters, but it mainly focused on healthcare, he said.
He’s surprised Ross told the media about it.
“I thought it was a private conversation and I was a little surprised that Colleen spoke about it,” he said.
Entwistle said any manipulation of the electoral process is concerning, but he doesn’t know if the RCMP are the best people to investigate.
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” he said. “I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m looking forward to an election and I’m looking forward to being our riding’s MLA.”
Meanwhile, Entwistle’s campaign manager Andrew Stuckey is critical of the B.C. Liberals for going to the RCMP with a “false allegation” without checking facts.
“The B.C. Liberals – and I guess by extension, their Boundary-Similkameen candidate – acted impatiently, politically and improperly by contacting the RCMP and wasting valuable local police time,” Stuckey said in an emailed statement.
The Osoyoos Times contacted B.C. Liberal spokesperson Alexis Pavlich on Sunday to ask whether the party stood by or was withdrawing its accusation against the NDP in light of the Herald’s “clarification.”
Pavlich did not directly answer the question as to whether the Liberals continued to stand by their earlier statement.
“The one constant in Ms. Ross’ story is she asked the independent candidate, Dr. Entwistle, to step down for an unspecified position,” Pavlich said in an email. “The authorities will determine if that was appropriate.
“What is clearly not appropriate is the concerted effort by the B.C. NDP to suppress the vote,” Pavlich continued. “Asking a candidate to step down is wrong. Voters deserve to have their say and John Horgan needs to accept that.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Dr. Peter Entwistle says he immediately refused NDP candidate Colleen Ross’s offer of an advisory role. He doesn’t know if it would have been paid or not because he immediately refused and details of the role weren’t discussed. He says it raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. (Richard McGuire photo)
