Here we are well into week two of the provincial election campaign and there is very little to report on the local front.
Last week, we announced that both Delta incumbents would be seeking re-election – Liberal Ian Paton in Delta South and New Democrat Ravi Khalon in Delta North.
Liberal Jet Sunner has been named a candidate to oppose Mr. Khalon, although we know little about him. Despite numerous emails and requests for information, contact details – anything so we could interview Mr. Sunner, all we have received from the Liberal Party is a one-line bio – Sunner is an RCMP staff sergeant and youth mentor.
Here in South Delta, it is crickets from the NDP riding association as no candidate has been named. Heck, we haven’t even heard a rumour of a candidate opposing Mr. Paton.
As for the Green Party, we have at least received an email from the Delta South Riding Association stating: “that the party was working hard to provide a place on the ballot for them [residents] to vote Green.”
Well, at least that is something I guess.
I’m astounded by the lack of urgency by the parties to get candidates nominated and their campaigns up and running, not just here in Delta, but in other ridings across the province.
Yes, NDP leader John Horgan called a ‘snap election’, but let’s be real here folks, rumours of an early election call have been floating around for weeks, if not months, so it should have come to no one’s surprise that an election call was imminent. There has been plenty of time for riding associations to begin the process of selecting candidates, finish the nomination paperwork and be prepared to hit the ground running as soon as the Election Day was announced.
This Friday is the last day that candidate nominations will be accepted and confirmed by Elections BC. Will Mr. Paton run unopposed and be acclaimed in Delta South or will someone step forward to give voters a choice when they mark their ballot?
