White Rock councillor and business owner Ernie Klassen won害羞草研究所檛 be seeking provincial office as independent candidate 害羞草研究所� but he is seeking an accounting for money he is owed by the BC United Party.
Klassen was BC United害羞草研究所檚 before leader Kevin Falcon害羞草研究所檚 bombshell announcement on Aug. 28 that he was suspending the party害羞草研究所檚 campaign in the upcoming election 害羞草研究所� and encouraging party candidates to run under the Conservative banner.
That was not a path Klassen 害羞草研究所� who is also White Rock Pride Society past president 害羞草研究所� wanted to take, he said.
害羞草研究所淎lthough I had a lot of people asking me if I would run as an independent 害羞草研究所� and a few people who were prepared to help me 害羞草研究所� I didn害羞草研究所檛 feel I had enough time to pull that together,害羞草研究所� he said. (Brent Chapman continues as the Conservative candidate for Surrey South, contesting the riding with the NDP害羞草研究所檚 Haroon Ghaffar.)
But Klassen, who was taking a brief vacation in Mexico when Falcon made the announcement, said he and other former BC United candidates are still out-of-pocket for already-incurred campaign expenses, for which they were supposed to be reimbursed by the party.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been keeping in touch with each other, and there害羞草研究所檚 a whole group of us that are still owed money,害羞草研究所� Klassen told Peace Arch News.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 asking that there be an audit so we can find out what happened to the money. Nobody seems to be able to give us answers. The only thing we害羞草研究所檙e hearing is that it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所榰nforeseen害羞草研究所� and that 害羞草研究所榠t never happened before.害羞草研究所� The whole party seems to be in chaos.害羞草研究所�
Reached by Peace Arch News, BC United deputy campaign manager Adam Wilson said Wednesday that the party is working on the issue.
害羞草研究所淲e are currently working through all the expenses provided to us by our candidates, and working with Elections BC to understand how reporting will work, prior to providing reimbursements,害羞草研究所� Wilson said.
The irony of his situation, Klassen acknowledges, is that he had been actively courted by BC United for a long time before he ultimately announced his candidacy in early August.
害羞草研究所淚 kept saying no, and then I finally said yes,害羞草研究所� he noted.
An Aug. 7 media release from the party touted Klassen as a 害羞草研究所渨ell-respected White Rock city councillor害羞草研究所� who brought 害羞草研究所渁 wealth of experience from the public and private sectors to the team.害羞草研究所�
Klassen said that, while there is still talk of running a few candidates to keep the party alive, 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know who in their right mind would vote for BC United, now.害羞草研究所�
He said, however, he remains a believer in the 害羞草研究所淏C United philosophy害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� particularly in offering 害羞草研究所渁 middle-of-the-road alternative for local voters.
害羞草研究所淚 don't believe it害羞草研究所檚 in the best interest of British Columbians to have a two-party system,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 will help to rebuild a middle-of-the-road party, whatever it ends up being called. That害羞草研究所檚 where my philosophy is situated in the political world.害羞草研究所�
