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NDP announces candidate as election rumour swirl

Bob D’Eith will defend his seat in Maple Ridge-Mission
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The NDP has announced Bob D’Eith running in Maple Ridge-Mission, as rumours of a fall provincial election swirl. (Special to The News)

Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Bob D’Eith has announced he will be running again in a B.C. election, which is rumoured to be coming soon.

On Tuesday, D’Eith was nominated by the BC NDP to seek re-election under John Horgan’s banner. The party has been announcing candidates who will run again in recent weeks, as well as politicians who are retiring.

At a press conference on Monday, Premier Horgan faced numerous questions about a potential fall election.

READ ALSO: Premier Horgan peppered with questions about potential fall election in B.C.

Speculation that an election is on the horizon heated up, with the new leader of the B.C. Green Party announced Monday. The questions come because the NDP leads a minority government propped up by the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA) between them and the Green party.

Horgan refused to shed light on when an election might be called.

“We are a minority government, we have been for the past three-and-a-quarter years, and we have been preparing for the eventuality of an election since day one,” Horgan replied.

D’Eith, a consultant in the music industry, narrowly defeated Liberal MLA Marc Dalton in the 2017 election, by a margin of 120 votes.

He will face a Liberal candidate that will be either Maple Ridge councillor Chelsa Meadus, or council candidate Onyeka Dozie. Both are seeking their party’s nomination for the riding. Meadus announced her candidacy on Tuesday.

D’Eith commented on the government handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This has been a difficult seven months for the people I represent in Maple Ridge and Mission and people here are worried about their loved ones and what their future will look like,” Bob said. “But we’ve all been thankful of John Horgan’s leadership during this time, keeping people safe. We need to keep moving forward and build a recovery that includes everyone.”

READ ALSO: Maple Ridge MLA part of budget consultation

The party press release said D’Eith was instrumental in launching Showcase BC, an online hub that provides funding for artists and brings live performances to British Columbians, so they could stay connected while staying home.

It also mentioned the removal of tolls on the Golden Ears Bridge.

“Bob is a hardworking advocate for the people in his community who has never slowed down, even at the height of the pandemic,” Horgan said. “Together we will continue to invest in health care to keep people safe and build back a better BC for everyone.”


 


ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com

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Neil Corbett

About the Author: Neil Corbett

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years, the past decade with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
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