White Rock councillor and business owner Ernie Klassen won含羞草研究社檛 be seeking provincial office as independent candidate 含羞草研究社� but he is seeking an accounting for money he is owed by the BC United Party.
Klassen was BC United含羞草研究社檚 before leader Kevin Falcon含羞草研究社檚 bombshell announcement on Aug. 28 that he was suspending the party含羞草研究社檚 campaign in the upcoming election 含羞草研究社� and encouraging party candidates to run under the Conservative banner.
That was not a path Klassen 含羞草研究社� who is also White Rock Pride Society past president 含羞草研究社� wanted to take, he said.
含羞草研究社淎lthough I had a lot of people asking me if I would run as an independent 含羞草研究社� and a few people who were prepared to help me 含羞草研究社� I didn含羞草研究社檛 feel I had enough time to pull that together,含羞草研究社� he said. (Brent Chapman continues as the Conservative candidate for Surrey South, contesting the riding with the NDP含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e been keeping in touch with each other, and there含羞草研究社檚 a whole group of us that are still owed money,含羞草研究社� Klassen told Peace Arch News.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 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含羞草研究社檙e hearing is that it含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社榰nforeseen含羞草研究社� and that 含羞草研究社榠t never happened before.含羞草研究社� The whole party seems to be in chaos.含羞草研究社�
Reached by Peace Arch News, BC United deputy campaign manager Adam Wilson said Wednesday that the party is working on the issue.
含羞草研究社淲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,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淚 kept saying no, and then I finally said yes,含羞草研究社� he noted.
An Aug. 7 media release from the party touted Klassen as a 含羞草研究社渨ell-respected White Rock city councillor含羞草研究社� who brought 含羞草研究社渁 wealth of experience from the public and private sectors to the team.含羞草研究社�
Klassen said that, while there is still talk of running a few candidates to keep the party alive, 含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 know who in their right mind would vote for BC United, now.含羞草研究社�
He said, however, he remains a believer in the 含羞草研究社淏C United philosophy含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� particularly in offering 含羞草研究社渁 middle-of-the-road alternative for local voters.
含羞草研究社淚 don't believe it含羞草研究社檚 in the best interest of British Columbians to have a two-party system,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 will help to rebuild a middle-of-the-road party, whatever it ends up being called. That含羞草研究社檚 where my philosophy is situated in the political world.含羞草研究社�
