All three Saanich ridings will feature candidates for the Vancouver Island Party after David Costigane joined the race for Victoria-Swan Lake.
“He’s very presentable,” said Robin Richardson, Vancouver Island Party leader. “He will do well in the all-candidates meetings.”
Costigane, however, appears to be less enthusiastic about his candidacy.
“I’m not actively campaigning,” he said in responding to an email asking for additional information about his candidacy. “Thanks for the interest.”
Official documents from Elections B.C. confirm the candidacy of Costigane, who currently works as a staff manager for the Department of National Defense, according to a party release.
It says Costigane has 15 years of military service in the Royal Canadian Navy to his credit and holds degrees in engineering and finance.
“David looks forward to improving the value for money that taxpayers receive, and demanding more action and less waste in provincial projects and agencies,” the release states. “He will work in close co-operation with municipal and federal government agencies to advance civil infrastructure projects and social policies that serve the residents of Victoria-Swan Lake.”
The party did not provide a photo of Costigane, citing military regulations. The Saanich News could not independently confirm or deny the veracity of this claim. Richardson referred questions to Costigane, who did not respond by deadline.
Richard Pattee (Saanich South) and Jin Dong Yang-Riley (Oak Bay Gordon Head) are the two other local Vancouver Island Party candidates running in Saanich ridings.
Both have already participated in various election events.
“I’m happy with our candidates and we are establishing a beachhead here,” said Richardson.
In fact, this trio of candidates — Pattee, Yang-Riley, and Costigane — officially represent 75 per cent of the party’s candidates in the provincial election.
A fourth candidate — Willie Nelson — is running for the Vancouver Island Party in Juan de Fuca, the riding of New Democratic leader John Horgan.
Richardson said a couple of would-be candidates in northern Vancouver Island could not submit their nomination papers by Tuesday’s deadline.
Overall, the party was aiming to run candidates all 14 ridings. While it failed to meet that goal this time around, Richardson said the party will continue to work towards its ultimate goal of turning Vancouver Island into a separate province.
“We are not leaving Canada,” he said. “We are not Quebec separatists.”