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Parties yet to field candidates for Swan Lake riding

B.C. Liberals and Green Party haven't nominated candidates to challenge the NDP's Rob Fleming in Victoria Swan Lake
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The B.C. Liberals and Green Party have yet to nominate candidates to run against the NDP's Rob Fleming in Victoria Swan Lake.

With the next provincial election approaching, two of the three political parties with representation in the Provincial Legislature have not yet officially nominated candidates for a Saanich riding.

Both the B.C. Liberals and the Green Party of B.C. have yet to officially nominate candidates for Victoria Swan Lake, which incumbent MLA Rob Fleming will try to keep in the New Democratic column.

Emile Scheffel, a spokesperson for the B.C. Liberals, said last week that his party is in the process of setting a nomination date.

“We have nominated 74 out of 87 candidates provincewide, so the process is moving along well,” he said. “In each riding, we invest the time and effort to find a strong candidate and we look forward to nominating that person for Victoria-Swan Lake in the near future.”

He also dismissed suggestions that the current absence of a candidate would hurt the Liberals’ chances of winning the riding.

“Our candidates will be working hard in every riding to win the support of voters – carrying our message that a strong economy that creates good jobs is the best way for British Columbians to look after the people they love,” he said.

The B.C. Green Party is also still looking for a candidate.

“We are still in the process of receiving and reviewing applications,” said Stefan Jonsson, the party’s director of communication. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a timeframe for our candidacy announcement for Victoria-Swan Lake.”

Jonsson nonetheless sounded optimistic about his party’s chances.

“In 2013, our candidate Spencer Malthouse finished second with 23 per cent of the vote,” he said. “Our 2017 candidate will be equipped with more resources than the party was previously able to provide, and we believe that there is a desire among voters in Victoria-Swan Lake for a strong alternative to the incumbent.”

Fleming won the riding twice, first in 2009 with 61 per cent of the vote, then again in 2013 with almost 55 per cent of the vote.

 



Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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