Recall campaigns target B.C. Liberals Richard Lee and Marc Dalton

by Charlie Smith on April 5th, 2015 at 3:14 PM

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Under the law, more than 40 percent of registered voters in any constituency can fire their MLA in B.C.

All a person must do is get a petition approved by the chief electoral officer at least 18 months after the politician is elected. Then under the Recall and Initiative Act, the MLA can be ousted if there are enough valid signatures collected within 60 days of the petition being issued.

Signatures must be accompanied by the person's residential address and witnessed by the canvasser. After the petition is submitted to Elections B.C., the chief electoral officer has 42 days to determine if it meets the requirements under the law.

Since the legislation came into effect in 1995, there have been 24 petitions approved. But so far, none have led to an MLA getting the boot.

Now, B.C. Citizens for Recall is trying to make history with the next such campaign. The group is targeting two B.C. Liberal MLAs.

One of those on the hit list, Marc Dalton, represents Maple Ridge–Mission in the legislature. He's seeking the federal Conservative nomination in Pitt Meadows–Maple Ridge.

"I'm focused on doing my job as an MLA and serving my constituents," Dalton recently told the Mission City Record.

The other MLA in the group's sights is Richard Lee, who has represented Burnaby North since 2001.

On the recall-campaign website, it states that there are "many concerns" that Lee has not addressed, such as health care, poverty, education, seniors care, and the environment—including pipelines and tanker traffic.

The group was handing out leaflets and knocking on doors this weekend in Burnaby North as part of the pre-campaign period.

The Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union Local 378 has an online survey asking people their opinion. With 168 votes cast, 79 percent said it's a great idea to recall MLAs, with 13 percent saying they're opposed to recall. The remaining eight percent said they won't be voting for the B.C. Liberal MLAs but can wait until the next election.

Comments

9 Comments

Alexandra Boesel

Apr 5, 2015 at 4:34pm

This is a fantastic article. We need a government that is accountable to its citizens. Recall is our chance to take back our province and our democracy. Please join us in this campaign. Here is the link again to our website. http://recallburnabynorth.nationbuilder.com/

Christine Abrams

Apr 5, 2015 at 4:36pm

I wish them the best of luck! If it does nothing but take that irritating grin of Christy's face for 5 minutes, it would be worth it.

Don MacLean

Apr 5, 2015 at 4:51pm

With the exception of the COPE 378 survey this is really old news Charlie.

Seriously?!?

Apr 5, 2015 at 6:43pm

The "poll" at the end is almost as hilarious as it is irrelevant. A union online poll? Now that is an unbiased inquisitor. BC Citizens for Recall is just another proaganda mill, in this case for the left: otherwise they would have tried to recall Jenny Chequebook Kwan. They would have failed, signing the petition in public would have risked retaliation from her supporters in the poverty business, but at least they could have maintained the fiction of impartiality.

Jean-Michel

Apr 5, 2015 at 8:21pm

We're fortunate in BC to have this opportunity to recall MLAs who fail to deliver on promises. If people think they have not been listened to they should use their democratic right and demand accountability and integrity.

What Crap

Apr 6, 2015 at 7:18am

The comments are hilarious and so is the ridiculous online union poll. What's funny is that one of the spin doctors (Jean-Michel) said how wonderful it was to hold politicians accountable for failing to deliver promises. You know that anyone signing the petition didn't vote for their 'target' in the first place and would never admit that their victim came through even if they did deliver. It's just the usual sour grape crowd who are having a hell of a time coming to terms with the fact that the majority of voters didn't follow their lead. This is arrogance at its crudest level.

tedo

Apr 6, 2015 at 1:47pm

the right-wing commenters like 'what crap' sound like sour grapes

such anger they have

Come On

Apr 6, 2015 at 8:40pm

If these folk had any brains, they would recall all BC NDP MLAs. Their leader Horgan et al seem to be MIA. Now THAT would be in the public interest. Green MLA Andrew Weaver has turned into the defacto leader of BC`s opposition.

Recall all NDP MLAs and elect Green MLAs in their place.