When Donna Barnett declared she was going to run for another election there was a cheer that went up throughout Cariboo Chilcotin. I suspect the NDP would not be so thrilled with the news because it would give them a better chance to win the riding if Donna was not running.
Donna has done a lot of work for the Cariboo Chilcotin but probably her dogged pressure on her fellow Liberals to bring back the Coastal Ferry was one her highlights.
I understand the NDP has proposed a ban on corporate and union donations to politics parties.
I wonder if this is just a ploy to try to get more donations because the party is not doing well financially heading into the election next year?
The NDP are apparently having financial problems in raising money and they sold their Burnaby head office for $2.1 million in order to help with the fiscal problems they are encountering.
According to B.C. Liberal campaign co-chair Rich Coleman, his party is in better shape than the last election. The Liberals raised more than $10 million in 2015, and Rich Coleman, Liberal campaign co-chair, suggests the party is in good shape.
I hope it will be a good election without a lot of acrimony such as we find with our friends south of the border with the name calling that has going on for what seems to be an eternity.
The Conservatives don’t seem to have much thrust going into the 2017 election in B.C. As usual it will be a two-party race in our province, and, as usual, some seats will change.
As mentioned, I suspect Barnett has a pretty safe riding because of what she has done in this constituency. I think Donna will work as hard as she has done in the past four years — probably one of the safer ridings for the Liberals.
Politics is politics and one really never knows what the turnout will bring come election day in May.
Ken Wilson is a freelance columnist with the Tribune/Weekend Advisor.