Former Conservative candidate Kenny Chiu announced Friday he is again seeking the party’s nomination for the 2019 federal election in Steveston-Richmond East.
Having lost to MP Joe Peschisolido in 2015 by 6.6 per cent of the vote, Chiu now says he believes his party will win more votes in the upcoming election, especially after the Jody Wilson-Raybould testimony and the Meng Wanzhou case.
“Canadians who voted for (the Liberals) last time have realized it’s an illusion attributed to Justin Trudeau's empty promises. I’m the one who you can trust,” said Chiu at a press conference in South Arm Community Centre.
He said the way the federal government handled the case of Huawei's former executive Meng had "completely tarnished" Canada’s foreign reputation.
“Our prime minister tells the Chinese we have to respect the rule of law and cannot just release Meng Wanzhou,” said Chiu.
“We now learned that - through the help of Jody Wilson-Raybould - at the same time, behind the scenes, he’s been interfering with the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.”
Chiu also criticized the federal government’s financial policies, which mean “Canada is collecting more debts than ever” and focused on the federal government's insufficient efforts in forming trade deals with other countries.
“Canada deserves a fresh new government that will respect our taxpayer’s hard-earned money and offers a long-term vision on how to grow and manage a more robust economy,” said Chiu.
When asked why he should be the candidate for the Conservative party, Chiu said he has never switched parties, pointing the finger at his potential rival Peschisolido, who crossed the floor from the Tories in 2002.
Chiu also emphasized his three-year service as school trustee in Richmond.
Former Liberal candidate for Steveston-Richmond East Wendy Yuan also announced her Conservative nomination in the same riding in January.
But Chiu said he is not sure whether Yuan is eligible to apply for the party nomination, given she only recently joined.
The Conservative nomination meeting will take place mid-April, according to Chiu.
