Gary Law is disappointed and "extremely frustrated" at how he's been treated by the BC Liberal Party and is planning to cancel his membership to the organization. However, he's not planning to bow out of the upcoming provincial election.
Law had put his name forward last month as a candidate seeking the Liberal nomination for Richmond Centre. However, the BC Liberal office phoned him last week and informed him that someone else had been appointed.
"I got the call 20 minutes before they made the public announcement," said Law at a press conference Friday.
Law learned that Teresa Wat was appointed as the Liberal candidate for the riding through the media following the announcement Jan. 14.
This is yet another snub the RCMP officer said he has received from the Liberals. In mid-December, Law said that a self-described "influential party member" had requested (in a demanding tone) that Law not run.
This was followed by what Law alleges were a number of "threatening" text messages telling him to bow out.
Those allegations are under police investigation.
Meanwhile, Law argues that the appointment of Wat is undemocratic, as it doesn't give the Liberal party members of Richmond a chance to vote on their candidate, and the manner in which the situation was handled was personally offensive.
Regardless, Law feels he has much to offer the community he has lived in for the better part of 30 years, and if the Liberals are not interested in supporting him he will consider running for another party or as an independent.
Law took a leave from his job at the Burnaby RCMP detachment at the end of November so he could work on his campaign.
Now that the Liberal nomination is off the table, he said he plans to consult with his campaign supporters before announcing his next move, but said he is still committed to running in the next provincial election in some capacity.
eedmonds@richmond-news.com
