The Editor,
Re: "Law goes it alone," News, Jan. 30.
In response to your front page story regarding the candidacy of independent Gary Law in the next provincial election, I felt an uneasy sense of déjà vu.
I do not know Gary Law, nor met him and have had no contact with him. But his claim that "he was threatened by texts and calls" from the Liberal Party calling for him to withdraw is hauntingly familiar.
In 1996, while I was a Liberal MLA and Caucus Chair, the top leadership of the party pressured me to not seek a re-nomination and then later, when I ran as an Independent, I received several threatening and vicious telephone calls.
Among them was the threat of Recall, even if I was re-elected and constant abusive language at me and my supporters during a nerve-wracking campaign.
Having been personally exposed to this dark side of politics which some seem to think as normal political behaviour, I have to believe Gary Law's claims of ill-treatment.
That is, occasionally, the real character of this Liberal Party is revealed and these are not all nice people.
Unfortunately, most voters are not bothered by such abusive behaviour and the absence of fairness in the democratic process.
So I would just appeal to the voters of Richmond to be more considerate to Law than they were to me, as he is offering his candidacy on a very important principle of democracy. Who knows? Maybe it will even send a clear message to the Liberals to clean up their party.
Allan Warnke Former MLA Richmond-Steveston
