Editor:
Interestingly, the most political signs in this election in the South Surrey and White Rock areas were not for the political candidates but ones that read “Keep the RCMP in Surrey.”
The BC Liberal party used this issue as a wedge issue, stating that it would hold a referendum on this municipal action. Can you imagine a provincial government interfering with a duly elected municipal government? What a precedent in provincial/municipal jurisdictions this would have created.
Cynically, the Liberals would have promised this without the ability to actually act on it had they formed government.
By way of history, I have never voted for Doug McCallum, but I accept the fact that the electors voted him in.
Information on the Superstore tables outside, placards on the street, emails I was sent all stated that I needed to vote Liberal on this matter alone.
The RCMP matter, albeit important, was not the major issue in the electorate’s mind. In fact, the NDP increased its vote by capturing another seat in Surrey Cloverdale and retained its other Surrey seats as well as increasing its vote count in the safe Liberal seats of Surrey-White Rock and Surrey South. So did the Greens. The RCMP issue did not resonate.
The bottom line is if you don’t like McCallum on the RCMP issue, notwithstanding his ill-proposed transportation decision to Langley, among other issues, we will all have to wait till the next municipal election, unfortunately.
Joseph Whitman, Surrey
