Wayne Stetski was officially confirmed as the NDP candidate for Kootenay-Columbia during a virtual nomination meeting on March 27th.
Stetski announced his intention to run in February, saying at the time that the local branch of the party had forwarded his name to the federal NDP for vetting.
The motion to confirm Stetski’s nomination was adopted unanimously, NDP said in a press release.
Stetski was the MP for the Kootenay-Columbia riding between 2015 and 2019, with Conservative MP Rob Morrison winning the vote in the 2019 federal election.
There is speculation that the federal government may call an election as soon as this spring, despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the globe.
Stetski says he is honoured to have been nominated and will continue to advocate for the people of Kootenay-Columbia. He adds that he is focused on recovering from the pandemic, among other party platforms like climate change and bringing “progressive voters together”.
“Why am I running? I’m running because I care about our people, our communities, our riding, and our future. I’m running because I want to get things done in a non-partisan way to serve you and to serve Canada,” said Stetski. “If you are a progressive voter from any political party in Kootenay-Columbia who wants a progressive Member of Parliament representing you in Ottawa and you want a non-partisan public servant working hard for you every day here in the Kootenays, I am asking for your vote in the upcoming federal election.”
READ: Stetski steps up for Kootenay-Columbia NDP nomination
Stetski has lived in the riding for over 30 years with his wife Audrey, having raised their family in Cranbrook. Stetski has been active in the community through various positions including being the Kootenay Regional Manager of Environmental Stewardship for the BC Ministry of Environment from 2002-2009. He was elected as Mayor of Cranbrook and also served as East Kootenay Regional District Director from 2011-2014, among other titles.
“I am honoured to be able to represent the people of Kootenay Columbia. There is a lot I want to do to help folks here in the Kootenays,” Stetski said. “I am especially focused on recovery from COVID, addressing the climate change crisis, protecting the environment, introducing proportional representation voting, and building a green economy that includes energy workers in the discussion and planning for the future.”
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