He may not be the official federal Liberal Party candidate for this riding, but that's not stopping Ian Sutherland from meeting residents and talking about the issues.
Sutherland, who carried Liberal colours in the October, 2008 election in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, was on the Coast last Thursday for two town hall meetings in Gibsons and Sechelt. Sutherland held a similar gathering in Powell River as he continues to try to stay connected to residents throughout the riding.
"This is in between elections, but I made a commitment during the last election that I would stay involved in the riding and talk with people and take their concerns to Ottawa and help with the issues," Sutherland said.
He said the nomination process should close sometime in June and he is confident he will be the candidate again in this riding.
"Like anything, there are no guarantees, but certainly the indications are that the riding association is happy to have me," he said. "I've heard positive feedback from people throughout the riding, but at the end of the day you have to go through the process and if someone else steps forward, then we'll deal with that at that time."
Sutherland said last time, he stepped in as a candidate only a day before the election was called, which made it difficult for him to get his name out and be known throughout the riding.
"By staying visible and staying in touch with the riding, I feel I can reach more people. As a riding we're in good shape for the next election, no matter who the candidate is," Sutherland said.
While meeting with residents, Sutherland said people are concerned about the economy and the environment.
"There is a large concern about the environment and the fact that Mr. Harper is saying the right things, but not doing the right things," Sutherland said. "There is a concern about the economy and the fact that people are not working. People are frustrated, and I think they want to see things that are positive and proactive. I don't think it is serving anyone's interest that everything seems to get blamed on other people. I think we need to have leadership that we can trust in the country. We need leadership that will listen and leadership that will act. Mr. Ignatieff has done a great job sending out the right messages to not only Liberals, but to all Canadians about what the future should hold for our country."
