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People’s Party picks candidate, Greens to choose this week

Robert (Doug) Bebb of Whistler is the latest confirmed West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidate for the upcoming federal election.
Bebb
Robert (Doug) Bebb of the People’s Party of Canada is the latest West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky candidate to be confirmed for the upcoming federal election.

Robert (Doug) Bebb of Whistler is the latest confirmed West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidate for the upcoming federal election.

Bebb, a semi-retired mechanical engineer who also has strong connections to the Sunshine Coast part of the riding, will represent the People’s Party of Canada (PPC). 

The 62-year-old said like many PPC candidates he’s a political rookie.

“I haven’t been happy with a lot of things that have been going on in politics in general in Canada and also around the world and there’s an opportunity that presented itself. Maxime [Bernier] started this party and the values are really well aligned with mine, and I didn’t think this opportunity should be passed up,” Bebb told Coast Reporter on a recent visit to Sechelt.

Bebb said Bernier’s plain speaking appeals to him and he hopes it will to local voters as well.

“I think it’s going to be an interesting campaign,” Bebb said. “I think the Liberals are going to slide a bit, I don’t think [Conservative leader Andrew] Scheer is well liked, the Greens are surging and we’re new on the scene.”

Bebb said the PPC is just beginning to roll out its platform and there’s more information at www.bebb2019ppc.ca.

The only other party with a confirmed candidate is the Conservative Party of Canada. Gabrielle Loren, an accountant and past president of the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, who made an unsuccessful run for West Vancouver city council last fall, will represent the Conservatives.

Loren told North Shore News that she only recently joined the Conservatives, after deciding their economic policies were a good fit with her own values.

“It’s time for us to get away from career politicians,” she said, adding she hopes to bring a different perspective to Ottawa. “I understand everyday people and what they’re concerned about.”

Loren’s campaign website is up and running at gabrielleloren.ca.

The federal Greens have two contenders for the nomination, and the official voting sessions begin tonight (June 17) in Sechelt and conclude June 18 in Squamish.

The Sechelt session will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Seaside Centre.

Party members and anyone from the general public who’s interested will get a chance to hear speeches from both Dana Taylor and Lars Guignard as well as a moderated question and answer session.

Guignard is a Sunshine Coast resident and a political newcomer.

“I’m not a politician. I’m a little rough around the edges. That’s something that I’m not ashamed of and I think it’s ultimately important that you don’t need to be a politician to run. I think you just need to realize that it’s time to stand up. And it’s important that people run for political office, people who have no ties to any kind of special interest group or anything along those lines,” Guignard said in a recent interview with the Squamish Chief.

One of his main points is that the government can work with industry to improve the environmental issues the riding faces.

Taylor is hoping to move to federal politics after finishing second to incumbent Jordan Sturdy of the BC Liberals as the Green candidate for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky in the last provincial election.

He’s also served as a North Vancouver city councilor and was active with the Save Howe Sound Society.

“I’ve been involved in environmental issues in the area for a long time,” he told the Squamish Chief.

The NDP riding association plans to formally launch their candidate nomination process after they hold their annual general meeting. President, and past candidate, Larry Koopman told Coast Reporter the date for the AGM has not been finalized.

The Liberals, looking to find a replacement for Pam Goldsmith-Jones, who won the seat in 2015 but announced last month that she would not seek a second term, have not yet set a date for their nomination meeting.

– With files from North Shore News and Squamish Chief