Former MLA Marc Dalton is hoping to make the jump from provincial to federal politics, announcing Thursday that he is seeking the nomination to be the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge.
The riding was lost to his party in the 2015 election, when Liberal MP Dan Ruimy won a close race with Conservative Mike Murray.
Ruimy won with 17,673 votes to Murray’s 16,373. The NDP’s Bob D’Eith, who has since been elected as a provincial candidate, was a third with 15,450 votes.
Dalton was elected for two terms and serving for eight years as a provincial MLA. He lost the Maple Ridge-Mission riding to the B.C. NDP’s D’Eith in 2017, as the two were separated by 120 votes on election day.
Dalton sought the Conservative nomination 2015, losing to Murray. Dalton also ran unsuccessfully for the Conservatives in the 2006 federal election in Burnaby-New Westminster, losing to the NDP.
Dalton said the next federal election will be an important one for Canadians, and that he “stands firm with Andrew Scheer’s vision to provide Canadians with a strong, principled Conservative government.”
Dalton said Canadians are disturbed with Justin Trudeau’s “divisive left-wing policies,” and that people are frustrated as Ottawa waste billions of dollars running up massive deficits.
“I have broad support, and I am confident that not only Conservatives, but many centrist voters from other parties will also support me federally as they did provincially,” he said.
Davis Friesen, who worked as a campaign manager for Mike Murray in 2015, is also seeking the Conservative nomination for the riding.
In late August, Dalton will be a delegate at the Conservative national policy convention in Halifax, where many of the platform policies for the next election will be developed.
Dalton said during his time as MLA, he worked to secure a new school for the Albion area, funding for a new MRI machine at Ridge Meadows Hospital, four-laning of Highway 7 between Maple Ridge and Mission, funding for seniors housing and low income earners in conjunction with Maple Ridge Community Services, improved ambulance services and restoration of school busing.
If nominated and elected to Parliament, Dalton wants to help reduce the financial pressure on families through heavy taxation, “much of it hidden.”
Transit is just one example. There are thousands of local residents who take the West Coast Express to work every day. With the Liberals removing the transit tax credit, the extra cost to Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows riders is up to $440 a year.
Dalton is a long-time teacher in Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, having taught at both the secondary and elementary school levels. He has a Bachelor’s degree in French and History and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, both from SFU.
He served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a communications reservist. He went on to work in a non-denominational faith organization that reached out to the needy in Central America, and did inner city work in Canada. He was a pastor in the Vancouver area, and today continues to volunteer with organizations, such as the Friends in Need Food Bank, the Salvation Army, and his local community church.
Dalton resides in Maple Ridge and is married to Marlene, his wife of 33 years. They have three adult children.