Editor, The News:
Re: MLA seeks federal nomination (The News, Jan. 13).
As a constituent in Maple Ridge, I was stunned to see that Marc Dalton would even consider abandoning his position as MLA to fulfill his desire to run for MP for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.
He was elected to do a job and now he thinks he can just leave part way through?
It is clear that Mr. Dalton is solely motivated by self-interest and not by what is best for the people of Maple Ridge.
Why else would he be willing to trigger a taxpayer-funded by-election to fill his vacant MLA seat, should he become the next Conservative candidate?
It doesn’t seem very conservative to me.
Isn’t it also a bit strange that he is choosing to sit as an independent during the nomination period?
Was it really his choice or was he encouraged to choose?
Will he be working on his campaign from his MLA office instead of doing the job he was elected to do?
Does he really think he can simply go back to being an MLA?
Hasn’t he just burned all his bridges with Christy Clark’s Liberal government?
Am I, as a voter who gave him a second term as MLA, expected to believe he is representing my interests?
He then casually says he will simply return to the B.C. Liberal Party if this latest of his many attempts to be an MP is unsuccessful.
It is hard to believe he will be welcomed back to the B.C. Liberals with open arms after he has shown he will turn his back on the party.
If he is really serious about pursuing the MP job, why doesn’t he just give up his MLA seat now and stop hedging his bets?
He obviously doesn’t want the MLA job, so why does he cling on to it?
Moreover, during his time as MLA he has displayed poor judgement in some of his decisions and remarks.
Sadly, I think we’ve seen the best that he has to offer and it isn’t worth bringing to the federal scene.
Mark Gimson
Maple Ridge