B.C. residents will have a chance to compete -- reality-TV style -- for the Liberal MLAs they'd most like to see targeted by a recall campaign.
Former premier Bill Vander Zalm announced Monday morning that, beginning Sept. 27, British Columbians in 18 ridings will compete to see who can line up the most canvassers for the recall campaign.
The three ridings with the most canvassers will win the right to distribute the first recall petitions under the Fight HST banner beginning Nov. 15.
Premier Gordon Campbell is not on the list of possible targets, but Finance Minister Colin Hansen is.
Vander Zalm said that Campbell was left off the list because he believes the premier will be out as Liberal leader after the party convention in November.
The remaining MLAs on the list include:
- Donna Barnett , Cariboo-Chilcotin
- Minister of Healthy Living and Sport Ida Chong, Oak Bay-Gordon Head
- Terry Lake, Kamloops-North Thompson
- John Slater, Boundary-Similkameen
- Marc Dalton, Maple Ridge-Mission
- Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Bill Bennett, Kootenay East
- Former solicitor general John Les, Chilliwack
- Speaker of the House Bill Barisoff, Penticton
- Steve Thomson, Kelowna-Mission
- John Rustad, Nechako Lakes
- Ron Cantelon, Parksville-Qualicum
- Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee
- Don McRae, Comox Valley
- Norm Letnick, Kelowna-Lake Country
- Jane Thornthwaite, North Vancouver-Seymour
- Ben Stewart, Westside-Kelowna
- Joan McIntyre, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky
After the initial three petitions are launched, a new recall campaign will begin every month in order of how many canvassers have signed up.
Under B.C.'s recall legislation, a by-election can be called if 40 per cent of voters in the riding sign their names to the petition.
