VANCOUVER – Controversial election candidate Heather Leung wants voters to know she's still running as an Independent, even though she will be appearing on the ballot as a Conservative.
The Conservatives booted Leung from the party last week after videos surfaced of the Burnaby North-Seymour hopeful making offensive remarks about the LGBTQ2 community.
In one video shared by the Burnaby NOW newspaper, Leung suggested gay people need to "recruit" children.
But the timing of her departure was awkward, as it was apparently too late to alter the ballots in time for the Oct. 21 election.
"Elections Canada has informed my campaign office that the ballots have been printed with Conservative attached to Heather Leung and cannot be changed," she said in a statement Monday.
"I want everyone to know that you can still vote for me by putting a check mark by Heather Leung on the ballot even though Conservative appears by my name."
It was also too late for the Conservatives to run an alternative candidate in the riding in Leung's place.
Further adding to the awkwardness of Leung's transition to an Independent candidate, a source noted that thousands of pieces of campaign literature had already been put in the mail featuring pictures of both Leung and Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.
