'I will not be intimidated': B.C. MLA facing recall petition from anti-mandate crowd
An NDP MLA from B.C.'s Southern Interior is facing a recall petition spearheaded by constituents who are frustrated by the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The target of the campaign, Harwinder Sandhu, a nurse who represents the Vernon-Monashee riding, told CTV News she stands by the province's efforts to protect the public during the global health crisis.
"I will not be intimidated by a small group of extreme activists that do not represent the vast majority of people in Vernon-Monashee," Sandhu wrote in a statement.
"I will continue working every day to stand up for what's right and to make life better for the people I represent."
For the petition to be successful, and for Sandhu to lose her seat in the legislature, campaigners will have to collect signatures from 40 per cent of eligible constituents in her riding within a 60-day window that begins on Aug. 12.
To be eligible, a constituent must have been registered to vote at the time of the last provincial election in October 2020.
The woman who filed the petition, Vernon resident Genevieve Ring, told CTV News she feels confident her campaign will meet the threshold of 21,268 signatures in time.
"I'm telling you, there are a lot of people who are fed up," Ring said. "A lot of people lost their jobs, a lot of people lost their savings."
Ring said she's opposed to the government mandates brought in to protect people from COVID-19, and particularly against masking in public schools, which she described as an "attack" on children that she believes caused them lasting psychological harm.
While Sandhu was not personally responsible for those public health decisions, Ring said their local representative "did nothing to help” push back against the policies, which were similar to those implemented in many jurisdictions across Canada.
Ring noted her campaign will be supported by Jeff Gaudry, an anti-mandate activist who drove to Ottawa in support of the Freedom Convoy and who has been an outspoken critic of pandemic restrictions.
The bar for launching an official recall petition through Elections B.C. is very low, requiring only that an applicant provide a $50 fee and a statement of no more than 200 words explaining their reasoning.
In a news release confirming the recall petition against Sandhu, Elections B.C. noted that applications "must be approved if these legislated criteria are met."
"Elections B.C. does not have discretion to evaluate applications on any other criteria," it read.
Since the province's Recall and Initiative Act came into effect in 1995, there have been 26 recall petitions issued, and only six were subsequently returned for verification of the signatures.
Of those, five were found to be lacking the minimum number of signatures required – and the sixth was "halted during the verification process because the (MLA) resigned," according to Elections B.C.
Correction
A previous version of this story indicated Jeff Gaudry flew to Ottawa to support the Freedom Convoy, but he drove there.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.