Six days into the federal election both the NDP and the Liberal parties say they expect to add their candidates to the ballot in the Cariboo-Prince George riding shortly.
A Liberal candidate has been identified, said Brad Zubyk, Liberal party communications director for the B.C. campaign, but is in the process of being “vetted” by the party lawyers before being announced publicly.
Zubyk would only say the candidate is female and had “roots in the riding”; he would not give her name or the community where she lives.
On Saturday in Prince George the NDP will nominate their candidate. Jon VanBarneveld, the only individual to file paperwork by the party deadline, is expected to take the NDP nomination in the riding by acclamation.
VanBarneveld is a forestry resource degree student at the University of Northern B.C. He has been involved in other NDP campaigns, is a member of the party’s youth wing, and has participated as an anti-HST organizer.
“We’re pretty excited by him as a candidate,” said Bobby Schavarie, NDP campaign volunteer.
“I think one of the things we can do is bring new energy to the riding and hopefully get more people engaged and run a candidate who understands the resource sector, which is one of the more important issues in the riding,” Schavarie said.
As for the Liberal candidate, Zubyk said it can be difficult to find a candidate to run in a riding where there is a strong incumbent MP.
“In the Cariboo riding there have been three or four people who have been interested softly but the reality is it’s a tough go for a Liberal there and we haven’t had the same amount of interest we’ve had in other ridings.”
Under Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, Zubyk says the party’s mandate is to run as many strong candidates in as many ridings as possible throughout the country.
“We’re going to fight hard; we’re going to support candidates in tough ridings and we’re going to grow over time,” he said, adding in this election candidates in tough ridings will receive more support than they traditionally have.
Zubyk defined support as campaign staff and funding that will allow candidates to run higher-profile campaigns.
“We’re committed to that sort of process where we’re going to run hard everywhere; we’re not going to win them all but we’re going to run hard everywhere.”
