Candidates toil on eve of federal byelection

On the eve of Monday’s federal byelection in the riding of South Surrey-White Rock, the two frontrunners in what is expected to be a tight race made their last-minute pitches to voters.

Both the Liberals’ Gordon Hogg and the Conservatives’ Kerry-Lynne Findlay campaigned down to the wire ahead of the byelection, one of four across Canada that could indicate which way federal political winds are blowing.

“We are going to work very hard to deliver every vote,” said Hogg, who spent Sunday door-knocking and doing interviews.

“We don’t take anything for granted,” Hogg added.

“It’s a very close race,” said Findlay, who started the day at church and a toy drive before doing her share of door-knocking.

Byelections tend to be a referendum on the governing party, and these fall about halfway through the Liberals’ term.

“It’s a road to 2019 for either party, and we hope to see the momentum coming out of a win here and carry us through to more seats in 2019 in B.C.,” said Findlay, who hopes to retain the riding for the Tories after Dianne Watts quit the seat earlier to year to pursue the leadership of the B.C. Liberal party.

The riding, created in 2012, encompasses areas that have traditionally swung Conservative. But as Trudeaumania hit B.C. in 2015, Watts, Surrey’s popular mayor, narrowly won the seat by a 1,439-margin over Liberal candidate Judy Higginbotham.

Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Opposition leader Andrew Scheer have visited Surrey twice during the campaign to stump for their candidates.

Hogg, who served as councillor and mayor of White Rock and as a five-term MLA and a cabinet minister, is a recognizable name.

“I have lived in this community all my life,” he said. “I feel very fortunate to have a diverse and lengthy understanding of this community.”

But Findlay, who has experience in the federal political arena, believes voters will return to their Conservative roots.

“What I am hearing at the door from a number of people (is) Conservatives who voted with the Liberals last time because they believed in the promise of a different leader are now having buyer’s remorse,” she said.

Findlay represented Delta-Richmond East from 2011 to 2015 and was appointed minister of national revenue. She was unseated in the riding in 2015 by Liberal MP Carla Qualtrough.

Voters are concerned about Liberal policies that are seen as attacks on small businesses, costof-living and affordability issues for seniors and working families, said Findlay, who vowed to hold Ottawa to account if elected.

“I believe they know I am a strong advocate as a lawyer and a mother of four and a former cabinet minister,” she said.

The NDP, which placed a distant third in the riding in 2015, is represented by Jonathan Silveira, a real estate agent and founder of Surrey Kids Matter.

Other candidates include Larry Colero (Green party), Michael Huenefeld (Progressive Canadian), Rod Taylor (Christian Heritage) and Donald Wilson (Libertarian).