Recall drive begins with Sunday meeting

Jeremy Deutsch - Kamloops This Week Published: August 26, 2010 2:00 PM

This weekend, a group of residents from the Kamloops area will meet with hopes of making political history. But, they’re not forming a new political party — they’re gunning to oust Kamloops-North Thompson Liberal MLA Terry Lake from his seat in a recall campaign. It’s the next step in the fight against the HST. Chad Moats, the FightHST campaign organizer for the Kamloops-South Thompson, Kamloops-North Thompson and Shuswap ridings, is setting up an exploratory meeting to find out if there is enough support among volunteers to start preparing for a recall battle. “We’re just making sure we have a good base of volunteers and support necessary to run it,” he told KTW.

The FightHST petition, which began in April, sought to repeal the 12 per cent HST, which was implemented on July 1. Moats led a campaign that managed to garner more than 15,000 signatures from registered voters in the two Kamloops ridings. For the FightHST petition, he said he had about 150 volunteers between the two ridings. When Moats last spoke to the group, he said the majority were keen on helping with a recall campaign. The group will first focus its efforts on recalling Lake, then look for someone to head the task for the Kamloops-South Thompson riding held by Kevin Krueger. But, Moats admits, it won’t be an easy job. Unlike the threshold for the petition, the bar for recall is higher. At least 40 per cent of registered voters must sign the petition demanding the recall of the MLA within 60 days. Those participating in recalls must register separately. However, Moats said the group will be better organized as it will have learned from the HST petition drive and will have the all-important voters’ list. The earliest FightHST can apply for a recall campaign is Nov. 15. Elections BC then has 30 days to verify the recall application. Moats said the only way to stop the recall is for the provincial government to scrap the HST. The group is meeting at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29, at the Smorgasbord Deli, 225 Seventh Ave.

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