CRAIG Keating, City of North Vancouver councillor, was acclaimed as the B.C. NDP's candidate in North Vancouver-Lonsdale on Sunday in preparation for a possible fall election.
About a third of the riding association's 150 members showed up for the uncontested nomination meeting.
"Our issue is we're being driven by (Premier) Christy Clark trying to decide when she's going to violate her own government's law about fixed elections. It's not a time of our choosing but we need to be ready for a fall election," Keating said.
A four-term city councillor, Keating made an unsuccessful run for the riding's seat in the 2005 provincial election, and also made a bid for the NDP's leadership in 2003, bowing out before the final vote, in which Carole James was elected.
No campaign staff have been named yet, and Keating said he will have to re-evaluate the situation if there is no provincial election before November's municipal polls. "I told the leader and the local executive that I'm going into this fully expecting there to be a fall election. If Christy Clark decides she wants to continue to play this silly game into next year, then we'll have to reassess," he said.
North Vancouver-Lonsdale is currently represented by B.C. Liberal and Minister for Advanced Education Naomi Yamamoto.
