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Letters  

I will sit as an independent

Re: Keep party politics out

I’m proud to be running again for council here in Penticton. I chose to run in this by-election because I want a diversity of opinions shaping the decisions that affect all of us that live and work in this great city.

I am enjoying this run for council – hearing from my community about what you want to see here in Penticton, and I hope to get elected to work for you. If I am elected to council, I will sit as an independent. I have been transparent about my policy positions since the beginning of the campaign. No political party has any control over those policies. Party partisanship ends at the MLAs. It would be inappropriate and against party bylaws and their constitutions for party leadership to control their members. Political parties are defined and governed by their members. From the ground up the members determine the values, principles, and policies a party will follow. The leader and MLAs of the party are guided by this democratic process. It is not the other way around. That is why I am proud of being a member of a political party.

Weeks ago, I was approached by Loraine Stephanson regarding her questions of my party politics. I responded that yes, I was being endorsed by the hard-working people from the Penticton NDP. I’ve also been supported by the Penticton Greens and appreciate that both parties support my vision for council.

I’ve been vocal about council’s need to focus on a solution to our housing issues. This is one of the reasons I am running, and I would work hard with all members of council to address this and other issues residents raise with me. I can’t say that I have a direct line to David Eby or John Horgan – but certainly I want council to work with any provincial or federal governments for Penticton’s interests.

If you ask any of the executive members of the Penticton NDP if I am critical of the party, you will receive a resounding yes! I don’t agree with all of their policies, which is exactly how being a member works. I can vocalize my criticisms and help shape the direction of the party. I get to vote on resolutions that will affect the interior, as well as who the party leader is going to be. If elected to council I will engage in a different type of relationship between the City and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which again, can come with criticism.

Let me be clear - there is no expectation from any party that I will have to vote a certain way if I am elected. It’s hard to understand why Loraine Stephanson is singling me out with only two days left of voting in this by-election. How about Kieth McIntyre being the leader of the Libertarian Party of BC? How about Jason Cox who is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada who campaigned for Peter McKay for the leadership bid? Many residents, including candidates running in this election, are members of political parties. I am not concerned by it because it is a way we have chosen to be involved in our democracy. We should be focused on just that – how we are working together to address the concerns being raised in the community. I hope that the people of Penticton put their trust in me to work across all party lines on real solutions that will help to make all our lives better.


Isaac Gilbert, Penticton



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