Conservatives drop B.C. candidate in New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville
The Conservative Party made headlines on Tuesday as they dropped Lourence Singh, their candidate for the New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville riding in the upcoming federal election. This decision marked the third candidate the Tories ousted that day, following the removal of Mark McKenzie in southwestern Ontario and Stefan Marquis in Montreal.
The party did not provide a specific reason for Singh’s dismissal, simply confirming the news in a brief email to CBC News. When contacted for further comment, Singh declined to elaborate on the situation.
Singh, a real estate agent, had been actively campaigning in the Metro Vancouver riding, even sharing images of himself with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville encompasses the City of New Westminster, parts of eastern Burnaby, and southwest Coquitlam. The riding’s boundaries were recently redrawn to accommodate population growth, with the current MP being the NDP’s Peter Julian.
In addition to Singh, Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore candidate McKenzie was removed from the party following controversial remarks expressing support for public hangings. Meanwhile, Laurier-Sainte-Marie candidate Stefan Marquis faced dismissal due to his social media activity, which included sharing conspiracy theories about COVID-19, vaccines, the World Economic Forum, and the invasion of Ukraine.
The sudden shakeup within the Conservative Party has raised questions and speculation about the party’s vetting process for candidates. As the election draws closer, it remains to be seen how these changes will impact the party’s campaign strategy and overall performance in the upcoming federal election.
