The local efforts to recall MLA Terry Lake seems to have had a slow start.
Only about seven people turned out for an organizational meeting held Sunday, Jan. 9, in Clearwater, according to organizer Wayne Russell.
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “I was expecting about 20. Mind you, many said they couldn’t be there.”
Russell took encouragement from the fact that three of the local recall supporters are businesspeople.
“I thought the HST was supposed to be good for business, but they don’t like it,” he said.
The local organizer said Bill Vander Zalm was in Kamloops on Wednesday to fundraise with a dinner and auction.
“It’s more than just the HST,” said Russell. “We’ve got to stop the giveaways. No one thinks we can do it but someone’s got to try. We’ve got to rattle their chains.”
Meanwhile, Terry Lake has described the recall campaign being launched against him as an effort by the NDP to “re-fight the last election.”
The Kamloops-North Thompson Liberal MLA issued a statement on Wednesday as Vander Zalm and Chris Delaney arrived in Kamloops for a Fight rally in preparation for the recall campaign.
“It’s clear from the leaked secret plans of NDP president Moe Sihota that my riding is being targeted by the NDP because they feel it is in their best interests to do so,” Lake said.
“This is purely a partisan effort and has nothing to do with the HST, which is already set to go to a province-wide referendum later this year.”
Lake noted the proponent of the recall campaign, Chad Moats, is the former communications director of the Kamloops-North Thompson NDP.
Lake also noted Moats has been quoted by Kamloops This Week as saying the recall effort may lose a number of canvassers due to volunteers splitting time with the NDP leadership campaign.
One the recall campaign begins, organizers have 60 days to collect the signatures of 40 per cent of registered voters.
