ROTHENBURGER – Parties complete their slates; let the campaign begin

IT’S THE DAY BEFORE deadline day for nominating candidates. A few minutes before 10 a.m., former NDP candidate and current riding association secretary Tom Friedman herds a dozen or so party supporters in behind some John Horgan lawn signs planted in Prince Charles Park.

This will be the backdrop for the announcement of the NDP’s standard bearer in Kamloops-South Thompson. The media line up and put place their microphones in place. Everyone already knows Anna Thomas is the chosen one.

That’s because, in the rush to fill slates before the Friday deadline, the parties haven’t been able to go through the usual nomination process, which has always been an opportunity to build some hype around their campaigns.

So, candidates are simply being announced in media releases and news conferences like this one. The provincial party and riding associations aren’t always in sync, and Thomas’ candidacy was inadvertently released by the BC NDP before this presser.

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Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.