Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Opinion

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Politicians’ shuffling doesn’t serve public

Policitians are making it hard for taxpayers to not be cynical about politics, says letter writer
Black Press Media
14214998_web1_181030-NBU-letter-malcolmson_1
Nanaimo mayor-elect Leonard Krog, left, Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Sheila Malcolmson and B.C. Premier John Horgan at an announcement last week as Malcolmson revealed her intentions to try for Krog’s MLA seat which is being vacated in Nanaimo. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin

To the editor,

Re: MP Sheila Malcolmson to try for MLA seat, Oct. 25.

Policitians are making it hard for taxpayers to not be cynical about politics. Once elected the full term should be served except for personal considerations such as medical or family issues. Yet once again we are seeing seats being resigned for personal and/or political party gain. Each resignation triggers an expensive byelection, paid for by the taxpayers. Christy Clark lost her Vancouver seat and a Liberal MLA in Kelowna resigned so she could run there. Taxpayers shelled out the costs. Leonard Krog, perhaps annoyed at not being in the NDP inner circle of power, runs for Nanaimo mayor, wins, and now resigns his seat, causing another taxpayer funded byelection. Now Sheila Malcolmson intends to resign her opposition federal seat in order to access a provincial seat in Victoria in a position of government power. Hence we could now be paying for a federal byelection.

Shouldn’t byelections caused by the politicians themselves, juggling for position and/or power, be paid for by the political party and not the taxpayers? But I don’t see that happening any time soon, politicians would have to pass such legislation. I am a lifelong NDP voter, but if I were in the riding Malcolmson intends to pursue she would not have my vote because of this. And the NDP will not have my vote in the upcoming federal byelection.

Dennis Keis, Gabriola

RELATED: MP Malcolmson to try for MLA seat in Nanaimo

To the editor,

Re: MP Sheila Malcolmson to try for MLA seat, Oct. 25.

Nanaimo being NDP to the bone she’ll live closer to home. Krog, a career politician, is a fence-sitter protecting his political pension. Malcolmson says she is going to resign to run; admirable, unlike Krog.

Looks like Nanaimo will be the joke on the internet forever.

I. Spivey, Nanaimo

The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin. If you have a different view, we encourage you to write to us or contribute to the discussion below.