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Big bust
Off and running
Richmond Mounties’ organzied crime team has cracked a major illegal drug ring in the city, leading to multiple arrests and seizures at various homes.
A new look Richmond Roadrunners lacrosse team produced a familiar result as it looks to be a powerhouse again this season.
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Election stumbles out gate
Big names snub meeting for TV debate parties BY ALAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
Only 12 of the 19 candidates from Richmond’s three ridings attended Monday night at the city’s first English-speaking allcandidates meeting. And it was the conspicuous absence of many of the main protagonists — two were Liberal candidates — that caught the attention of many in the standing-room only, 140strong crowd. Each took turns responding to written questions from the audience at Minoru Place Activity Centre, while the organizer, Richmond Centre for Disability, moderated. But Teresa Wat (BC Liberal), Frank Huang (NDP), both bidding for Richmond Centre, were missing, while Steveston hopefuls John Yap (BC Liberal incumbent) and Carol Day (BC Conservative) were also elsewhere. It’s unlikely their collective absences will do much to rectify the city’s unenviable position as being among the lowest in voter turnout numbers in B.C. Through her campaign manager, Wat told the News she’d cancelled all engagements Monday after coming down with “gastritis,” an inflammation of the stomach or erosion of the lining of the stomach. Wat was apparently back on the campaign trail Tuesday. Day’s representative passed on her apologies to the crowd, saying that Day had been called in at the last minute to help her party leader, John Cummins, at the live TV debate in Downtown Vancouver. However, it’s the reasons given for the noshow of Huang and Yap that’s bound to irk Richmond’s voters the most. Huang’s campaign manager, Tim Chu, told the News that, although the NDP candidate was scheduled to attend the meeting, he chose, instead to go to a “leaders debate
Scan page to tell us what you think ALAN CAMPBELL/RICHMOND NEWS
Only 12 of the 19 candidates from across Richmond's three ridings showed up at Monday night's first all-candidates meeting. watch party,” to socialize with “high donors” mize my time with the voters.” to the campaign. Yap said he couldn’t commit either “Our campaign is really rolling and there to attending Wednesday’s or Thursday’s are a lot of donations coming in,” said Chu, all-candidates meetings at the Shiang when told that some voters might have been Garden Restaurant (hosted by the Canada disappointed not to see Huang at the meeting. Asia Pacific Business Association) and Yap told the News Tuesday he’d been out at Richmond secondary (hosted by the door-knocking Monday eveRichmond Teachers’ ning and, similar to Huang, Association.) attended an event to “supYap said, however, port the team” in connection he plans to attend next to the live TV debate. week’s meeting organized When it was put to him by the Touchstone Family that some in the Monday Association. night crowd suggested Yap “I’m accessible to the — John Yap didn’t attend due to the public and they can conrecent controversy surrounding his resignatact me anytime,” added Yap. tion from cabinet in the wake of the “ethnic At the meeting itself, the candidates fieldvote” scandal, he said, “It’s a very busy time ed questions from a largely sympathetic audiof the year and we get lots of invitations to ence on a wide range of issues, from transdifferent events. portation for seniors to the proposed oil and “My focus has been on directly talking to jet fuel pipelines to wait times at Richmond the voters and getting out there door knockHospital emergency department and illegal ing. With this campaign, I’m trying to maxidumping on farmland.
“It’s a very busy time of year and we get lots of invitations.”
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The NDP’s Richmond-Steveston hopeful, Scott Stewart, responding to a healthcare worker’s question about overcrowding at Richmond Hospital, said more “acute care beds” are needed so such patients can be moved on to create space in emergency departments. Richmond East incumbent Linda Reid described the healthcare system as a “work in progress, as always,” and that Richmond has a “huge gift” in the hospital it has and that B.C. has a “phenomenal healthcare system.” The Green Party’s Richmond-Steveston candidate, Jerome Dickey, asked the audience if they agreed with BC Liberal veteran Reid’s latter assertion, prompting an ripple of “no” around the hall. On the subject of affordable housing, Dickey also insisted the provincial government simply “doesn’t put enough money” into the system to help with B.C.’s 18,000 homeless population.
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see Stewart page 3, BC Votes page 14