Pubdate: Fri, 18 Sep 2015
Source: Peace Arch News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Peace Arch News
Contact:  http://www.peacearchnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1333
Author: Frank Bucholtz

DAVIES' DREAMS UP IN SMOKE

It's been a topsy-turvy week for the federal Liberals in South 
Surrey-White Rock, with candidate Joy Davies resigning Sept. 10 after 
controversial remarks she made about marijuana use on social media 
came to light.

Davies has been replaced by longtime Liberal and former Surrey 
councillor Judy Higginbotham.

South Surrey resident Higginbotham has been soldiering for the 
Liberals, both federal and provincial, since 1983, when she first ran 
with the provincial Liberals in what was then the two-member riding 
of Surrey-White Rock. She left the provincial Liberals to run with 
the doomed Social Credit party in the 1991 provincial election in 
Surrey-Cloverdale, but has been a loyal Liberal since that time.

She has run provincially five times and federally three times, in 
1988, 2004 and 2008. In 2004, she got almost 37 per cent of the 
votes, and was just over 3,000 votes behind winning candidate Russ Hiebert.

Davies was a curious choice as the candidate in South Surrey-White 
Rock from the beginning. Some observers had been suggesting the 
Liberals had a chance to win the seat, which has been held 
consistently by the Progressive Conservatives, Reform, Canadian 
Alliance and Conservatives since it was first split off from the 
larger Surrey riding almost 30 years ago. Notably, 
threehundredeight.com, a website which looks at all polls in 
aggregate, and CBC's poll tracker, was suggesting early in the 
campaign that the Liberals could win it.

Threehundredeight.com does note that its "riding projections are not 
polls and are not necessarily an accurate reflection of current 
voting intentions in each riding." On Tuesday, its website showed the 
Conservatives in the ascendancy over the Liberals in South Surrey-White Rock.

Davies has experience, as a councillor in both Tumbler Ridge and 
Grand Forks. However, she is almost unknown in South Surrey and White 
Rock. Her most prominent position was as a founder and former 
government relations director of the Canadian Medical (Therapeutic) 
Cannabis Partners Society.

This led to her social-media comments, suggesting that pregnant women 
could safely use marijuana and that the Canadian Cancer Society was 
"another outlet for big pharma."

The Liberals have called for marijuana to be legalized, attracting 
support from Marc and Jodie Emery, for example. The party's 
pro-marijuana stance is a minimal factor in South Surrey-White Rock, 
an affluent riding which has never been a hotbed of pro-pot sentiment.

Davies was not the first candidate to resign over social-media 
comments in this election. In fact, given her longstanding interest 
in medical cannabis use, it is surprising that the Liberals didn't 
realize that some of her comments were likely to cause problems. All 
parties do significant vetting of potential candidates, including 
social-media searches.

Higginbotham is a known quantity in the riding. She has made 
controversial comments during her years as a Surrey councillor, as 
most councillors who serve for any length of time do. She has been 
very active in the community, has a strong interest in heritage and 
the arts, and her name is very well-known.

If the Liberals did have a shot at winning this riding against former 
Surrey mayor Dianne Watts, who is running for the Conservatives, it 
would have made sense to have a better-known candidate right from the 
beginning.

* On another subject, I've been asked to moderate an all-candidates 
forum in the riding on Tuesday, Sept. 29 (7-9 p.m.) at Crescent 
United Church, organized by the church and the South Fraser Unitarians.

It will feature discussions on several hot topics, notably climate 
change and end-of-life choices, plus plenty of give and take on both 
local and national issues.

I'm looking forward to seeing the candidates handle these topics, 
although as of last week, Watts' campaign office said she would not 
attend. Given that she is one of the most capable and sure-footed 
politicians on the Surrey scene over the past decade, that's 
surprising. Conservative candidates in some ridings are avoiding such 
meetings. It is up to voters to draw their own conclusions as to why.

The exact words in the campaign's email to the organizers were 
"Unfortunately, due to prior commitments and scheduling issues, Ms. 
Watts will not be able to participate in your forum."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom