Chuck Puchmayr may have been the NDP labour critic during his time serving as New Westminster's MLA in Victoria, but he didn't get the nod from the New Westminster and District Labour Council.
When the labour council recently released its list of endorsed candidates, Puchmayr wasn't among the local candidates being supported by the labour council.
"He's not on the list because he decided too late," said Caroline Rice, secretarytreasurer of the labour council. "It's disappointing to us, too. He's an excellent candidate. He certainly would have been endorsed had be come in before the deadline. He's been endorsed by us in the past. There's never been an issued raised with regard to Chuck, with the good work he's done."
Puchmayr, served on city council from 1996 to 2005 and as New Westminster's MLA from 2005 to 2009, when he left politics because of health concerns. He underwent a life-saving liver transplant in January 2009.
Puchmayr was awaiting medical clearance before deciding whether he'd run for New Westminster city council. He told the crowd at an Oct. 18 all-candidates meeting that he's running as an independent.
"As of Oct. 3, I was still doubtful, waiting for a final result of a test," he said about his late decision to run. "That put my hat into the ring."
The New Westminster and District Labour Council is endorsing eight New Westminster candidates for the Nov. 19 municipal election. All totalled, it's endorsing 70 candidates who are seeking election as mayors, city councillors and board of education trustees in the region.
Almost 50 per cent of the candidates being endorsed this year are seeking election for the first time.
As was the case in the 2008 municipal election, the labour council is endorsing incumbents Jonathan Cote, Bill Harper, Jaimie McEvoy and Lorrie Williams for city council.
The council is endorsing Jonina Campbell, Michael Ewen, James Janzen and David Phelan for school board.
According to a press release, the labour council is committed to raising awareness and taking action on issues that impact the lives of its members.
"Every new candidate goes through a full interview," Rice said. "This year we had 32 new candidates. New means they are not currently an incumbent."
If an incumbent is seeking a different position, such as a councillor is running for mayor, they would be required to go through an interview.
The New Westminster and District Labour Council's region includes New Westminster, Burnaby, Port Moody, Belcarra, Anmore, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Delta, Surrey, White Rock, and the City of Langley and Langley Township.
Chartered in 1966, the New Westminster and District Labour Council started interviewing and endorsing candidates as early as 1967 or 1968. www.twitter.com/TheresaMcManus
