DEFEATED Skeena – Bulkley Valley Conservative hopeful Tyler Nesbitt says he's willing to help re-elected NDP MP Nathan Cullen push the new federal Liberal government for results for northwestern B.C.
“Nathan is a voice in the opposition just like we are. We will just see what he can make of it, and if there is anything I can ever do in my capacity to help the people in this region I will certainly have my phone on for him,” said Nesbitt speaking at his mostly empty Terrace campaign office tonight.
Finishing a distant second with 22 per cent of the vote to Cullen's 54 per cent, Nesbitt said it was evident his election bid got caught up in an anti-Stephen Harper wave.
Nesbitt said his results had “absolutely nothing to do with my performance and my team and anything we did. It's that we got caught up in that anti-Conservative, anti-Harper wave. And that's just what it was. I make no regrets about how we campaigned.”
'We had the right message but the deck couldn't be more stacked against a Conservative running in the Skeena - Bulkley Valley riding,” said Nesbitt.
And he did wish Cullen the best “and hope he can deliver results for people here being a distant third place [nationally].”
Nesbitt even suggested Cullen, who ran third the last time the NDP had a national leadership race, would make a viable candidate once again.
“If he does in the end, Nathan and I will never agree on many issues but at the very least I don't think it would be such a bad thing for the representative of the Skeena - Bulkley Valley to lead a major federal party,” said Nesbitt.