BC Conservative candidate Mike Brousseau said he was given “a shining” last time Christy Clark was in Terrace and in response has erected a 16 by 12 foot sign on Highway 16 across from BC Liberal Carol Leclerc's campaign headquarters as a “shout out” not just to all politicians.
Brousseau said he asked Clark what she was going to do to resolve the recent labour dispute at the YaoRun Wood lumber yard.
“She lied to me,” Brousseau said of the encounter. “She said 'we're working on it' ... she shined me, giving my shoulder a rub ...”
As he tied helium balloons to his colossal new election sign (which is actually a combination of his other signs staked together) Brousseau spoke out against that perceived slight.
“Politicians are giving government a bad name. When you start lying on a regular basis and get away with it why would anyone vote for you?”
He says the sign is a shout out to his Liberal and NDP adversaries telling them to be truthful.
“I'm a statesman, not a politician,” Brousseau went on to say, as he secured his final campaign signs with the help of two sons and a daughter.
The new sign is part of a flurry of BC Conservative activity in Terrace wrapping up the period before tomorrow's vote, which included handing out 500 DVDs—hard copy attack material aimed at the previous two-time Skeena winning NDP party.
Meanwhile, over at Caledonia Secondary social studies and civics teacher Bruce Bingham was overseeing a lunchtime vote held as part of B.C.'s 2013 Student Vote.
Schools participating in this national program can order ballets and voting gear to help them stage a mock election during both national and provincial campaigns.
Cal has been participating in this program for several years.
After attending an all-candidates debate hosted by the school board, students at Caledonia had the opportunity to vote unofficially. 117 out of 700 students grade 10 to 12 filled out ballots in the cafeteria.
“It gives kids a chance to understand the election process,” Bingham said, and that he was very pleased with the turn out. “It's a hard thing to get across to kids because many of the parents are apathetic [about politics].”
Bingham said there are a number of students at Cal over eighteen who are eligible to vote in the actual provincial election, and that issues like tuition fee hikes dictated by political parties have an immediate bearing on students coming out of high school.
The results of the student election will be released on May 15.
When he heard about Brousseau's sign, Bingham chuckled.
“Brousseau keeps busy, you can give him that,” Bingham said.