Independent MLA Slater withdraws from provincial election

By Contributor

Boundary-Similkameen MLA John Slater will not run in the upcoming provincial election, citing the politics of personal destruction as his reason.

He has released the following statement:

The past couple of weeks have been an extremely emotional roller coaster ride for me. This brutal experience has shown me how tough smear- and fear-based politics can be on people and their families. It is too high a price to pay, at least for me.

We have reached a profoundly disturbing point in our politics in British Columbia. Instead of a campaign about positive ideas, good policy, and what is best for British Columbians, we are instead witnessing a campaign based on fear and smear. B.C. deserves better.

I cannot put my family or myself through the continual barrage of innuendos and smear which have been launched against me, and which will continue until I withdraw as a candidate in the upcoming provincial election. So I say, “Enough.”

I have worked very hard for the constituents of the Boundary Similkameen, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my term as MLA and as a private citizen afterwards.

I am profoundly grateful for the trust the good people of this riding placed in me when they elected me as their MLA four years ago. I am also deeply grateful to those who have supported me during these very difficult past two weeks.

Finally, I apologize to those I am letting down by dropping out of the race. I hope you can understand why I cannot continue with my campaign. It is just too much.