Gray declines challenge

Photo: Contributed

Citing legal concerns, Kelowna-Lake Country Conservative hopeful Tracy Gray has declined an invitation to take part in a forum with fellow contender Renee Wasylyk.

Wasylyk invited Gray to take part in a forum March 29 after the district association cancelled a similar event it was sponsoring on the same night.

In an emailed response, Gray turned down the invitation.

"I want to share with you that I will not be participating in the event as you have requested and promoted," Gray said.

"I have been informed, based on multiple legal opinions, that this event may contravene the Canada Elections Act and is not a Kelowna-Lake Country Conservative EDA sanctioned event. I have been advised that participating in this event may hold me in contravention of the Canada Elections Act."

Gray also took issue with Wasylyk's "marketing and promotion" of the event, with her name attached prior to her agreement to take part.

"We both share a goal to represent the Conservative Party of Canada as the nominated candidate for
Kelowna-Lake Country in the upcoming general election. I believe that our party creates the environment for a competitive and inspired nomination process.

"After a long seven months of campaigning, which involved educating and providing information on platform issues that people care about, I believe the conservative members of Kelowna-Lake Country are ready to vote.

"Together as conservatives, we cannot lose sight of the true opposition – a very expensive, hypocritical, scandalous Trudeau Liberal government that needs to be held to account."

Party members will choose between the two nominees on April 6. The winning candidate will try to reclaim the federal seat from Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr in the Oct. 21 federal election.