Darrel Stinson

Image Credit: FACEBOOK: Kevin Acton

Former federal Okanagan-Shuswap Conservative Party MP Darrel Stinson has come out swinging at the Conservative Party of BC after it parachuted out-of-towner candidate Dennis Giesbrecht into the Vernon-Lumby riding.

In an open letter, the former federal Tory MP accuses the BC Conservatives of giving nominations to its friends rather than the best candidate.

"How is it democracy, when they overlook a number of well-qualified local candidates to drop their friend from Kamloops into our riding to represent us?" Stinson said in the letter. "How can I sit still and watch these so-called BC Conservatives steal yours and my democracy from under our feet."

Stinson said the party bypassed Lumby Mayor Kevin Acton, who he says has an "amazing track record" and former BC Conservative Party interim party president Scott Anderson in order to place "a three-times failed candidate" from outside the riding who was promised a seat.

Giesbrecht, who has never held political office, lives in Kamloops and was slated to run for the BC Conservatives in the Kamloops Centre riding.

That all changed when BC United collapsed and the current Kamloops-area BC United MLA and shadow finance minister Peter Milobar crossed over to the BC Conservatives. A political heavy-weight, Milobar was chosen and is now running for the BC Conservatives in the newly created Kamloops Centre riding.

The move robbed Giesbrecht of the candidacy in Kamloops and he was then made the BC Conservative candidate in Vernon-Lumby.

"Isn’t it interesting that they offered our riding to three outsiders, Kevin Kraft, Alexandra Wright, and Dennis Giesbrecht," the letter read. "What we want - our democratic right to choose - meant nothing to John Rustad and his inside deal makers."

Alexandra Wright was the Kelowna-Mission BC Conservative candidate until she was removed in early August. She has said she was offered the Vernon-Lumby riding but declined. She's now suing her former party and alleged they told her to falsify a fundraising report.

Acton was running for BC United, but publicly said he'd happily run the BC Tories when the former BC Liberal party threw in the towel for the election.

Former Vernon city councillor and BC Conservative Party interim leader Scott Anderson also said he'd run if needed.

However, while Acton and Anderson have both held political office and are well known in the riding, they weren't chosen. Stinson says the party never even vetted Acton.

It's unclear why, but last month BC Conservative Vernon-Lumby riding association president Karen Christian resigned. The Vancouver Sun reported it was over the party parachuting Kevin Kraft into the riding. Kraft, who is the vice-chair of the Regional District of Central Okanagan, is now running as an independent in the Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding after the party went for political rookie Tara Armstrong instead.

In his letter, Stinson says he has been "sitting back quietly" for the last eight weeks but now is the time to say something.

"I’m outraged that after so many years of fighting for you in Parliament I now sit back and watch our very own democratic rights being stolen by this Socialistic style of governing," he said. "I’ve been a committed Conservative and Reformer all of my life and had the honour to represent the constituency for over a decade as your Member of Parliament.

"The BC Conservative Party is not and has nothing to do with the Federal Conservatives and they are hoping you don’t know that."

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