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Mainstream media keeping NDP from reaching voters: MLA

VICTORIA – New Democratic Party MLA John Horgan, re-elected in Juan de Fuca, said his party will have trouble winning in some areas of British Columbia until it gets fairer treatment from the mainstream media.

“The challenge is in the suburbs of Vancouver and in the Okanagan,” he said. “If you look at the amount of media exposure NDP ideas are getting in those locations, that's the problem.”

He noted that his comments were off script. “I don't want to bash the media on the day of the election but Global, Canwest Global, in my opinion was absolutely appalling.”

What in particular? “They hounded our leader and let Gordon Campbell off scot free. He has an eight year record he should have been accountable for but not according to Canwest Global and that's unfortunate. We don't get our message out because in my opinion the dominant media player doesn't listen to what we have to say.”

Horgan held his own constituency with a solid margin, part of which he attributed to the B.C. Liberal government's release of land managed under the tree farm license system. “For me it's the Western Forest Products Land. My opponent said 'it's not an issue' but it's a big issue . . . That had a profound impact on our community for two years.”

His Liberal opponent, Jody Twa, appeared to spend a lot of money in the final weeks of the campaign, Horgan said. “Money can't buy you love,” he said. “It can buy a lot of signs and a lot of ads, but it can't buy you votes.”

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.


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