BC United’s candidate for the forthcoming election in the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding is suggesting a good portion of his campaign strategy will be to continue listening to the concerns of the electorate.
Greg McCune, a former two-term mayor of Enderby takes over the BC United banner from outgoing MLA Greg Kyllo, who announced his decision last year to retire from provincial politics last year.
“With a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship and municipal governance, Greg is ready to bring his passion and expertise to the provincial stage,” BC United said in its Facebook announcement announcing McCune as its candidate.
McCune says his background in local politics should serve him well on the provincial campaign trail.
“I was a councillor and mayor for about 23 years in Enderby,” McCune said. “Municipalities can’t run a deficit, so you have to be very creative. You have to look at every option, every opportunity. You just have to look for solutions everywhere.”
McCune – who won the nomination earlier this month by beating two other candidates, Linda Hawes of Salmon Arm and Allysa Hopkins of Mara – says the biggest concern he heard as part of the nomination campaign was that people in the Shuswap are most concerned about the daily pressures of life.
“Think affordability, crime, public safety is a concern now, homelessness. I mean its endless, you can go on and on,” McCune said. “Housing. I talked to a lot of people who believe that their children will never own their own home.”
He also says there is a lot of distrust of all levels of government within the riding, east of Kamloops.
“The last five years have just been between COVID and regulations, and deficits being run by governments, which then they quickly figure out ‘we’ll just tax the middle population and see where we can recoup,'” McCune said.
The Shuswap is considered a relatively safe riding for BC United, as it’s been held by the former BC Liberal Party since George Abbott was first elected in 1996.
David Williams will be running for the BC Conservatives in Salmon Arm-Shuswap, while the NDP and the BC Greens have yet to announce their candidate.
The next provincial election is scheduled to be held on Oct. 19.
