The Green Party’s South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale candidate Larry Colero is wondering just what it takes for party members to get on the airwaves, following his exclusion from a CBC Early Edition radio broadcast Thursday morning.
“It seems unjust and very insensitive of them, in light of what has been happening with (party leader) Elizabeth May being excluded from the TV debates… especially since the CBC is part of the media consortium responsible for that,” Colero said.
“I’m feeling dis-May-ed at being excluded,” he added, noting he had contacted the producers three days in advance of the broadcast, and was one of the first candidates approved by Elections Canada in the riding.
Colero said a representative of Early Edition told him following the broadcast that while they were aware he was a candidate they only had room for four candidates on the broadcast.
Those who appeared were Conservative incumbent Russ Hiebert, NDP candidate Susan Keeping, Liberal candidate Hardy Staub and independent candidate Aart Looye, while Colero said both he and Christian Heritage Party candidate Mike Schouten were left on the outside.
Colero said the Early Edition representative explained that part of the focus of broadcast was on former conservatives Staub and Looye who have chosen to run against Hiebert.
“What they got was disgruntled and disaffected former conservatives complaining about Russ,” he said.
“If they’d talked to me they would have learned I was a former Progressive Conservative member who was actually a delegate to the national leadership convention.”
Colero said that host Rick Cluff also referred to the four guests as the candidates for the riding without mentioning that they were “among the candidates.”
He said he was also miffed he had been offered no redress, other than a suggestion he call the show’s ‘talkback’ line.
Representatives for the Early Edition did not return a request for comment at Peace Arch News press time.