Delta Optimist - March 26, 2011

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Bravery recognized Police officer earns provincial award

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Green demons

DSS students building first electric dragster

20

Forbidden fun

Tsaw. actor has lead in Gateway production

36

Optimist

Captain Calgary

Ladner’s Andrew McBride starring in the NLL

39

Newsstand 50¢

YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL SPORTS, NEWS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.DELTA-OPTIMIST.COM The Voice of Delta since 1922 SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011

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Tories drop Saip as candidate School board chair, who won party’s nomination Monday, gets boot after his financial past causes concerns BY

SANDOR GYARMATI

sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com

Dale Saip is no longer the Conservative candidate for DeltaRichmond East. He made the announcement Thursday afternoon, just three days after he beat out four others in a snap nomination meeting Monday in East Ladner The longtime school trustee found himself facing controversy when his past financial woes came to light following his nomination victory. Several residents, who were opposed to his nomination, went to the media with information on his personal financial issues, which Saip insists have been all resolved. Saying the party informed him Thursday he was out, Saip told the Optimist he fully disclosed all the required candidate background information, and it was up to the party to make a determination on his suitability before the nomination meeting. “They had two questions in that meeting and I answered those questions. Part of it was a lack of due diligence on their behalf. Maybe they were strained and rushed, but it didn’t seem to be an issue at the time,” Saip said. “I just wish they would have dealt with this before I went to a nominating meeting and dragged my family through this. I guess I’ll just keep moving forward.” His money problems included a personal bankruptcy in 1993. Then in 2005, he filed for a creditor proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act due to owing back taxes. Prior to Saip’s announcement, the Optimist asked Delta-

Richmond East riding association president Don Brooks if the Conservatives were aware of Saip’s financial problems before they accepted his candidacy. Brooks said there’s little he could say on the matter other than they were taking it seriously and it was in the hands of the party. Saip came out on top after four rounds of preferential voting Monday. He edged out runner-up Kerry-Lynne Findlay 78 to 66. She told the Vancouver Sun after Saip’s financial issues were made public that the party needed to reexamine his qualifications. The Conservative Party of Canada’s National Council last year updated its candidate rules and procedures. Among the rules is a requirement for prospective candidates to submit completed forms “authorizing the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canada Border Services Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Department of National Defence to release any available information though the Privacy Act to the party concerning any offences, infractions or pending matters involving the applicant under an act, regulation or code enforced by those departments.” Saip said that’s just what he did. Saying he hasn’t done anything criminal, Saip noted he went through a negotiated tax settlement five years ago after a disagreement on an assessment, which he said shouldn’t be a reason to disqualify someone for running for a nomination. “Everything was all paid up six See SAIP page 3

PHOTO BY

SANDOR GYARMATI

Dale Saip speaks to Conservative members at the riding’s nomination meeting Monday night in Ladner. He beat the other four in the race, but won’t end up being the party’s candidate.

Conservative candidate still not determined Who the Conservative candidate will be in Delta-Richmond East is still up in the air. Yesterday, as the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper was being defeated in the House of Commons on

a non-confidence motion, DeltaRichmond East riding association president Don Brooks said he was still waiting for word from party headquarters. As of Optimist press deadline, it hadn’t been determined whether

the riding association must hold another nomination meeting or if Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who finished second to Dale Saip in Monday’s nomination vote, would be appointed. Sandor Gyarmati

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