Independent office opens as election race heats up

With a little over four weeks left until the federal election date of October 19th, campaigning is starting to pick up in PG.

Cariboo-Prince George Independent Candidate Sheldon Clare opened his Campaign Office in Redwood Square yesterday to a group of supporters and a team from Vice Canada.

After announcing his candidacy outside a party in mid-August, Clare has been very outspoken about his disapproval of ‘flawed’ parties.

“I don’t fit into a box. You can’t wrap me up with ribbon and be told what to do by a party whip,” says Clare, “I have my own mind, and I’m not prepared to be told how to vote on everything. I want to read the legislation, analyse it critically, and make up my mind based on what is best for the people of Cariboo-Prince George and Canada.”

As a longtime instructor at the College of New Caledonia, Clare says he sees the effects of student debt everyday, and has made dealing with debt one of his key goals.

“They find themselves burgeoned with debt at a time of their lives when they need to be maximizing their income, paying taxes, and helping their career. A burden of debt at that time isn’t working. There are a lot of models around the world for handling how students pay their tuition, and I think we need to start looking outside North America.”

Clare is running against Conservative Todd Doherty, New Democrat Trent Derrick, Liberal Tracy Calogheros, the Green’s Richard Jaques, and the Christian Heritage Party’s Adam De Kroon.