NPA Coun. Hector Bremner, who was elected in last fall’s byelection, will not get a chance to become his party’s mayoral candidate. Photo Dan Toulgoet
NPA Councillor Hector Bremner will not get a chance to run as his party’s mayoral candidate in this fall’s election.
The rookie councillor, who won a seat in the October byelection, posted a message on his Facebook page just after midnight Monday saying his party’s board of directors rejected his application to become a mayoral candidate.
Bremner said the party’s so-called “green light committee,” which is charged with screening candidates, recommended that he get the nod to run in the Oct. 20 election. The board, however, “rejected their advice,” he wrote.
He said the board was “stacked by one of the candidates, the same candidate whose supporters attacked me with false accusations that clearly the green light committee rejected.” He didn’t name the candidate.
Bremner was facing a complaint from an NPA member accusing him of a conflict of interest related to development.
“I will have more to say on this, as will the thousands of members we have signed up, our caucus, and all of the shocked members of the NPA tonight.”
The Courier left messages Tuesday morning for Bremner and NPA president Gregory Baker but they were not returned before this story was posted. Bremner was one of five potential candidates to compete in the party’s mayoral nomination race May 29.
He was to face NPA park board commissioner John Coupar, financial analyst Glen Chernen, entrepreneur Ken Sim and engineer George Steeves in the nomination battle. It’s unclear whether Bremner will seek re-election as a councillor and whether the board’s decision Monday will affect his decision.
“Back in August when I began this journey with the NPA, when our party had 78 members, we were all so excited with our momentum, our by-election win and chance to restore this great party to a leadership position at city hall,” he said. “Tonight, unfortunately, was more clear evidence our board has been taken over by people with another agenda.”
Bremner concluded his Facebook post by telling a story about a young volunteer he said was removed from the party in December. He called it a “shocking backroom deal” and in an attached video said he was “a good kid, in his 20s, wants to participate and they shank him tonight—and they shank him over a bunch of nonsense.”
Added Bremner: “You wonder why more normal rationale people don’t get involved in politics. It’s unbelievable.”
More to come…
@Howellings
