Surrey-Newton MLA and provincial labour minister Harry Bains says he’s being urged to run for mayor in Surrey’s next civic election in October. The veteran politician says he’ll “think about it,” but his focus remains in the provincial arena.
“Number one, my priorities lies with the province,” he told the Now-Leader on Tuesday. “That’s where my passion is. All the issues, health care, education, fair labour laws, public transporation, child care, are all under provincial and I am deeply involved in that.”
“There’s much more to do.”
Having said that, Bains says because of his “love for Surrey,” as he’s lived most of his life here, he will give “due consideration and respect” to the idea of running for mayor “because of what I feel about Surrey, and the direction Surrey could go, the potential Surrey has.
“You always give it a thought, and that’s what I told them, that I will think about it but my priority lies with the province and that’s what I’m committed to right now.”
“People have asked me and that is where it is at,” he said. “Groups from different political spectrums, I might add, felt that I could represent Surrey in the mayor’s chair, in their eyes, really well. Certainly I respect that they have approached me and I’m flattered. I said I will consider and let them know once I’m in a position to tell them.”
If he does decide to run for mayor, would it be as an independent or with a slate?
“I’m not there yet,” he replied. “Over the holiday period people have approached me and I have not thought about how I would run if I would run.”
Bains has been Newton’s MLA since 2005.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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