The B.C. Liberal party and Boundary- Similkameen MLA John Slater have parted company .
On Monday, January 14, Slater announced his resignation from the Liberal party, indicating that he would serve out the remainder of his term as an independent.
The news was confirmed by an official Liberal party announcement that described the situation thus:
“John Slater has made significant contributions to his community in both private and public life.
“Last month, John informed colleagues that he would not seek re-election. Over the past week, he has reconsidered his decision and sought to be nominated as the BC Liberal candidate.
“Mr. Slater’s candidacy is not being approved due to personal issues that, in our view, impact his ability to represent the party.
“The party sought a cooperative solution through discussions with John. This is not a decision taken lightly and is fully considered.”
These are difficult situations, especially when you like the people involved.
In these cases, the party president and other officials work in the best interest of the party. While there is never full agreement in these cases, it was a decision not taken lightly.