Meet Justin Hooles, an independent politician who has chosen to take a run at being the MLA for Columbia River Revelstoke without party affiliation.
Hooles, from Kimberley, said that during the past federal election, he began to look deeper into the various political parties and how they serve people.
“I think, overall, political parties do a good job on national and provincial issues, but do they best represent the individual?” Hooles said. “I don’t think they are as good on the local side. In the last election, 50 per cent of those eligible didn’t even bother to vote. They don’t feel represented.”
Holes doesn’t want to categorize himself as left or right leaning. Both sides do have some good ideas, he says, and he’d prefer to be able to support ideas that work and speak against those that don’t.
Holes has some good volunteer support lined up in Kimberley and the south-east side of the riding, and is looking forward to knocking on doors throughout Columbia River Revelstoke. He acknowledges that the huge size of the riding makes it difficult to make yourself known in communities further afield, like Revelstoke, but he does plan to spend some time there.
You can find out more about Justin Hooles on his Facebook page and at justinhooles.ca
“I want to engage those that feel disengaged,” he said.