Surrey Connect has introduced a candidate for council with the same name as a well-known local politician, Surrey-Newton NDP MLA and Labour Minister Harry Bains.
Coincidence?
Brenda Locke, mayoral candidate for Surrey Connect, denied it鈥檚 a ploy to capitalize on name recognition on the ballot.
鈥淚 just think that鈥檚 silly,鈥� Locke said. 鈥淚t is just a coincidence.
鈥淗arry Bains is a qualified lawyer, he鈥檚 grown up in Surrey, he went to high school here, and elementary, raises his kids here, he鈥檚 a great candidate for us. We鈥檙e very excited 鈥� he鈥檚 got a high ethical bar like all of us on our team and so we鈥檙e happy he鈥檚 on board,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of issues when you鈥檙e looking for an individual and it was the demographic, where he lived, the whole thing. He lives in the Newton area so we wanted somebody from that area and we did want somebody with legal expertise, and so he fit that bill.鈥�
Bains 鈥� the MLA 鈥� says he鈥檚 not weirded out by it.
鈥淚f they want to pick my name, you know, I鈥檓 fine with it. As long as he doesn鈥檛 do anything stupid,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淢y Harry Bains name has been involved in politics for what now, 17 years at least, right? Now in duplicate.鈥�
鈥淧ut our pictures in there 鈥� 鈥榯his is the real Harry Bains, that鈥檚 the other guy,鈥欌�� he joked.
Bains 鈥� the council candidate 鈥� also laughed.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see it as being a positive or a benefit. I think Harry Bains 鈥� the other Harry Bains 鈥� he鈥檚 done a lot of work for the city, and the province, and his riding for a number of years. He鈥檚 a great gentleman, but no we have no relation or anything like that,鈥� said the lawyer, a partner law with Virsa Law Group LLP in Panorama.
鈥淧art of my practise is dealing with the city, and dealing with city hall, dealing with engineers, the surveyors, the planners,鈥� the council candidate explained. 鈥淎nd as part of my practise I鈥檓 dealing with home builders who are subdividing properties or building townhouses or building homes for the residents of the city and speaking with people throughout my practise I鈥檓 able to identify a lot of problems that engineers have with the city, or the engineers have with the city, or even the home builders themselves have with the city and that鈥檚 where I鈥檓 hoping I can leverage that expertise to build in efficiencies at city hall and hopefully work with people to fix the system so that you aren鈥檛 waiting for three years to put shovels in the ground.鈥�
Bains completes Surrey Connect鈥檚 slate, joining Locke, Ramona Kaptyn, Sebastian Sajda, Rochelle Prasad, Pardeep Kooner, Wil Kwok, Rob Stutt and Gordon Hepner.
鈥淲e鈥檙e ready to go,鈥� Locke told the Now-Leader on Wednesday. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 released an official document but certainly I鈥檝e made enough statements about where we鈥檙e going. Absolutely without question our number-one issue is going to be to put integrity back into city hall, and have a high ethical and open and transparent city hall again, a city hall that鈥檚 for people. Our number two is going to be all about public safety. And issues not just stopping the (policing) transition but also about fire and how we deal with fire service, because our fire service in Surrey is understaffed as well and under-resourced. So we鈥檒l be very focused on fire service and on bylaws.鈥�
Jinny Sims, NDP MLA for Surrey Panorama, is the mayoral candidate for Surrey Forward, a rival slate.
鈥淚 have no comment of this issue at all,鈥� she said of the two Harrys. 鈥淎ll I know is it鈥檚 not Harry Bains and it is always interesting and I don鈥檛 believe in too many coincidences.鈥�
Are there a lot of Harry Bains out there?
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 heard that many, no, actually not,鈥� Bains 鈥� the MLA 鈥� said.
鈥淭hey got to be out there. I mean it鈥檚 not an uncommon name, right? There鈥檚 Harrys, and Bains鈥ommon names.鈥�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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