An open-letter from NDP MLAs Rob Fleming, Maurine Karagianis, and Lana Popham

This is one of the better and more impressive endorsements I have seen for a candidate in almost any race.  I am reposting it here because these days stuff on Facebook disappears into the ether very quickly and is rarely seen again.  I also like the positive sounding nature of the letter, I really do want to see a more positive approach to politics.

by Lana Popham on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 12:49pm ·
Dear Friend,

On October 14, New Democrats will come together to nominate the candidate to succeed our retiring Victoria Member of Parliament, Denise Savoie.

The nomination race has attracted an exceptional group of contenders.  As Tuesday’s all-candidates' debate demonstrated, they are New Democrats with strong ties to the community, a long history of service to our party, and an unflinching commitment to the values we share.

In our view, Murray Rankin stands out as the best choice. We’d like to tell you why.
So many of you have told us how impressed you were with his performance in the debate. We were not surprised.  We have seen Murray in action leading BC NDP’s legal team fighting to stop the Enbridge pipeline. Murray has combined his profound commitment to sustainability and social justice with a deep understanding of the constitutional, legal, and environmental issues at stake.

It’s a passion and dedication Murray has nurtured his entire life. He arrived in Victoria more than 35 years ago, and got to work making our community a better place.

Murray was Chair of The Land Conservancy, and was instrumental in protecting the Sooke Potholes. He has mentored hundreds of young people as Community Chair of the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre. As founding director of BC’s Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Murray has fought for social justice.  He has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with First Nations.  His work in the House of Commons was recognized with its Award of Merit.  Murray is ready to hit the ground running.

Murray’s long involvement in our party and our community tells us that he knows the issues and that he will fight for our values. His energy and optimism will help bring new people to the party, particularly young people.

He will help unite progressive voters in Victoria, including Green Party voters and progressive Liberals. Murray is fluently bilingual, and we are confident in his ability to strengthen our party here at home, expand on gains across the country, and build bridges to our expanding Quebec caucus.

It’s an exciting time to be a New Democrat. In BC, we are poised to fight and win the next provincial election. On the federal stage, Thomas Mulcair and our team are showing what a real opposition can do and offering Canadians a national progressive alternative.

As a bilingual BC New Democrat with deep ties to our community and a passion for a caring, sustainable and just Canada, Murray Rankin is just the kind of person we need to build on the momentum of change.

The Nomination Meeting will be held on Sunday October 14 at 1 PM at the Student Union Building at the University of Victoria.  We hope to see you there!  If you have any questions for Murray, please check his website www.MurrayRankinNDP.ca or contact him directly by email at Murray@MurrayRankinNDP.ca or on his phone at (250) 858-4238.

Sincerely Yours,
Rob Fleming, MLA Victoria-Swan Lake, Maurine Karagianis, MLA Esquimalt-Royal Roads, Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South

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