BC NDP have renewed calls for the Liberals to drop Langley East’s Margaret Kunst as a candidate in the wake of the resignation of Chilliwack’s Laurie Throness.
Kunst has been a target of the NDP during this election due to a Sept. 21 vote by the candidate, in her capacity as a Langley Township councillor.
The council was debating a motion to endorse a rainbow crosswalk between the offices of the Langley School District and the local RCMP detachment – which sit across from each other in Murrayville.
One of three councillors to vote against the crosswalk endorsement, Kunst said she agreed with a fellow councillor that a framework needed to be in place before voting on such projects.
“Kunst and [Liberal leader Andrew] Wilkinson claimed the vote was a ‘process’ vote,” said an NDP statement Thursday. But the NDP accused them of being untruthful.
A Vancouver television station reported that, while running for council in 2018, Kunst had responded to a questionnaire from the Langley chapter of the conservative group Association of Reformed Political Action (ARPA) about whether she would support new rainbow crosswalks. She said she would vote against them.
“No, I believe our Canadian flag represents freedom and inclusivity for all in Canada,” Kunst replied to the question.
This is the third time the NDP has called for Kunst to be removed as a candidate.
After the first incident, Kunst told the Langley Advance Times she’s worked with LGBTQ youths in her charity work for years.
“My record in the community will show that I’ve worked with all groups,” she said.
“Margaret Kunst fully supports the BC Liberal Party’s commitment to inclusion and equality,” said BC Liberal campaign director Emile Scheffel in response to Thursday’s NDP statment. “As an elected councillor, long-time small business owner, and committed community volunteer, Margaret will make an excellent representative for Langley East.”
READ MORE: Langley East Liberal candidate denies NDP accusation of homophobia over crosswalk vote
Kunst’s NDP opponent in the Langley East riding is Megan Dykeman, the chair of the school board.
“If Laurie Throness can’t be a candidate for the BC Liberals, why does Wilkinson still endorse Kunst?” Dykeman said.
Throness has drawn fire for comments related to LGBTQ issues, but stepped down Thursday after he compared free birth control to eugenics.
READ MORE: BC Liberal candidate resigns after comparing free birth control to eugenics