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NDP name two more Kelowna-area candidates

Kelowna-Lake Country and Kelowna-Mission now have NDP standard bearers.
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The BC NDP has nominated candidates for the upcoming provincial election in Kelowna-Lake Country and Kelowna-Mission.

Harwinder Sandhu was acclaimed in Kelowna-Mission and Erik Olesen was acclaimed in Kelowna-Lake Country at a joint nomination meeting Thursday. They will challenge incumbent Liberal cabinet ministers Norm Letnick and Steve Thomson respectively.

Both candidates say they have witnessed first-hand how decisions made by Premier Christy Clark are making life harder and harder for people in the Okanagan. Clark is the MLA for Westside-Kelowna, which will be renamed Kelowna West for this election.

Sandhu, a trained nurse, is an outspoken advocate for health and seniors’ care. As a parent, she said she worries about schools and increasing costs for families.

“I’ve seen Christy Clark’s failures to support our children’s schools and her neglect of affordable childcare for young families. Her choices make our health care suffer and put our environment at risk,” she said.

Born in India, she immigrated to B.C. in 2001 and lived in northern B.C. before moving to the Okanagan. She is married with two daughters.

For his part, Olesen accused the premier of abandoning B.C.’s young people.

“Christy Clark may think part-time, low-wage jobs are good enough, but young people want good-paying jobs that last,” said Olesen.

Olesen, 26, has studied pre-nursing and has worked in the hospitality industry. He has volunteered with seniors and people with disabilities.