Darlene Bennett is undaunted by Elections BCsa国际传媒檚 announcement Tuesday that her initiative petition calling for a referendum on Surreysa国际传媒檚 policing transition has failed.

sa国际传媒淚t think itsa国际传媒檚 a clear voice for Surrey, Surrey wants a referendum and wesa国际传媒檒l keep the pressure on the provincial government because they still have the ability to call for one,sa国际传媒� she told the Now-Leader. Itsa国际传媒檚 not a provincial sa国际传媒減roblemsa国际传媒� but a regional one, she said, adding she was expecting this outcome but the fight is not over.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e asking for a referendum only for Surrey.sa国际传媒� She said shesa国际传媒檚 not disappointed.

All told, 42,942 signatures were delivered to Elections BC in Victoria on Monday. Thatsa国际传媒檚 just 2,622 shy of the 45,564 votes Mayor Doug McCallum, champion of the controversial policing switchover, received in the 2018 civic election.

McCallum issued a statement Tuesday that since Elections BC announced the sa国际传媒渇ailuresa国际传媒� of the petition sa国际传媒渋t is clearly time to move on.

sa国际传媒淭he work of the Surrey Police Service has remained focused on the task at hand for a safe and smooth transition. Surrey Police will take another significant step forward when the first SPS officers hit the streets alongside Surrey RCMP members by the end of the month,sa国际传媒� he said in his written statement.

Elections BCsa国际传媒檚 statement notes that under the Recall and Initiative Act a petition must gather signatures from at least 10 per cent of the registered voters in each of the provincesa国际传媒檚 87 electoral districts to succeed.

sa国际传媒淚t was clear upon submission that the petition did not receive the required number of signatures in each electoral district. As a result, Elections BC will not be counting or validating any of the signatures submitted,sa国际传媒� Elections BCsa国际传媒檚 statement reads.

Bennett said it was always her campaignsa国际传媒檚 intention to collect signatures in Surrey.

sa国际传媒淵ou know, 42,942 signatures during a global pandemic, crazy weather systems and you know, the interference with the mayor, this is huge. People are mad and they want a voice in this,sa国际传媒� she said.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 still in play, itsa国际传媒檚 still a win and this is a clear message to the provincial government that the residents of Surrey want a referendum.sa国际传媒�

Campaign strategist Bill Tieleman said as far as the campaign for a referendum in Surrey is concerned, itsa国际传媒檚 still sa国际传媒渢otally game on.sa国际传媒� Cabinet, he noted, could make a decision sa国际传媒渢oday, tomorrow, a week before Christmas,sa国际传媒� and proceed with a referendum in Surrey. sa国际传媒淚t doesnsa国际传媒檛 end the issue at all.sa国际传媒�

Tieleman said the campaign team will be making public and private sa国际传媒渞epresentationssa国际传媒� to the provincial government and will meet later this week to discuss what the future holds for their cause. sa国际传媒淧eople want a vote,sa国际传媒� he noted. sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 think theresa国际传媒檚 any reason we should stop this campaign at this stage because we donsa国际传媒檛 have a referendum yet. And if we donsa国际传媒檛 get a referendum I think the municipal election will be the referendum, next year.sa国际传媒�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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