Liberal Vancouver Kingsway candidate: another Emerson?
Land title records cast doubts on Liberal candidate's claims
"It's time for Liberals to stop misleading the voters of Vancouver Kingsway," Don Davies, the federal NDP candidate, said today on the second anniversary of David Emerson's defection to the Conservatives.
"David Emerson's dishonesty with voters is the stuff of legend," Davies said. "But it now appears that the next Liberal candidate is also playing loose with the truth."
Davies said that although Wendy Yuan, a long-time resident of Richmond, last year claimed that it's not important for an MP to live in the riding, the Yuan campaign office now says she is a resident of Vancouver Kingsway.
"In January, I was alerted by a constituent that the Wendy Yuan Campaign Team is claiming Ms Yuan lives in Vancouver Kingsway," said Davies. "This surprised me, as she has never contradicted my many statements that her Richmond residency makes her unable to properly represent Vancouver Kingsway citizens.
"So we conducted research at the Provincial Land Titles Office to investigate," Davies said.
According to land title records as of February 1, 2008, Ms Yuan and her husband are the registered owners of a home in Richmond. Documents further show that Ms Yuan re-mortgaged this property in April, 2007. As of February 6, 2008, there is no record that they own a home in Vancouver.
"We also searched on-line telephone and address directories. We can find no record of any residence attributed to Ms Yuan in the riding," said Davies.
"I think Ms Yuan has some explaining to do: where does she live? Does she live in Vancouver Kingsway or not? If so, why has she kept her residence in Richmond?" Davies asked.
Davies said that on the eve of the anniversary of Mr Emerson's betrayal, it is ironic that another Liberal candidate would be misleading voters.
"Two years ago today, Mr Emerson betrayed the people who elected him. His personal reward was a cabinet post.
"Before that, Ms Yuan stepped aside so Paul Martin could appoint Mr. Emerson as the candidate. Her personal reward was an appointment by the former prime minister as a representative on trade issues in Asia," said Davies.
"They both came out ahead personally, while voters who cast - or wanted to cast - their ballots in good faith were betrayed.
"Now, we see Ms Yuan trying to fool the voters into thinking she lives in Vancouver Kingsway - which is either directly untrue, or without telling them she retains her main residence in Richmond.
"I think that's wrong."
Davies said there is no disguising the fact that Ms Yuan has no connection to or history in the riding.
"Working and middle-class families in Vancouver Kingsway deserve to have an MP who will speak out for them in Ottawa. They deserve a representative who is connected to their community in a real way.
"They deserve a representative who will speak to them with absolute truth and integrity - not try to mislead them in order to gain power.
"The voters don't deserve another David Emerson."
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For more information:
Don Davies - 604-874-9906
dondavies@ndp.ca
