A former Coquitlam city councillor who sought to be mayor in last November's municipal race now wants a provincial seat.
On Wednesday, Barrie Lynch filed his papers with the BC NDP to run for nomination in the Coquitlam-Burke Mountain riding, currently held by BC Liberal MLA Doug Horne.
Joe Keithley of the punk band D.O.A. announced last month he's also seeking the party nod; a nomination meeting is expected in December or January.
Yesterday, Lynch told The Tri-City News he has been thinking for a while about throwing his hat in the provincial ring and has been approached by incumbent MLAs and MPs to make the move.
While he has enjoyed some time off from politics, "I really do like being part of the decision-making process and representing people and being knowledgeable about what's happening in the city."
Lynch said what sets him apart from Keithley is his deep roots in the community: He has lived in the constituency for several years and was a three-term councillor before last fall, when Mayor Richard Stewart defeated him in the polls.
"I wouldn't be putting my name forward [for provincial office] if I didn't feel that I was the candidate that should be elected," Lynch said, adding, "I believe there should be stronger representation. I know that when I was on city council, I didn't have a lot of interaction with the MLA that was representing the riding so... I would improve the communication between those levels of government."
If elected, Lynch said he plans to focus on topics that he was unable to deal with at the civic level such as housing, the environment and seniors' issues.
The next provincial election is set for next May.
