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❚POLITICS
Should James stay or go?
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010
Higginbotham’s stage From politics to panto... and back to politics? 17
❚CRIME
Surrey says ‘yes’ but Delta says ‘no’ Tom ZYTARUK Staff Reporter
Should she stay, or should she go? Delta North MLA Guy Gentner said embattled NDP leader Carole James “should do both.” “I think she should step aside and run as leader,” the NDP MLA said. James firmly announced Thursday she plans to stay on as leader, despite veteran Vancouver MLA Jenny Kwan’s public call for her to call a leadership race. But Surrey’s NDP MLAs don’t agree. “I feel that she should stay,” said Harry Bains, MLA for Surrey Newton. “She’s got the mandate of the party.” Bruce Ralston, MLA for Surrey-Whalley, said James has a strong understanding of issues important to Surrey. “I’m a strong supporter,” he said. “She should definitely stay.” Jagrup Brar, the NDP MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood, could not be reached for comment. But SurreyGreen Timbers MLA Sue Hammell says both she and Brar are James supporters. “Carole James is outstanding, both as a leader and as a person,” Hammell said. The NDP leader did not take the public criticism cheerfully and is calling an “emergency” caucus meeting. She promised rather ominously that NDP MLAs “will be held accountable for their behaviour.” Gentner said “it seems to be threatening,” adding he hopes things can be worked out. “We’re all grown ups.” Meantime, Gentner says he has no designs on leading the NDP himself, despite the “Guy is our Guy” website urging him in that direction. The MLA for Delta North said he has nothing to do with that website, and that he’s “not interested” in the job. tzytaruk@thenow newspaper.com
Surrey unveils $13.5M annex; art piece symbolizes RCMP as it . . .
FALLS INTO FORMATION Story, page 4 Photo gallery, online
Surrey Coun. Judy Villeneuve with artist Jill Anholt and her piece, “Falling Into Formation,” that hangs in the stairwell of the new Surrey RCMP Detachment annex. Villeneuve is council ❚PHOTO/Ted Colley liaison to the city’s public art committee. See full story on page 4.
Clues sought in disabled man’s murder Tom ZYTARUK Staff Reporter
SURREY – A disabled Surrey man left to die in the middle of a Whalley street did not fit the stereotype of someone who’d be murdered late at night along a road notorious for drug dealing, his family and police say. Two Mounties found Paul Luke Phelan, 43, dying in the middle of a slushy 135A Street near 107th Avenue after being violently attacked shortly before midnight Thursday, Nov. 25. Cpl. Dale Carr, spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said Phelan was not a “provoker,” fighter, or someone who was into drugs. “He doesn’t belong in this neighbourhood. He’s not a person that frequents this neighbourhood, he’s not involved in the drug trade or in the drug scene at all.” So what was he doing there? “We heard from a friend that he was going to the liquor store,” Carr said. Police believe Phelan was walking to or from the store when he was attacked. They don’t know if it was a robbery, and are holding back how he died. “We are keeping that close to the vest as an investigational strategy,” Carr said at the scene Wednesday.
see MURDER page 3