A former Vernon city councillor is looking to represent the Conservatives
Scott Anderson, will put his name forward as a nominee for Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) candidate for the new federal riding of Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee.
The new riding of Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee will come into being when an election is called. It is expected to take place Oct. 20, 2025.
“This nomination race will not be easy, and I ask for the support of everyone who wants to have a firm voice in Ottawa,” said Anderson. “I’m asking anyone who wants to support me, to become a member of the Conservative Party of Canada and to let me know so I can tell you where and when the voting will be.”
Anderson has been endorsed by four former Members of Parliament, including Darrel Stinson and John Duncan, former cabinet minister.
“I know him to be an honest, dependable, and hardworking man who is willing to listen and get the job done,” said Stinson, who was MP from 1993 to 2004.
“Scott Anderson is a demonstrated community leader and astute local businessman. He will be a great MP with a strong work ethic,” said Duncan, a Vancouver Island North MP from 1993 to 2006 and 2008 to 2015, and also served as chief government whip and minister of aboriginal affairs.
John Cummins, former Delta/Richmond MP has known Anderson for over a decade “as a real conservative and a man who can be trusted. He will be the peoples voice in Ottawa.”
Anderson is a North Okanagan business owner, former two-term councillor and interim Leader of the BC Conservatives. He has also served as a military officer with the British Columbia Dragoons, an armoured reconnaissance unit based in Vernon and Kelowna, and later with the CAF Public Affairs branch based in Ottawa.
“I have experience, both at our local/provincial level and at the federal level, and the drive to bring our regional concerns to Ottawa,” said Anderson.
Anderson has been involved with Conservative politics since 1993, when he first went to Ottawa for several months as a legislative assistant for an MP and has been a member of the North Okanagan Shuswap Constituency Association since 2014.
“Bringing a commonsense viewpoint back to Ottawa is only part of the job of MP as I see it,” said Anderson. “Your Member of Parliament should also have the courage and conviction to speak up and bring your voice to Ottawa and that’s what I intend to do.”
If an election is called before April 22, 2024, there will be no change to the existing electoral boundaries and MP Mel Arnold will run again to represent the current federal electoral district of North Okanagan - Shuswap.
If an election is called after April 22, Arnold will run to represent the new federal electoral district of Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies, and new nominees and candidates will run to represent the new federal electoral district of Vernon-Lake County-Monashee.
“The first step is the most important step,” said Anderson. “In order to become the candidate, I need to earn the vote of the majority of CPC members in the new riding. Only Conservative party members are able to vote for the nominee they want to represent them.”
READ MORE: Anderson seeks Conservative seat