A renewable energy consultant who is also a hard rocker, and a retired teacher who is the daughter of a colourful former mayor are vying for the B.C. Green Party nomination in Nanaimo.
Duane Nickull and Michele Ney are hoping to be chosen to represent the Greens at the party’s Dec. 15 nomination meeting.
The winner will run in the upcoming provincial byelection. A date has not been set, but Premier John Horgan has said it will be held before the February budget.
NDP MLA Leonard Krog is quitting the seat because he has been elected as mayor of Nanaimo.
Nickull, a.k.a. Duane Chaos, played in the Vancouver band Rampage, which was fronted by late D.O.A. bassist Randy Rampage. Rampage’s former bandmate, D.O.A. frontman Joe Keithley, was elected in October to Burnaby city council as a member of the Green Party.
Nickull ran unsuccessfully for the B.C. Conservatives against former premier Christy Clark in Vancouver-Point Grey in 2013.
He has spent two decades in the software sector as a renewable energy consultant. He has worked for Adobe, founded three companies, and authored high-tech books.
Nickull describes himself as a social libertarian, fiscal conservative and a lifelong environmental advocate. He was vice-chairman of the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business working group.
Ney, who retired this year from teaching, was born and raised in Nanaimo. She taught for 32 years at the elementary and high school levels in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district.
She has a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Victoria and a master’s in education in leadership and counselling from San Diego State University, and studied mediation, negotiation and restorative justice at the Justice Institute of B.C.
This is her first time running for elected office. Her sister Tara Ney is a councillor in Oak Bay.
Michele Ney is one of 11 children of Frank Ney, who served as Nanaimo mayor from 1968 to 1984 and 1987 to 1990 and was the Social Credit MLA for the riding from 1969 to 1972. He was the first chairman and admiral of the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society and often dressed as a pirate to promote the city. Frank Ney died in 1992.
Tony Harris — son of businessman Tom Harris — is representing another well-known Nanaimo family in the race. Tony Harris, also a businessman, is running for the B.C. Liberal Party.
NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson is preparing to leave her federal position to run in the riding.
Results of the byelection are crucial to the balance of power in B.C. The NDP is leading a minority government thanks to support from the three Green MLAs.
— With a file from Mike Devlin
