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Simpson showered with support

The Cariboo North Riding Association has passed a motion supporting Bob Simpson, who was thrown out of caucus by NDP leader Carole James last week, to remain as their MLA.

The Cariboo North Riding Association has passed a motion supporting Bob Simpson, who was thrown out of caucus by NDP leader Carole James last week, to remain as their MLA.

"The executive believes that what leader Carole James did was an unjust overreaction to our MLA's mild critique of her speech" said Keith Sandve, the riding association's president.

Sandve said the executive believes that one of the fundamental principles of democracy is freedom of speech and the ability of elected officials to act in accordance with their conscience and their common sense.

"We do not want our candidate to give up his principles or to mute his consistent and intelligent criticism of the problems with our electoral system," he said.

In dismissing Simpson, James said that through his public comments, he had made it clear he would rather criticize the party's work than contribute to it.

James was referring to Simpson's criticism of her speech recently at the Union of B.C. Municipalities. In a column posted on a Cariboo media website, Simpson criticized B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell for not providing any concrete plans for the province. But he also said that James had little concrete to offer the municipal delegates at the convention.

James has received support from some NDP MLAs, but others, including former NDP cabinet minister Corky Evans, have spoken in support of Simpson.

Simpson had also been arguing internally that the NDP were not taking an aggressive-enough policy push.

Sandve said he will take the Cariboo North executive's concerns to the NDP executive and ask that MLA Simpson's presence be restored on the party's website as he was not removed from the party, only the caucus.

The executive also passed a motion reaffirming their previous resolution calling for a leadership convention in 2011.

The motion is also being taken to a general meeting of the riding association on Nov. 5.