A second contender has thrown his hat into the ring to replace Liberal MLA Ted Nebbeling, who is retiring, in West Vancouver-Garibaldi.
Tim Duholke filed his papers with the provincial Liberal party Tuesday.
"I am a guy who thinks that we need more entrepreneurs and business people involved in government," said Duholke, a chartered accountant.
"So I have decided that it is something I am interested in so I would like to take an opportunity to see if I can help the riding, help the party, and help the province."
Duholke joins Joan McIntyre Pottinger, who declared her intention to run for the position in September. She is the founder of the polling company McIntyre & Mustel Research Associates and lives in West Vancouver. A past president of the riding association, she also owns a condominium in Whistler.
Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland considered a run for the Liberal nomination in West Vancouver-Garibaldi but announced last week he would not seek the nomination this year.
A West Vancouver resident, Duholke has owned homes in Whistler over the years.
The married, father-of-two, was also a member of B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell’s Fiscal Review Panel in 2001, which reported on the status of British Columbia’s financial situation.
He is a partner with Shenin and Co. a Vancouver based professional firm that specializes in providing advice on taxation and related financial matters.
He has also held part ownerships in a number of B.C. companies including companies involved in clothing manufacturing and distribution, lumber remanufacturing, and the cellular phone industry.
Duholke is also a governor and member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Tax Foundation, and has lectured for the School of Chartered Accountancy. He has been involved actively in the community as well holding positions with the Western Lacrosse Association and the Michael. J. Fox Theatre Society.
Duholke believes the corridor needs strong representation as it heads into the next several years with pressure for growth and the Olympics taking their toll on the area. He said he wants to use his skills as an entrepreneur and tax expert to work for solutions to the corridor’s issues.
"I would like to take a businessman’s approach to dealing with these things, which says let’s get the good people, let’s delegate responsibility, let’s make sure that all parties are heard from and let’s move forward and act rather than sometimes being paralyzed by inaction," said Duholke.
"I would like to say that I think that I have a passion and an enthusiasm for the job and my experience in business and dealing with a lot of business people would allow me to have the ability to interact with business people, with politicians, with everybody."
Liberals in West Vancouver-Garibaldi will be able to vote for their candidate on Nov. 14 in Squamish at the Sea to Sky Hotel, on Nov. 15 in Whistler in the Chamber of Commerce’s boardroom and on Nov. 15 in West Vancouver at Gleneagles Secondary School.
Since the nomination date is already set Duholke is no longer able to go out and sign up new members in support of his campaign.
The vote will be open to members of the B.C. Liberal Party in West Vancouver-Garibaldi.
