Supporters of the campaign to recall MLA Don McRae will meet outside the Comox Post Office at noon today (Wednesday) to send their application for recall to Elections BC in Victoria.

Elections BC has a few days to determine whether the application is complete and meets the requirements of the Recall and Initiative Act. After granting approval in principle, Elections BC then has seven days to issue the petition. Canvassers will have 60 days to collect signatures.

鈥淲e have everything in place in order to apply to Elections BC for a petition to recall our MLA,鈥� says Recall Comox Valley proponent Kathryn Askew.

鈥淲e want to thank the sponsors of our fundraising event last Saturday night for their amazing support and encouragement.

鈥淲e have now raised over $1,300 which will pay for our office overhead plus some advertising and campaign signs,鈥� she said in a news release. 鈥淚 would like to challenge the Don McRae team to stay within the same budget that we have!鈥�

Local BC LIberals have already been the subject of a successful complaint to Elections BC by the Oak Bay Gordon Head recall campaign, Askew added.

McRae鈥檚 organization was found to be in violation of the act for publishing an anonymous ad denigrating recall canvassers, Askew stated. The ad said the NDP is behind the recall movement.

A local website is also the subject of a complaint to Elections BC, Askew alleged.

Recall volunteers will meet this weekend to receive training in correct procedures for collecting signatures on the petition. The only voters who are eligible to sign the recall petition are those who were registered in the Comox Valley in May of 2009, during the last provincial election.

To be successful, the recall campaign must collect 19,346 signatures, or 40 per cent of eligible voters. That number includes voters who may have moved away since the past election, and voters who have died. The Comox Valley has more registered voters than any other riding in B.C.

鈥淭here is simply no way of knowing how angry people still are about the way the HST was introduced,鈥� said Askew. 鈥淭his campaign will take the temperature of Comox Valley voters and give them an opportunity to express their frustration with the current government over a range of issues 鈥� not just HST.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for us to remind governments everywhere that 鈥渢he people鈥� direct government, not the other way around.鈥�

B.C. voters who may wish to help with the petition can contact Kathryn at kataskew@telus.net.