Belanger Severs Ties With Campaign Manager

Belanger Severs Ties With Campaign Manager

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 15:13

 

 

A 22-year-old Canoe Lake man at the centre of a political firestorm says the provincial Liberals knew he was facing criminal charges when he initially joined their team.

 

Nathan Opikokew had previously announced he was running as a Liberal candidate in the Athabasca constituency in the coming provincial election.

 

Yesterday, he announced he was leaving the Liberals to become campaign manager for the NDP’s Buckley Belanger.

 

But that decision has been reversed in light of the charges Opikokew is facing.

 

Belanger says he made that call after discussing the matter with Opikokew last night — just hours after the NDP announced Opikokew was joining Belanger’s campaign team.

 

Opikokew insists it was his call to leave the Liberals in the first place, and says they’re now acting like “sore losers”.

 

The Liberals say they removed Opikokew as a candidate last week upon learning he was facing charges.

 

(includes files from The Canadian Press)