Time is now for Cavers, Milobar to step back from council

Mar 24, 2017 | 5:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Anyone who has ever been a parent of young children will recognize how important the five-minute warning is, whenever you want your child to transition from one activity to another.

For example, if your child is reading or watching television, and it’s time to get ready for bed, the five-minute warning works wonders.

Well, Donovan Cavers and Peter Milobar have had their five-minute warning, and now it’s time to move from one thing to another.

I’m not comparing them to children, but I am saying it should be clear to everyone that the time to transition is now.

Cavers and Milobar have both said they will take a leave of absence from their council positions while the election campaign takes place.

The campaign officially begins when the writ is dropped April 11.

But unofficially, it’s pretty clear the campaign is already in full swing.

Cavers and his crew have been out door-knocking feverishly during every spare moment, building on a province-wide sentiment that the BC Green party could make significant gains in this election.

And Milobar is in campaign mode, too, with billboards and bus ads peppering the Kamloops-North Thompson riding, displaying his face and the BC Liberal logo.

That certainly can bring the idea of conflict of interest into the minds of Kamloops residents.

But campaign activities aren’t the only reason the time is now.

This week, Todd Stone made a funding announcement on the steps of Kamloops city hall.

Milobar stood beside him as he would in his role as mayor, but the funding certainly looked like a pre-election goodie that is typical for governments hoping to retain power.

In that light, Milobar’s presence starts to paint a potentially confusing picture.

Cavers’ reaction on Twitter was equally mixed, first tweeting a criticism of the timing of the announcement, then expressing his approval of the project.

In the minds of these two candidates, I’m sure it’s quite clear when they are acting as candidates and when they are acting as elected members of council.

On the other hand, when it comes to appearances and what the public perceives, the picture is getting significantly opaque.

The time to fish or cut bait is now.

As the pre-campaign campaign shifts into high gear, Cavers and Milobar should do what’s necessary to step back from council and be provincial candidates.