Barbs traded between Burnaby mayoral candidates

BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – Competition for the mayor’s seat in Burnaby is starting to get a bit heated.

Incumbent mayor Derek Corrigan and mayoral candidate and retired firefighter Mike Hurley are continuing to argue over issues brought up at an all-candidates debate on Saturday.

During the sparring, Corrigan accused the fire department of lacking diversity, but Hurley says he wasn’t the one who hired them.

“That’s just a desperate man looking for reasons to attack me. The hiring in the fire department certainly has nothing to do with me. He’s in charge of hiring. He should be pointing the fingers right at himself,” Hurley tells NEWS 1130.

“The fire department has worked for years to try and attract diverse candidates. Unfortunately, many cultures don’t see the fire department as the type of job they want to do.”

On Friday, Burnaby municipal party Burnaby Citizens Association, of which Corrigan is a member, released its new housing platform.

But Hurley says it looks familiar.

“Every other issue they’ve picked up has been follow-the-leader after us. Every time we’ve led with something they’ve come back with basically the same thing.”

The mayor’s golf fees have also been an issue. It stems from a Burnaby Now article published back in 2014 that revealed 18 current and former city officials have accessed the city’s complimentary pass system to waive $41,904.59 in charges. The mayor, the newspaper found, had $5,700 worth of golf fees waived.

The International Association of Firefighters, an organization Hurley is the Vice President of, launched attack ads last week, saying Corrigan is golfing with taxpayer money.

“When I become mayor, I will pay for my own golf. It won’t be on the taxpayer’s dime,” says Hurley.

A poll conducted by the firefighters association has found the two mayoral candidates are in a dead heat.

NEWS 1130 has reached out to Derek Corrigan for comment but so far he hasn’t responded.

Advanced voting for Burnaby started Saturday.