FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 10, 2026
SURREY, BC — Imagine Surrey and mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk are calling on Brenda Locke, Doug McCallum, and Linda Annis to explain their parties’ records on the first test of public trust: following the rules on money. Elections BC fined all three old parties for contravening the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act in the 2022 election. The penalties were issued on February 26, 2025, closing investigations that Elections BC announced in April 2024.
According to Elections BC, Surrey Connect Public Interest Association, Brenda Locke’s party, was fined $1,350 for accepting prohibited contributions. Surrey First Electors Society, whose mayoral candidate is now Linda Annis, saw its financial agent fined $750 for accepting prohibited contributions. The largest penalties went to Doug McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition Society: its financial agent was fined $4,630 for accepting prohibited contributions, and the society itself was fined a further $2,413 for incurring election expenses before it had registered. Across the three old parties, the penalties total $9,143.
The rules are not complicated. Only a BC resident who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident can contribute to a local campaign, organizations cannot give at all, and in 2022 nobody could give more than $1,250 to a party and its endorsed candidates combined.
“I trained in law enforcement at the Justice Institute, and I run a small business. In both worlds you learn quickly that the rules on money matter a lot,” said Imagine Surrey council candidate Chandan Chahal. “The rules were the same for everyone in 2022. Every one of the old parties broke them anyway, and Elections BC had to step in. If a party can’t keep its own campaign books straight, why would Surrey trust it with the city’s?”
Brenda Locke, Doug McCallum, and Linda Annis each want Surrey voters to trust them with the city’s finances for the next four years. When Elections BC reviewed and audited their 2022 filings, every one of their parties came up short.
That is the fire at City Hall: three old parties, one set of rules for you, and another set for them.
Mike Starchuk is calling for all three legacy party leaders – Brenda Locke, Doug McCallum, and Linda Annis – to commit to following the letter of the law and resign if their campaigns again break the trust of Surrey’s voters.
“I spent 32 years in the fire service, where the code is not a suggestion. You follow it because people’s safety depends on it,” said Mike Starchuk. “Campaign finance law exists so residents know who is paying for the people asking for their vote. The old parties had every chance to get it right and didn’t. We haven’t heard a peep out of Brenda, Doug, or Linda; they owe you the confidence that they won’t do it again. Imagine Surrey will follow the rules, file on time and in full, and bring that standard to City Hall. That is what putting out the fire at City Hall means.”
Chandan Chahal – a Justice Institute-trained law enforcement professional and small business owner – lives in Fleetwood.
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About Imagine Surrey
Imagine Surrey is a civic party running a full slate of candidates in the October 17, 2026 municipal election. Led by mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk – a former firefighter and Chief Fire Prevention Officer, former City Councillor, and former MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale – Imagine Surrey is committed to making Surrey the City of Champions by delivering: safe streets, fast commutes, smart investments, lower costs, and strong services.
Council candidates: Yousef Aldabainah, Chandan Chahal, Perminder Chohan, Narima Dela Cruz, Ashiyana Hanif, William Li, Dr. Margaret Mubanda, and Kevin Wilkie.
Contact
Trevor Loke, Campaign Manager
604-838-5178
[email protected] / [email protected]