Liberal candidate has drunk-driving conviction in B.C.

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Liberal candidate Mandeep Bhuller was convicted of drunk driving. (Liberal Party of Canada)

A Liberal Party candidate was once convicted of drunk driving, according to the party's director of communications in B.C.

Mandeep Bhuller, the candidate for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission, B.C., was caught driving over the legal limit in 2003. Bhuller fought the charge but was found guilty, fined $800, and prohibited from driving for one year.

Communications director Brad Zubyk said the party is aware of the conviction in Bhuller's past, and has no plans to ask him to step down.

Zubyk said Bhuller, who suffers from spina bifida, has openly admitted the mistake and now uses the incident while speaking in the community.

"In our mind, it's a wonderful story," he said. "I mean, a man who is a youth counsellor, who is suffering from a severe disability, and yet continues to give back to his community. He made one mistake and he was clearly remorseful."

The news comes on the same day Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff fired a Quebec candidate for making derogatory comments about aboriginal people.

André Forbes, who had been the candidate in the eastern Quebec riding of Manicouagan, was accused of making disparaging remarks about First Nations and Innu people.

The Conservative Party has faced its share of candidate controversy this election campaign.

Dale Saip was forced to step down from a Vancouver-area riding just days after being named the Conservative candidate after it was revealed he had requested court protection from creditors twice since 1993.

Saip, who had been set to run in the Delta-Richmond East riding, also filed a proposal with the B.C. Supreme Court in 2005 to pay the Canada Revenue Agency only a portion of the $90,000 in back taxes he owed.

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