Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca Conservative candidate John Koury's car accident earlier this month was almost a tragedy - unlike his election campaign. Tonight, during a televised all-candidate debate broadcast at 6:00 on The New VI, moderator and former provincial New Democrat cabinet minister Moe Sihota announced "The Conservative party, about 15 minutes ago, said they would go up to their candidate, bar him coming into the doors of this station and tell him he ought not to participate in this show. They are trying to hide their candidate."

But Mr. Koury's campaign manager Gary Del Villano, who was at the station along with Vancouver Island campaign manager Troy DeSouza denied that conversation ever took place. In an interview, Mr. Del Vilano explained Mr. Koury didn't participate in the debate because his candidate "thought the program was at 6:30" and arrived too late to go on the air.

That explanation, however, isn't going to stop Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca New Democrat communication director John Horgan from kicking out a news release tomorrow morning calling on the Conservatives to explain why Mr. Koury was missing in action.