John Martin was acclaimed as the BC Conservative Party (BCCP) candidate for Chilliwack-Hope on Tuesday evening.

BCCP leader John Cummins also appointed the University of the Fraser Valley criminology professor as justice critic in the party's shadow cabinet.

The Tories also held a meeting for the Port Moody-Coquitlam byelection at which Christine Clarke was acclaimed.

"I am delighted to appoint John Martin as the BC Conservative Party's justice critic and Christine Clarke as our critic for municipal affairs and transit," said Cummins in a press release issued Wednesday morning.

"John and Christine are excellent candidates and will be holding the Liberal government to account in their new roles."

Martin's justice critic role means he will shadow the ministries of the solicitor general and attorney general.

"This Liberal government has failed British Columbians on the justice file," said Martin. "They have starved the justice system and now thousands of criminal prosecutions could be thrown out."

For the BC Liberals, Conservative MP Chuck Strahl's former chief of staff, Laurie Throness, announced his intention to seek the nomination for the riding on Jan. 10.

Throness is the sole candidate and will likely be acclaimed at the BC Liberals nomination meeting Feb. 4.

The BC NDP will battle it out for the Chilliwack-Hope nomination on Saturday.

Former candidate Gwen O'Mahony is vying for the nomination against Kathleen Stephany, a former BC Coroner and nursing professor, and Dennis Adamson, current Fraser Valley Regional District director for Area B.

O'Mahony has received an endorsement from Harry Lali, NDP MLA for Fraser-Nicola.

"Gwen is an honest individual with great poise and debating skills and will make an excellent MLA," Lali said in a written statement. "Gwen works extremely hard and has consistently stood up for her community on local issues, whether it was fighting the HST, another Tory or BC Liberal scandal, the pressing need for a dialysis unit in Chilliwack, or access to provincial services like Health Care for Hope and Fraser Canyon residents."

Lali will be at the nomination meeting Saturday, as will party leader Adrian Dix and Sue Hammell, NDP MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers.

That meeting is Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. at the Mt. Cheam Lion's Club Hall.

No date has been set for a byelection in Chilliwack-Hope but one is required to be called by early July. A byelection needs to be called in Port Moody-Coquitlam by March, and Premier Christy Clark has said it made sense to call them at the same time.

phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com