A former Liberal MHA says he’s disappointed the party chose to snub him rather than support him through his recent mental health challenges.

Neil King has suffered from bouts of anxiety and depression since returning from Afghanistan in 2010. He was elected in Bonavista in 2015 before losing in a nail-biter in 2019.

A few months after that loss, King posted a disparaging rant on Facebook related to extended family. He later removed it, apologized, and sought help for his illness. But when he tried to run again for the Liberals this time around, he was rejected by the party.

King says it sends the wrong message to others like him.

He says it’s also hypocritical of the government, adding Premier Andrew Furey appears to be paying lip service to the issue of mental illness while feeding the stigma around it by not giving him a second chance or helping him through his ordeal.

Undeterred, King is now running as an Independent in Bonavista, one of seven Independent candidates on the slate for the provincial election on February 13.

The others are Eddie Joyce in Humber-Bay of Islands, Perry Trimper and Andrew Abbass in Lake Melville, Paul Lane in Mount Pearl-Southlands, Larry Borne in Mount Scio, and Ed Cole in Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde.