Cambridge PC organizer backs Brown
Venkataraman ‘standing up for democracy,’ says former leader deserves benefit of doubt
CAMBRIDGE — The former campaign manager for a controversial Cambridge candidate says he’s working to help Patrick Brown reclaim the leadership of the Ontario PC Party because “I’m standing up for democracy.”
Prakash Venkataraman, a Cambridge businessperson and Conservative organizer, was seen embracing Brown as the pair walked out of Progressive Conservative headquarters together this week.
The former leader, fighting to get his job back after resigning amid a sexual misconduct scandal involving two women, has become a divisive figure in the party.
But Venkataraman says Brown deserves the benefit of the doubt.
“At this point, nothing is proven and these are just allegations,” he said. “For the party to kick him out when we were just about to face the election, it’s not fair.”
Last month, Venkataraman had a falling out with Tanya Khattra, the Calgary dentist who was accused of being a parachute candidate from another province. She was seeking — and may still be seeking — the PC nomination in Cambridge.
Venkataraman’s work on Brown’s campaign, which he says is unpaid, adds fuel to speculation that Khattra had the support of Brown when Venkataraman was her campaign manager. But he denies any interference in the nomination process.
“If that was true, I should have resigned,” he said.
Venkataraman says he’s helping Brown because he works hard, made the party more inclusive, and substantially grew the PC’s membership lists.
He added that he’s known Brown for years and gives him a “50-50” chance of winning back the leadership.
Some accuse Venkataraman of being an opportunist, but he insists there’s no strings attached to his help. He described himself as volunteer in charge of helping rally party members ahead of the leadership vote next month.
He dismissed allegations against the former leader — including hushed financial deals with candidates, partying with young interns and inflated membership lists — as attacks spread by people who want to keep Brown from becoming premier.
“He’s seen as a threat, that’s why something is going on to make sure he’s not the leader,” Venkataraman said.
“I felt like when everybody was ganging up on somebody, you need to be there to protect the minority . ... I felt like he was all alone.”
Raman Khatra, Khattra’s husband and de facto spokesperson, said he wasn’t surprised by the move. He accused Venkataraman of seeking a cabinet post, although Venkataraman isn’t running as candidate.
“He looks like Patrick’s right hand man,” he said. “He’s with him everywhere.”
The status of Khattra’s candidacy, meanwhile, remains unclear. Her campaign website and Facebook page remain down, but her husband declined to say whether she was still seeking the nomination in Cambridge.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “If she’s approved, she’ll run. If she’s not approved, we’ll let you know . ... But right now, she’s a private citizen.”
Khattra has yet to be vetted as a candidate by the party. But Jim Karahalios, a Cambridge lawyer and Conservative activist, said there’s nothing stopping the local riding association from ending the debate and disqualifying Khattra themselves.
She’s still living in Calgary, in contravention of the Election Ontario requirement that candidates live in the province for at least six months prior to a vote. The fact her former manager is working so closely with Brown doesn’t look good, he added.
“They’re doing nothing about it, because they’re cowards,” he said of the PC riding association’s president, nomination committee chair and his predecessor. “There’s nothing in the rules that suggests the local association has to let headquarters decide this for them.”
But the head of the Cambridge riding association disagrees there’s any local control over the situation.
“The local riding association has no role in vetting Dr. Khattra’s candidacy or any other candidate for that matter. Vetting candidates is, and always has been, the responsibility of PC HQ,” Rob Leone, president of the riding association, said by email.
Karahalios says the local riding association’s top executives should have ended the Khattra controversy a long time ago.
But Leone said he can’t even talk about the nomination process, because it’s supposed to be confidential.
“It’s not deflecting responsibility. It’s appealing to a common process, affording our potential candidates due process, and giving them the right to privacy until their candidacy has been approved,” he said.
“My only interest is running a fair nomination process and having the 2,500-plus Cambridge PC members decide for themselves who should or shouldn’t be the Cambridge candidate.”