PC challenger calls candidate’s appointment ‘abuse of power’

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford’s move to skip contested nominations in nearly a dozen ridings, including one in London, and appoint candidates could hurt the party, one political observer warns.

On the weekend, Ford announced he had appointed candidates in 11 ridings where nomination meetings haven’t been scheduled, including the London West riding, where three people were vying for the nomination.

Former radio host Andrew Lawton received the nod in the riding, leaving one of his challengers calling the move “a brazen abuse of power” and vowing to take unspecified action.

Peter Woolstencroft, a University of Waterloo professor emeritus in political science, says the PC strategy could alienate the overlooked challengers and their supporters. “Nobody who was in that situation of seeking the nomination was happy about this.” Woolstencroft said of Ford’s appointments. Jake Skinner, who had been campaigning to represent the PCs in London West for nearly two years, called it a sad day for the party’s grassroots and said nominations should be earned, not bestowed. “That the party would bypass a nomination meeting and appoint a candidate who declared his nomination candidacy only 10 days ago is clearly disrespectful to our grassroots members and represents a brazen abuse of power,” he said in a statement. “Rest assured, we will be taking action.” Skinner, who is a trustee for the Thames Valley District school board, didn’t respond to an interview request Sunday.

The other PC challenger in London West, Liz Snelgrove, said she was about to start a day of doorknocking Saturday when she received a call from a party official telling her there wouldn’t be a nomination meeting.

“I asked him to take some feedback back to the leader that I’m disappointed with the process,” Snelgrove said she told the caller. “I think the good people of London West deserve to go through a contested nomination meeting.” Though Snelgrove said she fully supports Lawton, she noted the decision to nix the nomination meeting isn’t sitting well with some of her supporters. Lawton, who was laid off last month from his job as a radio show host, joined the race on April 11. “While I was eager for a good old-fashioned contested nomination, I respect and understand the time crunch the party is in with the shortened calendar, as well as the prerogative of the leader and the party nominations committee to make these tough calls,” he said. Lawton, who is married to London Free Press reporter Jennifer Bieman, referred an interview request to his campaign manager, Josh Workman, but Workman said Lawton wasn’t available.

In the Canadian political system, it’s not unusual for party leaders to appoint candidates, a move Woolstencroft says establishes allegiance between the candidate, if elected, and the leader. Mike Harris Jr., the son of former Ontario premier Mike Harris, was appointed by Ford in the Kitchener-Conestoga riding. PC MPP Michael Harris — no relation to Harris Jr. — said earlier this month he would not be running for re-election due to medical reasons. He was later booted from the Tory caucus amid allegations of harassment from a former intern.