T.O. man appeals NDP rejection
Former Liberal, denied a bid to run for federal leadership, says ruling ‘manifestly unjust’
OTTAWA— A Toronto man claims the NDP rejected his bid to run for the federal leadership with “no reasons or explanation,” and has applied in court to force the party to reconsider.
In a notice of application filed at a Toronto court on Tuesday, Brian Graff alleges the NDP’s decision to bar him from the leadership race is “manifestly unjust and a flagrant breach of the rules of natural justice and procedural fairness.”
He wants a judge to force the party to reopen his leadership application and make a decision again before April 30, the notice of application says. Graff, 58, told the Star in an interview Wednesday that the NDP’s move fuels the perception that political parties can be controlling and undemocratic.
In an emailed statement, NDP National Director Robert Fox said the party’s vetting process is confidential so he wouldn’t disclose why Graff was rejected. He added that Graff is the only person whose leadership application has been denied.
“A potential candidate’s personal, legal and political history, as well as their social media footprint, are some of the elements taken into account during the vetting process,” Fox said.
Graff told the Star he started thinking about running for the NDP last year. While he is formerly an active Liberal party member — he said he was a Liberal riding association executive in the Don Valley East riding — Graff said he joined the NDP last August. By October, the self-described “policy wonk” said he felt the NDP needed someone to highlight economic problems and joblessness, and decided to pursue a leadership bid. He reached out to the party and was given a disclosure form, he said.
Graff’s notice of application claims that he answered the party’s questions about him “promptly and honestly,” and repeatedly asked for, but was never given, “any indication of the criteria used for vetting candidates.” Graff said the party asked for his work history over the past 10 years, any past arrests, prior political affiliations, articles he had published, the names of groups or organizations to which he belongs and his history with court cases.
Graff, who ran unsuccessfully for Toronto city council in Beaches-East York in 2014, is suing councillors Michael Thompson and Mary-Margaret McMahon. Graff confirmed a report in the Beach Mirror last October that he launched the suit after the councillors spoke disapprovingly of his comments at a community meeting, when he referred to Scarborough as “Scarberia.”
He also said he has an outstanding court case against the Toronto Star, over a column that was written during the 2014 municipal election.
A third case that Graff mentioned involved a battle over legal costs after he lost an appeal at the Ontario Municipal Board to stop an east-end condo development. He said that case concluded in January.
“I like standing up for myself. I don’t like people doing things to me that I find are unjust,” Graff told the Star.
After he sent the disclosure to the NDP, Graff said that Fox expressed concern that there are three Facebook accounts in his name. Graff told the Star that he only regularly uses one, which he created in 2014 when he ran for council.
The party was also concerned that he had “just joined” as a member in August, Graff said.
The deadline to enter the race is July 3 and members will vote for a new leader in October.