The Vancouver Centre NDP riding association is looking for a new candidate after the resignation of Randall Garrison as its candidate this week.
Garrison is citing personal reasons as a factor in his decision not to contest the riding currently held by Liberal MP Hedy Fry. Fry has held the seat for 15 years.
Garrison told Xtra West he was withdrawing for both personal and professional reasons.
Oh, the old "personal and professional" reasons excuse. Where have I had that one before? The timing is just too cute isn't it? Obviously, Mr. Garrison was so intimidated by the newly released Liberal Green Shift that he simply got "cold feet", afraid to campaign against this compelling initiative. I mean, Garrison was nominated months prior, then all of sudden The Green Shift comes out, and poof, I'm out outta here. You do the math.
17 comments:
I think Dion's hench woman (Martha) should go on TV and indicate that the NDP are running scared.
Conservatives on the other hand, prefer just to depose the candidates (a la Mark Warner and Brent Barr)
Funny Steve, except for one thing, it was Michael Byers who stepped in to run for that candidacy, the same Michael Byers who the Liberals and Mr. Dion were trying so hard to get to run for them. Nice attempt to manufacture a story though
I should have put in my "don't be offended NDP supporters" disclaimer, it's just a joke.
That wouldn't work Steve - NDP supporters have a very low threshold of humour when you try needling them.
That would have been a good idea Steve because I didn't pick up the joke. Actually, I thought that with all the whining i've read today about the media and those two Lib candidates dropping out that this was an attempt to use the old Poilievre "everyone else is doing it too" line ;)
But hey Cam EVERYONE does do it, and guess what, they use the exact same lines too. Geez.
I was wondering if you were being serious or if your tongue was planted firmly in your cheek.
All of this talk about departing candidate is silly.
Katy summed it up today by calling this month the most boring month in politics so all of the political reporter types are looking for stories anywhere they could get them.
Really, they should all just go on vacation in August. We would all be better served by it.
I was just mocking the ridiculousness of inferring motives, with no substantive reference.
I have been very hard on the Liberals and some might even call me an NDP troll. But I have to say that I agree that the press is really being unfair with all this innuendo about two Liberal candidates dropping out. ALL the parties have had candidates resign. A lot of people got nominated by all parties thinking there would be an election in Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008 etc... people have lives and sometimes things happen that make people drop out.
There is nonsense going on though.
You have this and you have this.
One's a big deal, the other isn't. Neither comment is worth reporting on, but one comment is stretched out and warrants an apology. Pulleeze.
Cam, for the record. Byers wasn't guaranteed a seat by the Lib's and he didn't like that prospect. It won't play well.
anon, thanks for that.
Thoughtful comments are a welcome relief to me.
"Cam, for the record. Byers wasn't guaranteed a seat by the Lib's and he didn't like that prospect. It won't play well."
For the record, Byers also wasn't guaranteed a seat by the NDP. Anyone else could have run against him for the NDP nonmination in Van Centre and he is going to have a very tough fight trying to win a riding that has never gone NDP before.
Funny Steve, except for one thing, it was Michael Byers who stepped in to run for that candidacy
True enough Cam. That raises a question though. Were the "personal reasons" that Garrison stepped aside really because the party told him "get out of the way, we have a star candidate that wants this riding, take one for the team?"
I'd be fine with that, let me be clear. That's common with all parties. It wouldn't jive with the NDP sanctimony on open nominations though, I'm afraid.
What sanctimony? The NDP HAS open nominations 100% of the time. There is no mechanism for the leader to arbitrarily appoint candidates. It happens that Byers is a very strong candidate and in all likelihood no one would bother running against him - but there is no guarantee.
No one can argue that running for the NDP in Van Centre is a free ticket to the House of Commons.
"No one can argue that running for the NDP in Van Centre is a free ticket to the House of Commons."
Sort of like, no one could argue that a candidate dropping out in a riding the Liberals won 53% of the vote in 2006 is indicative of any "fear" over selling the Green Shift. Same sort of silliness.
I think it is "conceivable" that the guy might have dropped out because he personally disagreed with the Carbon Tax, but I agree that anyone running as a Liberal in that riding will probably win.
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