Angry in the Great White North

As you might already know, former Liberal MP Garth Turner, who lost his seat of Halton in the last election, is attempting a comeback in the riding of Dufferin-Caledon, a riding currently held by the Conservatives.

Turner is, right now, the only nominee for the job of Liberal Party candidate.  Jeff May, the president of the riding association, had started a campaign to be candidate, but withdrew not long after Garth Turner appeared, citing personal reasons.

So is Garth Turner the candidate?  Not yet, and he won't be until the Ontario branch of the federal Liberal Party authorizes a nomination meeting.  That no meeting has been authorized was revealed when news broke of some controversy over Garth Turner's candidacy.  You see, Garth Turner's supporters seemed eager to get the whole nomination process over with:

The association has not been without its internal disagreements. Minutes of a Sept. 17 association meeting in Mono Mills indicate that Neil Orford, one of the association's directors, attempted to introduce a motion asking the executive board to endorse the Turner candidacy but [interim association president Dennis Adair] ruled the motion out of order.

He said in an interview that the association does not have the authority to influence a nomination process that is still technically wide open, even if Mr. Turner is currently the only candidate of record.

Mr. Adair said the only time such a motion can be made is at the actual nomination meeting. So far, party headquarters has not given its approval to the Dufferin-Caledon association's request for one.

What's the hold up? There are no other nominees?  At least some of the riding association is eager to confirm Garth Turner as the candidate as soon as possible.

Yet there is a hint of discontent in the riding association:

Mr. May agreed with Mr. Adair, saying an endorsement "at this time is inappropriate. The association's responsibility now is to find potential candidates and run an open, fair and transparent nomination.

"We should ensure the process is open to anyone who wishes to participate."

He added that the disagreement was not a sign of a divided association.

Rather, he maintained that it was "good old fashioned debate," and said that, during the nomination process, there is rarely unanimous support for any one candidate from start to finish.

Hey!  Did everyone forget there could be an election this Thursday?!

And yet there is this delay.

But here's the quirky part. 

We learn that the riding association has requested permission to hold a nomination meeting, presumably with Garth Turner the only nominee.

We also learn that members of the riding association are working ensure that the nomination process is "open to anyone" and that there is "debate" and that support is not limited to "any one candidate".

Do you get the distinct sense that the riding association in Dufferin-Caledon is deeply divided over having Garth Turner as the candidate?  On the one hand there is group, including Neil Orford, trying to seal the deal for Garth Turner.  On the other, there is Jeff May and possibly Dennis Adair trying to put off that day, buying time instead to recruit another nominee.

And the party itself?  Perhaps the Liberal Party is having second thoughts too.  Perhaps lobbying by an alleged anyone-but-Garth faction is a reason for those second thoughts.  Why else delay a nomination meeting in the face of a looming election call -- a nomination meeting that could result in an experienced campaigner and former MP with huge name recognition just walk unopposed into the riding?