Some Tories stripped of voting power

By Vernon Daily Courier staff http://www.dailycourier.ca/
Although they’ve bought their way in to tonight’s meeting, 83 local partymembers won’t be allowed to vote in B.C.’s lone Conservative nominationrace. Conservative nomination candidate Dean Skoreyko said that several dozen members he signed up have been dismissed on a technicality. The party considers them members but because of the method of payment they aren’tallowed to vote at the meeting. Skoreyko said he collected the money and memberships from people and then sent a cheque to the party headquarters as he had done in the past.However, due to a rule change he said he was not aware of, memberships that are paid with a personal cheque are not allowed.“(The members) are pretty upset, they don’t understand why through no fault of their own . . . they’ve been denied the ability to vote,” hesaid.With the previous nomination race between Skoreyko and MP Colin Mayes coming down to a difference of a few votes, the disenfranchised members may have made a difference in the outcome. However, Skoreyko said he’s optimistic that he has a chance despite the loss of some potential votes.“I think I have a very good chance, there’s lots of support from some ofthe older members,” he said. “I like my chances.”Mayes said that several people in his camp also had trouble registering as members. He estimated that about 25 supporters could not get their nominations through either by Internet, fax or phone.“A number of members were members last year but their memberships had lapsed and so they weren’t able to renew,” he said. “It was in the constitution that if you could prove in the past year you were a member of good standing you could become a member at the meeting, but that’schanged.”However, the Okanagan-Shuswap MP said he does not believe the missed members will affect the nomination race.“I think it’s equal for both parties,” he said. “I don’t think it will be a factor.”One of those people who won’t be able to vote in this race is Bev Steward,a party member since the Reform party began. She said her membership form was disqualified on a technicality.“All in all am I disappointed at not voting, yes, but I would be more disappointed if Dean should be defeated on a technicality,” she said.Steward said she called Ottawa and was told it was only fair because Mayes had a package that was denied because it came in two days late.She said she was told that the party had asked their lawyers for their opinion and were told that the new members should not be allowed to vote.“I guess it’s just a matter of fair play,” she said.More than 1,200 people are eligible to vote in the riding nomination but Skoreyko said typically only about half of the members turn out.The first meeting was held in Salmon Arm Wednesday night with a second vote scheduled from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Schubert Centre tonight.