Sunday, August 17, 2008

Liberals set date for nomination meeting


Okanagan-Shuswap Liberals are preparing to select a candidate for the next federal election. Nomination meetings will be held Saturday in both Vernon and Salmon Arm. “We want to have a candidate in place so she can start campaigning,” said Lorraine Kastelen, with the riding association. The only person presently seeking the nomination is Janna Francis, a Vernon social worker. Buffy Baumbrough had been selected as the candidate in 2007, but she resigned in June after deciding that she would seek another term as a Vernon city councillor this fall.

The current nomination process became embroiled in controversy when Celista resident Jake Ootes claimed a senior party official had told him he couldn’t let his name stand because he is a man. “The implication was that I couldn’t run because they want a woman candidate,” Ootes told The Morning Star. Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion wants one-third of candidates in all provinces to be women, but the party insists both men and women can participate in the nomination process. “We have a lot of respect for Mr. Ootes,” said Bruce Young, the party’s campaign co-chairman in B.C. Ootes unsuccessfully ran against Baumbrough for the nomination in 2007. Young supports Dion’s attempt to have more women directly involved in politics, including sitting in Parliament. “Mr. Dion is a man of enormous integrity and he’s not afraid to put out ideas,” said Young. Young also pointed out that Okanagan-Shuswap had a woman candidate until Baumbrough resigned. Kastelen isn’t concerned that the recent controversy will keep some Liberals from attending the nomination meetings. “It’s not a big thing,” she said of the media attention on Ootes. The nomination meetings will run Saturday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Schubert Centre in Vernon, and from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Seniors Resource Centre in Salmon Arm.

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