Fair and balanced

OUR READERS WRITE

Mike Baker's coverage of the local federal Conservative nomination non-scandal was thorough and fair in its coverage. What should have been a victory for nominee Harzadan Singh Khattra was almost immediately appealed by Barb Shaughnessy, the former one-term Caledon councillor and failed Mayoralty candidate.

Shaughnessy, a self-proclaimed model of integrity and respect for diversity, seems to believe that “foreign students” interfered in the nomination, but then went on to comment that the problem is “not with the south Asian community.” I almost expected to hear that candidate Shaughnessy had questioned Harzadan Singh Khattra's Canadian citizenship or wanted to see his birth certificate.

When her first appeal was denied, the good candidate took it to the national level out of fear that, as another local paper reported, “we will lose Dufferin-Caledon to the Liberals.” She went on to add that “the riding is not happy.” Which begs the question, who are the “we” and who are the good people of “the riding” who disagree so vehemently with the local

Conservative nomination process. Surely many more than the cadre of Shaughnessy supporters who allegedly spoiled all their third round ballots?

When asked for details about how many people in the riding are “not happy” or how many ineligible voters registered for the nomination vote, Shaughnessy could provide none. “Rumours are rumours,” was her reported response. Perhaps thou dost protest too loud over rumours of foreign interference in your nomination loss.

Derek Clark, the nomination chair, and Jennifer Innis, the local Conservative President for Dufferin Caledon, said the DC board is waiting for the National Council decision before any further action at the local level.

Cooler heads will hopefully prevail and declare the legitimate victor or initiate a new process. Actually, I had personally hoped Shaughnessy would win. I thought it would give the Greens the best chance at a change in federal representation here in Dufferin-Caledon.

H.S. Crease, 

Caledon resident