Random Access

You could forgive the candidates for the federal Conservative nomination in Mississauga South for being a little cranky these days.
After all, some of them have been running for well over a year now and seem to be getting nowhere.
In fact, the four declared candidates were asked to virtually start over again recently by the party, which is requiring them to resubmit their applications, complete with duplicate copies of almost every piece of personal information they’ve ever collected about themselves.
You’ll recall that the forces that govern political parties from their all-knowing, all-seeing perches in Ottawa decided earlier that Phil Green, who had put in two highly credible campaigns against incumbent Liberal Paul Szabo, was no longer a suitable candidate.
That, of course, prompted a lot of people to express interest in running in the riding that sent Tory Don Blenkarn to Ottawa for 16 years.
Lawyer Tom Simpson of Clarkson was the first man in the race and has since been joined by financial consultant Hugh Arrison, Ward 2 Peel District School Board Trustee Don Stephens and Raya Shadursky, a credit union manager.
They have been selling memberships like mad and constantly asking for a nomination meeting which never comes.
The ongoing delays have raised rumours that the Tories want to keep the decks clear in the South for a superstar parachute candidate they may have in mind. May be sheer political paranoia, of course, but the slow process in naming an opponent for Szabo is adding fuel to the speculative flames.
Arrison, who has lived in Mississauga-Oakridge for 16 years, is sanguine about the requirement to reapply. “We were all caught in the middle when they changed the rules,” he said today. “We had to redo a whole bunch of paperwork which is a pain in the neck.”
It is a good thing that the party wants to delve into the background of its potential candidates to avoid any embarrassing revelations during campaigns, Arrison believes. On the other hand, “They want your first-born and your fingerprints,” he jokes.
Asked if he thinks the Harperites are keeping a seat warm for a special friend, Arrison demurs.
“I think that would destroy the whole riding,” he says. “That was done by the provincial Conservatives (in Mississauga South) and it has caused a tremendous angst. Two (nominations dictated by the party) would be a killer.”
Although he has never run before, Arrison isn’t surprised by the bumpy rode to nomination. “I’m just one of their toys at the moment,” he says. “I wish there was more communication but I guess there are reasons for it. I’m not discouraged.”
One thing that concerns all the candidates is the looming deadline of Dec. 31, when all the memberships that have been sold to date, will expire.
That could leave everybody up in the air.
Which will, at least, be familiar territory.