Random Access

There was a standing ovation at the annual general meeting of the Mississauga South Federal Conservative Party riding association last night — but it wasn't for the announcement of a nomination date that so many people had come expecting.
Jim Tovey was the president — of the Lakeview Ratepayers' Association — who got the applause after he finished his audio-visual presentation on the Lakeview Legacy project.
President Don Plett of the Conservative Party, who was the special guest speaker at the agm, didn't make the announcement so many were anticipating.
Instead he faced some pointed questions about why the five-and-waiting candidates in the race (Tom Simpson, Ryah Shadursky, Don Stephens, Hugh Arrison and Ted Opitz) must wait even longer for a date with destiny.
Hugh Brown, who is the campaign manager for Arrison, gently pointed out that the Liberal incumbent, Paul Szabo, is well-entrenched in the riding, has just received oodles of national face time as the chair of the Commons ethics committee looking into the Mulroney-Schreiber standoff, and is getting off to a nice head start.
"I tried to let him know how frustrated all the candidates are," said Brown. "They're tying our hands behind our backs and then sending us out there to win the election," the Clarkson resident said this morning.
Plett told the meeting that there are many complicating factors involved in timing a nomination. Many potential candidates don't want to declare too early and be forced to quit their jobs only to find themselves waiting for the writ to drop. And, oh yes, Plett explained, Harper and the Conservatives are very interested in recruiting women and ethnic candidates, and even better if they come in one package.
That would perhaps explain the unseemly haste with which Mississauga East-Cooksville Tory candidate Melissa Bhagat, who will hold her campaign kickoff tomorrow at the LAC from 2-4 p.m., was whisked into position to challenge Albina Guarnieri — a little slight of hand that has obviously left a lot of hard feelings in the riding. That was obvious from a belligerent questioner who wanted to know why there was such a hurry in Mississauga East-Cooksville to get a candidate in place for a supposed pending snap election and why there is so much reluctance in Mississauga South to even open the starting gate.
Plett took some umbrage at the suggestion that the fix is in, and pointed out that even a fresh, ethnically-pure, gender-correct superstar with a party-issue blue parachute would not be appointed because Mr. Harper is opposed to appointments.
But, as one long-time Tory who attended last night's function said, "something really doesn't smell right here. Something's wrong."
Needless to say, last night's non-answers will only increase the cynicism.
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I'm away on vacation next week visiting Canada Blooms and as many wineries as possible in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Back in this space next week.