SCOOP: Grits 'preferred' candidate list exposed
I got my hands on internal party documents
Good Thursday morning. This is Queen’s Park Observer.
ABOVE THE FOLD
EXCLUSIVE — The Ontario Liberal Party has “preferred” candidates for the 2022 election — something several Grits say flies in the face of a pledge for open and fair nominations.
Queen’s Park Observer has obtained a package of internal party communications, which includes a list of names of potential candidates compiled by CHARISSA KLANDER, OLP’s nominations commissioner who oversees the process. In one string of communications, Klander specifically notes when a candidate is “preferred.”
Among the chosen ones: ROOZBEH FARHADI — who is vying for the Liberal nod in Richmond Hill and is married to NAJVA AMIN, chief of staff to Liberal Leader STEVEN DEL DUCA — DAVID MORRIS, who was nominated to run in a controversial uncontested race in Toronto Centre — MAZHAR SHAFIQ in Scarborough Centre — IMRAN MIAN in Mississauga-Erin Mills — JONATHAN TSAO in Don Valley North — TIM VINE in Algoma-Manitoulin — MATT SHOEMAKER in Sault Ste. Marie — KATE GRAHAM in London North Centre — and BOBBIE DAID in Mississauga Centre (who lost to SUMIRA MALIK).
It’s isn’t the first time Farhadi and Morris have faced allegations of preferential treatment. Morris was acclaimed in Toronto Centre, where the local riding association president MILTON CHAN was accused of discouraging BIPOC candidates from running. According to Klander’s notes from July 2020, Chan had submitted the association’s “nomination plan” — signalling they were ready to launch the contest — by July 12, days after nominations opened. Chan, who is also the party’s chief legal counsel, indicated he wanted to hold the contest in August, and Morris was nominated soon after in early September.
Meanwhile, the timing of Farhadi’s nomination application package led to allegations that he was given the inside track to run.
Some of the “preferred” picks in Klander’s notes are more obvious, such as incumbent MPPs running for reelection, or former politicians, including DIPIKA DAMERLA in Mississauga East—Cooksville, HARINDER MALHI in Brampton North and SOPHIE KIWALA in Kingston and the Islands (Kiwala lost the nomination to TED HSU, a former MP for the riding).
One document tracks wannabe contestants’ vetting status, while another notes whether they’re facing off with a challenger. At one point, Klander mentions that at least two other potential contenders were eyeing Del Duca’s home riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge, but she told them it was “reserved” for the leader — who has since climbed down from his vow to run only in Vaughan—Woodbridge.
Having preferred candidates doesn’t square with the Liberal party’s promise to run open and fair nominations, said one Liberal insider.
“Look, the reality is there is no open and fair anything when it comes to Team Del Duca. We have to really wonder how they’re going to run a government if this is the way they run their nominations.”
Liberal Campaign Director CHRISTINE MCMILLAN maintained the party “follows a clear set of rules on how to fairly conduct nominations and will continue to do so.”
“No document like this is being used by the current OLP 2022 campaign team, nor has it ever crossed my desk, the campaign chair’s desk, or leader’s desk,” McMillan said.
Another senior Liberal weighed in, asserting that “it’s not Christine’s documents. Christine is the only one who gets to make decisions about who’s a preferred candidate. And this isn’t her first rodeo. She’s not dumb enough to have a document like that.”
HAPPENING TODAY
— Premier DOUG FORD may have been missing from the public eye over the past couple weeks, but he’s putting in some face time with PC Party donors who shell out up to $1,000 at a Zoom fundraising event hosted by the southwest region-area caucus.
UPDATE: Ford will also make an announcement at 12 p.m., alongside Health Minister CHRISTINE ELLIOTT, Solicitor General SYLVIA JONES, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. DAVID WILLIAMS.
— Del Duca is touring around his party’s promise for $10-a-day child care alongside 2022 candidates. Up today is BRANDY HUFF (Parry Sound—Muskoka) at 9:30 a.m.
— Via Zoom at 10 a.m., Transportation Ministers CAROLINE MULRONEY and Infrastructure Minister CATHERINE MCKENNA will make a transit announcement.
— Tourism Minister LISA MACLEOD will make an announcement about support for tourism and travel small businesses at 10:30 a.m. in the Media Studio.
— Associate Children’s Minister JILL DUNLOP will make a virtual announcement about education supports in the child welfare system at 2 p.m.
ON THE ORDER PAPER
Today’s docket includes third-reading debate on PC MPP NORM MILLER’s private member’s bill to prohibit extruding polystyrene in floating docks and buoys; PC MPP STAN CHO’s PMB to proclaim a Convenience Stores Week; NDP MPP DOLY BEGUM’s bill to proclaim June Filipino Heritage Month; and NDPer TERENCE KERNAGHAN’s bill regarding assistive devices for people with mental health needs.
There’s also a deferred vote after Question Period on second reading of NDP MPP TARAS NATYSHAK’s PMB on advanced glucose monitoring devices.
AT COMMITTEE
On the committee circuit, government bills are chugging through due process: Bill 283, Advancing Oversight and Planning in Ontario’s Health System Act — Bill 276, the PCs latest red-tape reduction legislation — and Bill 251, Combating Human Trafficking Act.
MAKING HEADLINES
— Choice quotes from PC insiders who explained to CTV’s Colin D’Mello the strategy behind keeping Premier DOUG FORD out of the spotlight amid negative pandemic headlines: “There was a realization to protect the king.” … “Nobody has taken any accountability, Doug Ford has worn it all.” … “The premier goes stir crazy … that’s when things go astray.”
— Upshot from Auditor General BONNIE LYSYK’s audit on Covid relief spending: The Ford government failed to properly track $4.4 billion in health-related funding, including for high-profile programs like pay increases for frontline workers.
— A day after pausing first doses, Ontario announces 250,000 more AstraZeneca shots are on the way.
SPOTTED:
— The Patient Ombudsman’s office callout to long-term care residents, caregivers and staff for an “experience survey” that will keep participants anonymous so they can share freely. The office says it’s received a 360-per-cent increase in Covid-related complaints in LTC.
— Energy Minister GREG RICKFORD signs off on a PC Party fundraising email: “Stop the Shutdown of Line 5!” The Canada and U.S. chambers of commerce have linked up on a joint brief in court to fight Governor GRETCHEN WHITMER’s move to cancel the controversial pipeline to protect a Great Lakes waterway. Rickford calls for a “Team Canada approach” to fighting the move.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
— Long-Term Care Minister MERRILEE FULLERTON has a new senior communications adviser and press secretary, VANESSA DE MATTEIS, who previously worked in Education Minister STEPHEN LECCE’s office.
— NDP MPP JENNIFER FRENCH is locked in for 2022 in Oshawa. The former teacher was re-nominated last night, and has repped the riding since 2014.
— CHRISTOPHER BLOORE is the new president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.
QUESTION PERIOD
For the first time this week, Premier DOUG FORD returned to the house riding on the coattails of good-news announcements on the transit and vaccinations front. He punted the lead question from Opposition Leader ANDREA HORWATH, but volleyed eventually.
HIGHLIGHTS: “Why did the Premier wait 5 days to call the military?” — Accountability and justice for LTC residents — Outdoor vs. indoor Covid restrictions don’t add up — Clearing the surgical backlog — Publicly table progress reports on long-term care — A legislative iron ring around for-profit LTC — Second-shot uncertainty — Internationally-trained physicians benched — $10-a-day childcare — Fixing social assistance and housing programs — Scrap 1 per cent cap on wage increases for nurses.
LOBBYING DISPATCH
Here are the new, renewed and amended registrations over the past 24 hours:
— Kailey Vokes, StrategyCorp: Woodbine Entertainment Group
— Jeffrey Bangs, Pathway Group: Gymnastics Ontario
— Jeff Dean, Aurora Strategy Group: ContactPoint 360
— Domenic Crolla, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP: Canadian Medical Protective Association
— Simon Jefferies, Jenni Byrne + Associates: Procter & Gamble Inc.
— Jaskaran Sandhu, Crestview Strategy: Value Village Stores
— Andrea Donlan, McMillan Vantage: Community Foundations of Canada: Ontario
— Rob Gilmour and Caroline Pinto, Counsel Public Affairs: Impact Auto Auctions
— Patrick Jilesen, Patrick Jilesen: The Ontario Greenhouse Alliance
— Jeremy Sawatzky and Heather Tory, Longview Communications & Public Affairs: Price Industries
— Carly Ellis, Enterprise Canada: Ontario Catholic School Trustees Association
— Mark Olsheski, Sussex Strategy Group: ITC Holdings Corp., NuScale Power LLC, Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd., ENGIE Canada Inc., TransAlta Corporation, Alectra Inc., BWXT Canada Inc., Canadian Nuclear Association, Algoma Steel Inc., Electricity Distributors Association.
IN-HOUSE ORGANIZATIONS: Ontario Long-Term Care Association — The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario — Ontario Association of Optometrists — Google Canada Corporation.
🥳 HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Government House Leader PAUL CALANDRA…NDP Poverty critic RIMA BERNS-MCGOWN…NDP Attorney General critic GURRATAN SINGH…Health minister’s press secretary ALEXANDRA HILKENE.
Are you directing Ford’s comms strategy? Miffed about Liberal nomination tactics? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Reach out to sabrina@qpobserver.ca, or just reply to this email.