The first fissure in the race for Liberal leader
Robocalls, regulations and new recruits
ABOVE THE FOLD
CROMBIE VS. NES VS. THE STAR — The first major spat dividing the race for Grit captain: Frontrunner NATE ERSKINE-SMITH’s comments about fellow heavyweight BONNIE CROMBIE that many card-carrying Liberals have called ageist and sexist.
What he said: “If we don’t go third to first, where does that leave the party…We should be thinking of this as what kind of party do we want to build for the next 15-20 years and I think I have that opportunity to build renewal in a way that Crombie doesn’t.”
What the Star wrote: Erskine-Smith was speaking to the Toronto Star’s Bob Hepburn — and some folks are taking issue with Hepburn’s characterization about age.
“Hepburn inserting age was weird,” texted one insider, admitting that Erskine-Smith could have done better “so it couldn’t have been misread. But Hepburn framed it like it was sexist. IDK.” Others have raised questions about the framing on the socials.
Still, Erskine-Smith’s remarks have rubbed many the wrong way.
“I am over the …