Are we surprised at the outcome of last Saturday’s nomination meeting to determine the Conservative Party of Canada candidate in Elgin-St. Thomas-London South in the next federal vote?
Not really.
Not to take away from Andrew Lawton getting the nod to represent the riding, but you can’t help but sense the fix was in the day MP Karen Vecchio announced she would not seek re-election.
From the number of individuals who had their nomination applications denied, to pushing forward the date of the nomination meeting to shutting the door on media coverage inside St. Anne’s Centre in St. Thomas, and limiting the two individuals to five-minute speeches, it will take some time for the stench to dissipate.

Leaving the other candidate Anthony Shields disappointed and frustrated at the nomination process.
Almost 1,300 members were eligible to vote, with a little over 600 casting a ballot.
Some of those members could not vote because of the date selected for the meeting with only about a week’s advance notice.
We had a lengthy conversation with Vecchio about the turn of events last week, beginning with the date chosen for the nomination meeting.
“We had to the 25th of November. And as a riding association, we were to look at the 16th and the 23rd (of November).
“So, we had people in our riding who had worked on the board and who would have been looking at locations and trying to set a location.
“And then the party, the national party, advised that they had a location and they moved the date. So we were advised by them.”
We asked Vecchio about the two candidates being unable to campaign on-site or distribute material.
She responded, “You know something, this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this in the past.
“I’m only speaking of my own nomination. But with Joe (Preston), Jeff (Yurek) and anybody who has had one before, we’ve always been able to have vote tables before and after. People ask questions.
“Yesterday (last Saturday), they made the candidates leave at two o’clock and they couldn’t come back until six.

“No matter who won, I think the disappointment is in the method in which the meeting was held.”

“So during the voting period of 2:30 till 5:30, there was not allowed to be anything to do with the campaign on site. There was no signage, no brochures, nothing was allowed.
“So that was a really big concern and very, very different. Because, you know, especially the fact that Anthony was only given such a short period of time. For him, getting to meet the voters was, for many of them, the first time yesterday.
“And so there was not an opportunity for the membership to meet people.”
As to the number of nomination applications turned down – at least three to our knowledge – Vecchio stressed, “Let us have a nomination race.”

She continued, “I was really grateful that Anthony was willing to continue to push so that we had a nomination process. Where people can actually make that choice.”
We asked Vecchio how many people were on hand when the vote was announced.
“The hall was empty almost. There were maybe 25 people there. So I’ve never seen anything like that either.
“So I can tell you that there were hundreds of people there when we had ours. So it was very different. It wasn’t very celebratory. It was very different than what I’ve seen in the past.
“But no, the audience was very, very small. Only some key supporters and friends of Andrew’s were there for the end.
“No matter who won, I think the disappointment is in the method in which the meeting was held.”

“So, there was lots of contention there. We created a lot of issues that we never had to create before. I think that was probably the greatest challenge.”

“The communication was very poor coming from the national party. And the national party really did not work with our EDA (electoral district association) to try to do things.
“I mean, even if you looked at the volunteers that were there yesterday, they weren’t local volunteers. They really just came in with their own group and did their work.
“All of which leaves a bit of a bad taste as to how upfront was this, especially not allowing the media to attend.
“So, there was lots of contention there. We created a lot of issues that we never had to create before. I think that was probably the greatest challenge.
“We should be celebrating these things. Why are we having closed events like this? I’ve never seen that before.
“I do not know what they were trying to do in this election. Other than making sure Andrew won.

“To be honest, that’s what I saw yesterday was the people who were standing there in the room. I knew them from the PPC campaign.”

“Whether you liked him or not, there was a sense of secrecy. Let’s put it another way. There sure was a lack of transparency. There was a lack of transparency this whole time.
“I mean, I can tell you that I would call and seven days later have to follow up calls on behalf of potential candidates who weren’t getting calls back from the party.
“So, I would say to people, let me know if I can assist. And we had one person who said, you’re assisting candidates. So, I’m like, yeah, this is supposed to be my party and they’re screwing around my candidates.
“I have to protect what’s local here. And, the feeling is that may be the end of that local protection.”
She continued, “I think what I saw yesterday was a whole bunch of people who I’ve never seen before. Who have never been involved in campaigns other than for the People’s Party of Canada.

“My job is to represent the people here, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do. I’ve got lots of files that I’m going to continue to work on. And I’m just going to continue to plug away on that until the very last day at work.”

“To be honest, that’s what I saw yesterday was the people who were standing there in the room. I knew them from the PPC campaign.”
Looking forward, we asked her about the remaining time in her term with an election in the works next year.
“I worry about the 130,000 people that we represent. I worry about the staff that are hired in the constituency office, because for me, that’s probably one of my most powerful things, is that I work with four incredible people at our constituency office.
“Those are the things that make our constituency strong. And those are things that I very much fear come the next election.
“My job is to represent the people here, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do. I’ve got lots of files that I’m going to continue to work on. And I’m just going to continue to plug away on that until the very last day at work.”

IT FELT LIKE DRINKING THROUGH A FIRE HOSE

Following our conversation with Karen Vecchio, we sat down with a dejected Anthony Shields.
He first referenced the short lead-up time to the nomination meeting.
“It was a bit frustrating to find out that they had the venue and they had the date picked earlier than what they released, and they only informed the general public and us as contestants five days in advance.
“But this was the plan within the Conservative Party going back at least as far as the 30th of October.
“The word that’s lacking in this whole process, is transparency.
“I don’t want to cast any dispute over the results and as to who won. I would question the process that got us to those results.”
Shields advised that he confirmed the national party booked the St. Anne’s Centre as early as Nov. 1 but didn’t inform the candidates and the riding members until Monday (Nov. 3) that the meeting would be Saturday of that week.
“And by delaying that, people who made plans over the weekend to be gone the following weekend were unable to vote.
“There’s a significant number of elderly people within this riding who have no email and no telephone number on the member’s list, who were not informed of the vote and unable to attend because there wasn’t time to write letters, to send notices to all those people to say, please come out and vote on this day.”
Interestingly, Shields explained the candidates had to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) related to the vetting process.
And yet Lawton advised us he was asked questions about Hamas and supporting Justin Trudeau’s plans and policies.
Surely in contravention of that NDA.
“I’d like to make something clear. The nominating committee was Conservative. They were members of the Elgin District Association and they would not be supportive of the Liberal policies and the Liberal plan. “They wanted to interview the individual to see how he would go about being the candidate for the riding and how he would perform in a general election.

“They have chosen who they’d like to represent the Conservative Party in the upcoming election whenever that occurs, so I’m not disputing any of those results or the will of the residents of this riding.”

“Those allegations (dealing with the nature of the questions in the vetting process) have caused controversy.
“They have sown division, and they were contrary to the nondisclosure agreement both Andrew Lawton and I signed, where we agreed not to discuss the process.
“Now, I can say that we both signed it agreeing that we’re not going to discuss the process, but saying that knowing who was on the nominating committee, knowing who’s on the board, I cannot believe that they would ask those questions.”
Shields stressed he would not contest the vote.
“They have chosen who they’d like to represent the Conservative Party in the upcoming election whenever that occurs, so I’m not disputing any of those results or the will of the residents of this riding.”
As to the future, Shields indicated he will step back from politics.
“Having gone through this experience, having gone through the trials of trying to go through the Conservative application process, and then through what was a divisive campaign, it’s my intent to step back from any politics at this point in time and focus on my children, who are the most precious thing in the world to me.
“So being able to spend more time with them is what I’m looking forward to doing in the foreseeable future.

“It’s the generosity of those people, the people who volunteered to help me in the campaign, the people who called on my behalf.”

“This was an intense period of activity, and after any intense period of activity, you need to recoup and recover.
“I just need a period of time to recoup, recover, and then figure out how I can best serve the community going forward.”
Would he consider municipal politics?
“I wouldn’t rule it out. I’ve had people suggest that, but it’s not a decision that I’m in any rush to make at this point in time.
“I learned a lot in a very short, compressed period of time. There are things I would do differently going ahead.
“I learned a lot about where I stand from a morals and values perspective, what activities I can support and what activities I can’t support, and it was a massive learning experience, highly compressed, and to use an expression we would use in the military, it felt like I was drinking through a fire hose throughout the entire week.”
And, his takeaway from the campaign, as brief as it was?
“It’s the generosity of those people, the people who volunteered to help me in the campaign, the people who called on my behalf.
“I feel very rich in terms of having had that support and having had that experience of being able to talk to people, such as yourself.”
We have reached out to the winner, Andrew Lawton – including at the Service of Remembrance this past Monday – but have yet to hear back on a time and place for an interview.

AND THE LIBERAL PARTY REACTION?

No doubt they are having a field day, based on this post after the nomination meeting.

“With a stacked system typical of the CPC (reform party), Andrew Lawton has won the nomination for the “Conservative” candidate in the next election for this riding.
“There is no level of ugliness this party won’t sink to. Saw it in the Woodstock by-election where things were so bad that the retiring conservative candidate endorsed the Liberal candidate.
“Same sham in Durham where they put in the head of the Canada Strong and Free network (formerly the Manning Centre), who just happens to be a friend of VP elect JD Vance.
“The progressive conservative wing of the party is dead. It’s all reformers now. Choose your vote carefully.”

ONE TO WATCH FOR

In an item last month, we referenced a request from The INN – the city’s emergency shelter – for a one-time investment of $195,000 to assist with operational costs.
Additionally, the facility is seeking an ongoing financial contribution from the city beginning next year “that addresses its longer-term needs” until no longer required.
That one-time ask was approved by city council and at Monday’s (Nov. 18) meeting, members will get a report outlining in detail the financial outlook of The Inn.
And a request for $400,000 in additional funding to be included in next year’s
budget.
The report, authored by Danielle Neilson, Manager of Housing Stability Services, notes over the past few years, the facility “has transitioned from an overnight emergency shelter during winter months (November to April) to a professionalized year-round, 24/7 emergency shelter rooted in best practices.
“The INN is an essential service in meeting the needs of our most vulnerable community members.”
As such, its operating costs year over year have increased by about $250,000.
The Inn receives about $760,000 in funding each year, leaving a funding gap in the range of $730,000.
Neilson concludes, ” To date, The Inn has required minimal municipal contributions toward its operating costs.
“Due to circumstances beyond their control, including increasing costs year over year, and in the absence of additional provincial or federal funding, an ongoing municipal contribution of $400,000 will be included in the 2025 budget.”

Related post:

With an operational MRI, ‘It’s a new beginning for healthcare’ in St. Thomas and Elgin county

THE ECHO CHAMBER

Responding to our title post last week, ‘The consultant’s report calls for an aggressive shift to sustainable travel in St. Thomas,’ Dan Vernackt posted this observation on our Facebook page.

“The railway city’s rail traffic is going to get a whole lot busier as VW ramps up. The population is going to expand significantly, meaning we need better roads for increased traffic….. public transportation needs a tune-up for sure.”

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