a.k.a. How not to inspire public confidence

There's trouble brewing over at Liberal defector David Emerson's old party. It stems from a heated race to seize the Liberal nomination in Emerson's Vancouver Kingsway riding.

Businesswoman Wendy Yuan won it in a tight vote at a meeting Saturday. But her sole opponent, Mason Loh, a Vancouver lawyer and previous federal Liberal candidate in Vancouver East, is crying foul.

"The conduct of the meeting was not transparent, fair or even-handed," Loh told reporters at a press conference yesterday. "Residents of Vancouver Kingsway have a right to be cynical about the way Canadian politics is conducted."

Loh claims the meeting's timing - there was only 12 days' notice - was tilted unfairly in favour of Yuan, a longtime Liberal fundraiser and provincial executive. Loh claims Yuan knew well before he did when the nomination meeting would be, allowing her to get the word out and recruit supporters long before him.

He further claims that Yuan supporters intentionally misdirected and intimidated voting members and that Yuan's campaign manager, Mike Hillman, abused his superhuman powers as vice-president of the Liberal party to advance her candidacy.

Hillman declined to comment on the matter.

"I think to be fair, we did not see Mr. Loh's appeal so I can't comment on it specifically," he said. "I can say we have in every way over the last years, conducted our campaign at every level in the highest integrity."

Hillman also refused to say whether or not he had a say in setting the date of the nomination meeting and if his candidate had advance knowledge of it.

"If that's the charge or something he's making specifically in his appeal then I will need to read that first and respond," he said.

Loh said the kerfuffle has turned what should have been a "hotly contested nomination meeting" into a "public relations disaster."

The Libs' B.C. executive director, Mark Grant, instead took a shot at Loh.

"Both candidates ran a very competitive and tight race," Grant said. "... The side that did not [win] is clearly unhappy about that and would like to find a reason or somebody to blame."

Tags: vancouver, politics, liberals. david emerson