On Tuesday evening, as Steveston-Richmond East Conservative candidate Kenny Chiu sat behind Stephen Harper during a local rally and NDP candidate Scott Stewart worked the phone lines with constituents, newly acclaimed Liberal candidate Joe Peschisolido stood in a nearly empty room of the Hamilton Community Centre as an upset crowd protested his appointment outside.
The internal feud within the Liberal Party of Canada in Richmond is the result of failed nominee Wendy Yuan, a past two-time candidate in Vancouver-Kingsway, accusing party insiders, namely former MP Raymond Chan, of nomination interference.
“All these members who joined the party to believe in democracy, to believe in the right to vote and today their right was taken away. It’s as simple as that,” said Yuan as roughly 150 people stuffed a mock ballot box with her name.
Chan did not respond to requests for an interview from the Richmond News via party organizers but denied allegations to the Vancouver Sun.
Outside, members waved Canadian flags and one man sang in Chinese holding a sign stating ‘Democracy blooms – we hope.’
Meanwhile Peschisolido, a lawyer and former Canadian Alliance turned Liberal MP for Richmond from 2000-2004, did not come out to greet the crowd.
Asked if the turmoil would hurt his chances, he replied:
“Not at all. It’s a 10-week campaign and people will be voting on the economy, the environment, social policies, tax reform and local issues as well such as the port authority …and looking at why the government has completely abdicated its role in the pipeline to the airport — and a spill would massively impact property values and destroy marine life. That’s what’s going to count,” he said, denying he knew anything about Yuan’s charges of backdoor meddling.
He said he would expect Yuan’s supporters to vote Liberal. But Yuan wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t know who they are going to be voting for,” she said.
The ‘they’ is potentially thousands of Chinese-Canadians, many of them seniors and new immigrants unable to field English questions from the Richmond News.
Peschisolido noted party members don’t have to be residents or the voting age.
After resigning as the president of the riding, Peter Xie estimated of the 3,000 members Yuan claims to have signed up over two years, about 90 per cent could vote in the general election.
Xie said the party organizers purposefully chose the distant community centre to prevent people from coming to the ceremony.
Liberal event coordinator Zoe Ferry said she couldn’t find a venue in the riding on such short notice (one week). When asked why she didn’t consult with Xie she deferred questions to Shaun Govender, executive director of the party in B.C.
Govender said internal policy does not mandate the party consult with the riding’s executive on candidate choices or venue choices. He said after the election was called on Aug. 2, the party had just 48 hours to begin the appointment process and then search for a venue. The 48-hour window is internal policy as Elections Canada dictates candidates can file up to 21 days before the Oct.19 election.
