Gordon Prentice at Large - Politics in Newmarket
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- Written by: Gordon Prentice
Jane Twinney, the sole remaining candidate in the race to follow Frank Klees as the Progressive Conservative MPP for Newmarket Aurora, is inviting the Party to consider suspending the nomination process until the Police have completed their investigation into alleged threats and intimidation against Stephen Somerville and his family.
She tells me that, while she doesn’t have any authority over the nomination process, she will put the request to suspend the nomination process before the Newmarket Aurora Riding Association President and before the Chair of the Nomination Committee at Party Headquarters. As it stands, nominations close on 6 March.
Jane Twinney deserves a huge round of applause for doing this.
Somerville pulled out on 19 February fearing for the safety of his family.
When the Police identify the person or persons responsible for issuing threats against Somerville and this leads to a successful prosecution, I would like to see a fairly lengthy prison sentence.
Update 14.25 Sunday 23 February: Jane Twinney wants to make it clear that she is not personally in favour of putting the selection process on hold on the grounds that the police investigation could take months and that the PCs could be left without a candidate in the event of an election. She confirms she has passed on concerns about the selection process to the Riding Association President and to the Nomination Committee at Party HQ.
- Details
- Written by: Gordon Prentice
The PC Riding Association in Newmarket Aurora should put the MPP nomination process on hold until the police have completed their investigation into the alleged threats made to Stephen Somerville and his family which persuaded him to pull out of the race to succeed Frank Klees.
This is Canada not Albania, and the process for selecting a candidate for political office should never, ever, be polluted by threats and intimidation.
I read that Somerville has been in and around politics for many years and is, we must assume, not afraid of his own shadow. The threats must have been serious and believable for him to take the drastic action of withdrawing from the race.
The PCs choose their candidate on 20 March and nominations close on 6 March.
At the moment, there is, literally, one candidate still standing, Jane Twinney. How many other brave souls, if any, are going to step forward in this climate of fear?
Was the threat specific to Somerville and his family? And what was its precise nature?
Jane Twinney says she has not so far been threatened.
And she tells the Era Banner:
“My heart goes out to him and his family… I wish Stephen and his family all the best. A lot of people are very shocked.”
In striking contrast, Maddie Di Muccio, whose candidacy was blocked by Tim Hudak for reasons as yet unexplained, maintains radio silence on the Somerville threat.
I find this curious as she told the Era Banner
(a) she did not know who was responsible for the YouTube ad that portrayed her as a scheming opportunist and
(b) the press release she issued on 11 February in which she referred to “a fellow candidate” being responsible was misinterpreted. She explained the references to he “were in a general sense and not directed at a male”.
Perhaps I am doing her an injustice and she has expressed her concerns to Somerville privately. I certainly hope so.
In any event, it cannot be business as usual.
This is not a trivial matter where we all shrug our shoulders and get on with things. Threats and intimidation degrade and coarsen our politics and undermine our democracy.
The police have an obligation to complete their investigation quickly and, in the meantime, the Newmarket Aurora PCs should put their candidate selection on hold.
It beggars belief they would do otherwise.
- Details
- Written by: Gordon Prentice
Jaw-dropping news that Stephen Somerville has pulled out of the race to succeed Frank Klees as Progressive Conservative MPP for Newmarket Aurora leaving Jane Twinney as the only candidate remaining.
In an astonishing statement released earlier today, Somerville explains he is withdrawing because of threats made to him and his family.
We are told the police are investigating.