Accountability indeed

In addition to the well-known Grewal and Anders challenges which were torpedoed by the Cons' national office, the CP reports on yet another would-be nomination battle which has been shut down by PMS Central Command with no substantial explanation:

Earlier this summer, the party announced that in the interest of democracy it would not protect incumbent MPs from those wanting to challenge them for the right to represent their ridings in the next election.

But so far, three would-be challengers with solid backgrounds in their communities and in the party have had their nominations rejected by Tory brass...

Added David Xiao of Edmonton, shut out in another riding: "I'm a business immigrant from mainland China - the reason we came here is for democracy, freedom and equal opportunities . . .

"Ironically, I find myself in the situation of fighting for these principles. It's really unfortunate."

The reality of Conservative party politics hit Xiao hard.

A businessman and executive on the Chinese Canadian National Council, Xiao had been planning for months to run against incumbent Laurie Hawn.

When he got the paperwork from the party suddenly on the August long weekend, Xiao quickly threw together his documents and bought a plane ticket to Ottawa to make sure he hand-delivered them in time to headquarters.

A few weeks later, the party told Xiao his application had been rejected.

A party source in the riding says only 17 of the 40 member signatures he had collected for his application were valid, but officials would not tell Xiao which ones.

"It's a shame for me, a big shame, even the kids feel very ashamed. I've never experienced this in my entire life," said Xiao, a party member going back to Reform Party days.

"This isn't just about the financial costs, this is about all kinds of costs."

Xiao emphasizes he will not discuss the reasons why he was rejected, and remains a loyal party member. But he says officials should have said from the start they really intended on protecting incumbent MPs.

Sadly, Xiao's willingness to support the Cons regardless of their roadblocks suggests that the Cons won't pay quite as high a price as they rightly should for such a massive gap between their supposed principles and their real treatment of would-be candidates. But for Canadians who aren't similarly dedicated to the party, there's all the more reason to distrust the Cons' claim to care about accountability. And if nomination battles aren't being allowed to test the Cons' incumbents, then the general election should provide an even better opportunity for Canadians to force the Cons to accept change no matter how determined they are to avoid it.