Liberal Member of Parliament Nate Erskine-Smith has taken steps to challenge the outcome of a nomination contest he lost within the provincial Liberals. The contest was to determine the candidate for the upcoming Scarborough Southwest byelection and potentially launch a bid for leadership of the party.
Erskine-Smith narrowly lost to Ahsanul Hafiz on Saturday and raised concerns about the voting process, specifically pointing to issues with voter identification. Some fellow nomination contenders criticized Erskine-Smith for what they viewed as using their community as a stepping stone for leadership ambitions, given his current federal representation in Beaches-East York.
Accusing the party “establishment” of working against his nomination victory, Erskine-Smith’s claims were refuted by the party, which affirmed its confidence in the fairness of the process. The matter is now in the hands of the party’s arbitration committee for review.
Interim leader John Fraser expressed trust in the party’s procedures and committed to a thorough and prompt review of the appeal. Meanwhile, Erskine-Smith, in an interview with CBC TV’s Power & Politics, expressed uncertainty about his next moves in the Ontario Liberal leadership race and his ability to bring about necessary changes within the party.
Regarding his current role as a federal MP, Erskine-Smith stated his intention to step down from the position regardless of the outcome of his nomination challenge. He plans to remain in office until the end of June, following a request from the Prime Minister’s Office due to parliamentary circumstances. His team confirmed the submission of his appeal notice on Tuesday.
The Scarborough Southwest riding has been without representation since February when the NDP member Doly Begum resigned to join the federal Liberals. Premier Doug Ford is yet to announce the byelection for the riding, which must take place by the summer. The NDP has chosen Fatima Shaban as its candidate, while the Progressive Conservatives have not finalized their nominee.
