With a provincial election still almost two months away, Salt Spring’s Amy Haysom is turning out to be a fearsome political opponent.
Unfortunately for the Green Party of BC, who she wanted to represent in Saanich North and the Islands (SNI), Haysom has so far used her prowess against and not for them due to their handling of the riding’s nomination process. Haysom was disqualified as a candidate within hours of an online vote by SNI Green party members in early August. Many of them expected to see her name on the ballot after being impressed by her performance in an online debate or otherwise meeting or talking with her during a two-week campaign period before the vote.
With all due respect to nominated candidate Robert Botterell, the BC Green Party needs to revisit the candidacy process that occurred. Haysom’s disqualification did not meet any standards of professionalism or fairness, nor conform to the party’s own bylaws and stated guidelines.
The party may well have valid reasons for removing Haysom from the ballot, and they are not obliged to share those with the public, but at the very least they should allow the party’s appeal process to unfold. Haysom launched an appeal as soon as she received an email confirming the disqualification, but the candidate vote proceeded regardless.
Perhaps most troubling is that party bylaws outline how nomination contestant complaints should be handled. They need to be filed by a member in good standing or another contestant, done in writing and investigated by a party returning officer. An anonymous complaint apparently related to a long past workplace “grudge” does not qualify in any way.
Haysom’s response to her treatment — to create a petition demanding a new candidate nomination contest and to threaten legal action if the party does not comply — may not be helping her win favour from the Green party, but in light of how her disqualification was handled, it’s easy to understand why she has chosen that course.
Sept. 21 is the final date for candidate names to be filed with Elections BC. There is plenty of time to turn the clock back on the SNI nomination and see what transpires. The outcome may well be the same, but at least the Green party will be able to cast off the crippling cloak of a clearly flawed process.