A former nominee for the B.C. Green Party in Saanich North and the Islands is looking to "seek justice" after being disqualified ahead of the vote for the riding candidate.
Amy Haysom, a self-described "passionate advocate for environmental sustainability," was one of three candidates looking to represent the party as the province prepares for a fall election. The party held a nomination contest, where members could vote for their preferred candidate before the election.
She says her disqualification happened within an hour of the vote launch, with the party citing "an unspecified complaint and/or complaints." She also said the party acknowledged they did not investigate the complaint.
The B.C. Greens said the disqualification arose as a result of new confidential information being brought to the attention of the party's returning officer which resulted in a "reconsideration of the party’s willingness to support" Haysom as a potential candidate.
"The party notes Haysom’s characterization on her Facebook page that the disqualification decision was made because someone ‘anonymous’ filed a complaint related to a work situation in a school years ago. That is not an accurate statement. Our decision was also not based on a person with a grudge who came forward," noted a statement from the party.
The Greens pointed out Haysom agreed to a process calling on her to keep confidential all discussions, proceedings and appeals arising in respect of the MLA candidate application, which puts the party in a difficult position because in the vetting process, they received information from Haysom and third parties on a confidential basis.
"As a result, the party cannot defend itself from a contestant’s allegations of unfairness by revealing the information it received that has led to the disqualification decision," noted the statement. "That is not the issue in the vetting process, and a decision to disqualify should not be equated with an assertion or an inference that the contestant in fact has anything negative in their background. It is a confidential decision by the party as to who it wishes to move forward with in the upcoming election."
Haysom says the situation has raised "serious concerns" about the transparency and fairness of the candidate selection process within the party.
"This experience has been incredibly disheartening, not only for me but for the many supporters who believe in the principles of the Green Party," Haysom said in a news release. "Participatory democracy is a core principle of the B.C. Greens, but there has been no explanation to me or to the voters as to the reasons (for the disqualification), and puts in question the integrity of the political process. Simply, voters feel disenfranchised."
On Aug. 8, the party announced Rob Botterell won the nomination contest and he will be running in the Oct. 19 election.
B.C. Greens leader Sonia Fursteneau says the riding is a stronghold for the party, with the provincial riding currently represented by Green Party MLA Adam Olsen while national party leader Elizabeth May holds down the federal riding that follows much of the same boundary.
