Liberal candidate Cheryl Thomas’s decision to stop campaigning has left loyal Liberals confused as to how to cast their ballots in Victoria.
Thomas, 60, withdrew on Sept. 30 and apologized for controversial comments she posted to Facebook in the past about the conflict in the Middle East.
“I will immediately cease my campaign,” she said in a statement. “This includes closing my campaign office and ending all my political activities.”
It was past the deadline for her name to be removed from the ballot or for a replacement candidate to be found.
What does that mean for Liberal voters when Thomas remains on the ballot?
If Thomas were elected in Victoria on Oct. 19 and declined the post and resigned, that would force a byelection.
However, Thomas’s official agent, Gordon Gunn, said Thomas has said if she were elected she would respect the decision of Victoria voters and sit as Victoria’s MP.
Thomas has said she would not do interviews until after the Oct. 19 election.
The Liberal Party of Canada said if she were elected, Thomas would not sit in the party’s caucus.
Gunn wonders if, in a minority government, the Liberal Party would “rethink” that position and either immediately, or in time, invite Thomas into caucus.
If elected but not permitted into the Liberal caucus, Thomas could still serve as an Independent Liberal or an Independent. As an Independent Liberal, she would continue to bolster the party’s number of seats.
That’s important to Ann Szarkowicz of Victoria. A loyal Liberal, she voted for Thomas but wants to ensure her vote wasn’t wasted.
Szarkowicz said she was told by Elections Canada that if Thomas were elected it would force a byelection. That is not true.
“If elected ... there’s no provision in the Canada Elections Act that would automatically put them in byelection,” said Elections Canada spokeswoman Natalie Babin-Dufresne.
If the candidate resigned after being elected, that’s a different story, and normal procedures for a byelection would kick in, Babin-Dufresne said.
In the House of Commons, if an MP is tossed out of caucus, the member usually decides how they want to be recognized.
The Speaker views the 338 people elected as individual members and they identify themselves as they choose.
Cynthia Callahan-Maureen was irate when she went to vote in Victoria over the weekend and saw Thomas’s name still on the ballot but no notices — verbal or written — that Thomas had dropped out.
Elections Canada has said it had no legal authority to instruct voters about candidates on the ballot.
“There is nothing in the Canada Elections Act that requests us to inform electors,” said spokeswoman Dorothy Sitek. “We can only speak from our legislation. We are simply the administrator of the election.”
If Elections Canada legally cannot inform voters when a candidate on the ballot has dropped out, the act should be changed, Callahan-Maureen said.
In the 2008 election in Saanich-Gulf Islands, NDP candidate Julian West, who dropped out of the race after a report about a nudity incident, remained on the ballot. He ended up with nearly six per cent of the vote.
Told that Thomas has stopped campaigning but would accept the post if elected, Callahan-Maureen laughed.
“If she is not sure if she is still running ... I understand why Elections Canada would be confused, because I am. That’s a mess.”
Gunn said he still plans to show his support for the Victoria Liberal candidate and party.
“I believe Cheryl is a person of integrity and remains the Liberal candidate in Victoria,” Gunn said. “I intend to show my support by voting for Cheryl.
“Nothing has officially changed with regard to her status as a Liberal candidate,” he added.
“Let the voters decide whether Cheryl will be our next MP.”
University of Victoria political scientist Michael Prince said the dilemma is intriguing but in the end academic, because the Victoria race is likely between Green candidate Jo-Ann Roberts and the NDP’s Murray Rankin.
Prince said the situation has left card-carrying Liberals puzzled about how to vote.
Also running in Victoria are Conservative John Rizzuti, Libertarian Art Lowe and Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party candidate Jordan Reichert.
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Update: Cheryl Thomas posted this message on her Facebook page on Oct. 18:
19 days ago, in consultation with the Party, I made the decision to 'lay down tools' on our campaign in order for there to be no distractions for the national campaign. At that point in time, the race was neck and neck and neck and there was too much at risk. I am encouraged that the Liberal Party has continued to climb in the polls and I'm hopeful that tomorrow means a new dawn for Canada. It is time that we move past the politics of fear, division, racism, xenophobia and dirty tricks.
One of the side effects of halting the campaign after September 28th was that it was impossible to 'resign' or 'withdraw' from the ballot. I have said I will speak out about the situation that led to my decision AFTER the election and I will keep my word. In the meantime, some people have been giving misinformation to identified Liberal voters, so I am choosing to post some instructions for strong Liberal and/or Cheryl Thomas supporters.
If you are not a supporter, you do not need to add hurtful and misleading comments. Just go ahead and vote for your choice. I have had some pretty nasty posts on this page which I have chosen to remove. And, if this post results in more rude, unhelpful and downright hateful remarks, I will remove them also.
If you want to support Justin Trudeau's Liberals and/or myself, you can be assured that your vote will be valid. Your ballot will NOT be a 'spoiled ballot'. It will count. And, if I win the election, I will honour the wishes of the voters and will serve the people of Victoria. People have asked me what they should do. I say, "Vote for who you want to be the next Prime Minister and/or for whom you want to be the next MP for Victoria."
May tomorrow be the start of a 'better Canada'.
