I’m with BCL; I don’t think NDP candidate Diana Andrews’ sexual orientation is at issue in Etobicoke North. Party bureaucracy and back-room machinations, on the other hand, have edged her out of the nomination contest in a process that certainly looks grossly undemocratic.

A roomful of grassroots NDPers apparently thought so as well. They showed up to a nomination meeting, only to be told that the party had decided to acclaim one candidate and give the heave-ho to Andrews—who had run for the NDP in the past and considerably increased the vote share in her riding.

“This was elitists coming into a minority community and shoving a candidate down our throats,” [federal NDP riding association Patricia Crooks] says. “They know many people aren’t educated about the process and won’t question it.”

Adil Osobleh, who emigrated to Canada from Saudi Arabia 20 years ago, said the meeting has called her support for the NDP into question.

“I thought when I came here I chose a country with a democratic process. Tonight after what I saw, I’m going to find another process, another party,” she said.

I, too, thought the NDP was supposed to be different from the other parties. Not in Ontario?

Frankly, this smells. Open a window, Scott Piatkowski. Here’s one activist who will sit the election out unless you and the rest of the ONDP brass level with us.