Article content

“This is the most open political party in the country,” said Liberal communications director Braeden Caley as he defended his party’s conduct in the nomination fight in the vacant Markham-Thornhill riding in Ontario.

Perhaps if that country were one of the less corrupt Silk Road ‘Stans.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or John Ivison: Democracy, Liberal style, returns in nomination battle for vacant Ontario riding Back to video

Juanita Nathan is a school board trustee in Markham and a member of the board of directors of the local Liberal riding association.

An unlikely rebel, in other words.

She thought about running for the Markham-Thornhill nomination in 2013 but stepped aside to allow cabinet minister John McCallum to take the new seat that was carved out by electoral boundary changes.

In a statement Monday airing her concerns about openness and fairness in the race to replace McCallum, who stepped down to become Canada’s new ambassador in China, she says she did this out of her loyalty to the Liberal Party. “I was assured I would receive a fair opportunity to contest in an open nomination in the future,” she said.