Treasury Board President Tony Clement fields questions in the foyer outside the House of Commons in Ottawa, Monday, May 11, 2015. The president of the NDP riding association in Ontario's Parry Sound-Muskoka is intent on "giving the boot to Harper's man" ??? by calling on voters to support the Green candidate. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
September 02, 2015 - 3:56 PM
OTTAWA - The president of the NDP riding association in Ontario's Parry Sound-Muskoka has been turfed for urging voters to support the Green candidate.
The association's vice-president, James Moffat, said late Wednesday the riding executive voted unanimously to dismiss Clyde Mobbley as president.
Moffat characterized Mobbley's decision to back the rival Greens as the action of someone who sought — and lost — the NDP nomination in the riding for the Oct. 19 election.
In a statement earlier Wednesday, Mobbley said he was intent on "giving the boot to Harper's man" — by calling on voters to support the Green candidate.
He urged others who wanted rid of incumbent Tony Clement to avoid splitting the vote among the NDP, Liberal and Green candidates.
Mobbley was particularly incensed by the Conservatives' recently passed anti-terrorism bill. He said the new law, which bolstered the powers of security agencies, is deeply disrespectful of human rights and democracy.
He suggested it was a mistake to choose young translator Matt McCarthy as the riding's NDP nominee because he was not very well known.
Mobbley argued that voting Green offered the best chance of defeating Clement — pointing to the party's strong showing in the last provincial election.
Moffat said while Mobbley "seems unhappy with Matt's nomination, he does not mention that Matt won an open, democratic and contested nomination process."
"The letter says more about Clyde's disappointment in losing than it does about what Matt brings to the table."
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News from © The Canadian Press, 2015