Pro-lifer ‘disappointed’ to be dumped from Oxford Conservative nomination race

A candidate in the Conservative nomination race in Tory stronghold Oxford County says he plans to appeal the party’s decision to disqualify him.

Gerritt Van Dorland, a pro-life candidate and resident of small-town Otterville, was “very disappointed” to learn Tuesday evening he was disqualified from running in the upcoming byelection in Oxford, a spokesperson said.

The Conservative’s executive director provided “no reasoning” for the decision, his campaign manager Bas Slujimerse said by email Wednesday.

“The Conservative Party maintains that they are a party of open and fair nominations, and as such, we will be appealing this decision to the Conservative Party national council,” Slujimerse said, adding Van Dorland remains optimistic it will allow his candidacy.

A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said its national candidate selection committee disqualified Van Dorland for failing to disclose “required information” during his application process.

“The recommendation to disqualify this individual was first made by the local candidate nomination committee,” the party’s director of communications, Sarah Fischer, wrote in an email.

Nomination contestants must submit applications to the party that disclose various details, including a list of current and former social media accounts and websites, a copy of deleted or publicly inaccessible social media or online content and copies of media coverage relating to the candidate.

Van Dorland was one among four candidates running in Oxford, a Woodstock-area seat held by former city police chief Dave MacKenzie for 19 years until he retired in late January.

The others are Deb Tait, a veteran Woodstock city councilor and MacKenzie’s daughter, political strategist and former political staffer Rick Roth and Arpan Khanna, the party’s outreach chair who lost a bid to win a Brampton seat for the Tories in 2019.

Van Dorland’s disqualification is the latest move to stir up controversy in the largely rural riding. Last month, MacKenzie cried foul over endorsements for Khanna, whose website features a quote by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre about the Oxford nomination candidate.

MacKenzie argued Poilievre’s comment is an endorsement violating rules for party executive council members. But a senior Conservative said the quote wasn’t part of Khanna’s nomination run but was said last year about his abilities as a party organizer.

Canadian pro-life organization RightNow issued a statement Wednesday urging people to call on the Conservative party to let Van Dorland run.

“The party gave no reason for Gerrit’s disqualification,” co-founder Scott Hayward said. “The real issue is that Gerritt is pro-life and more than likely to win the nomination.”

Candidates Roth, Tait and Khanna also expressed disappointment in the national council’s decision to reject Van Dorland.

Van Dorland has “deep roots” in Oxford County, and he should be up to Conservative members in the riding to decide who will represent them, Roth said.

“He’s worked really hard, and I’m disappointed for him,” Tait said.

In a letter to the Conservative’s national candidate selection committee, Khanna called on the party to allow Van Dorland to be on the ballot.

“Everyone should be allowed to freely and fairly contest this nomination,” he wrote.

The federal byelection for Oxford must be called between now and July 29, according to Elections Canada.

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