Canadian Tory Escapes Challenge Over Gay Marriage Support
by The Canadian Press

August 21, 2006 - 7:00 pm ET

(Toronto, Ontario) Controversial Conservative MP Garth Turner will not face a challenge for the Halton riding's Tory nomination, his main rival says.

Despite fierce opposition to some of Turner's views, efforts to mount a challenger in the riding's nomination process have failed.

D'Arcy Keene, who was encouraged by several groups to come forward as a challenger, said there wasn't enough time to muster the support needed to mount a challenge for the Sept. 11 nomination meeting.

``Despite a very strong show of support, there just wasn't enough time,'' said Keene. ``It wasn't a lack of desire, but a lack of time.''

Unlike other political parties, the Conservative party does not guarantee that incumbent MPs will receive the party's nomination.

Although opponents to sitting MPs can mount challenges, Keene said very few people in the party know about the policy, making such challenges hard to mount at the last minute.

Many people Keene contacted did not know they could vote for him at the riding's nomination meeting, he said.

``We had to go through a whole education process,'' Keene said.

Keene lost the nomination to Turner before last year's election. He ran unsuccessfully as Progressive Conservative candidate in 1997.

Turner has riled some Conservative supporters in his riding for supporting same-sex marriage and criticizing Prime Minister Stephen Harper on several occasions.

Charles McVety, president of Canada Christian College, has been one of Turner's loudest critics and recently threatened to topple Turner by nominating another candidate for the riding's Tory nomination.

The Halton Conservative Association's youth committee issued a statement Friday supporting Keene as its preferred candidate.

The committee's chairman Mark Johnson said Turner has disappointed the riding by breaking promises and accusing his opponents of being bigots.

``If he is that unhappy with our values he can choose to leave the party,'' Johnson stated.

Turner has shot back at some of his opponents, labelling anti-gay marriage proponents as ``monochromatic militants.''

Turner also accused his opponents of bringing in outside party organizers to stack the deck against him.

Keene said Turner has been ``overly dramatic'' and denied there were any underhanded tactics used to topple him.

Turner could not be reached for comment.

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