Nomination news

Some nomination news from across the spectrum. This article: http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1670228 says that all Liberal incumbants have reached the requirements to avoid nomination challenges:

"To date, all of the sitting members have met their minimum requirements and then some. Unless they decide otherwise, we're expecting all of them to run," Rocco Rossi, national director of the Liberal Party of Canada, said here yesterday.

Rossi also says that he expects incumbant Liberal MP and Speaker of the House Peter Milliken to run again. (Although if/when Milliken eventually leaves, I have heard more than a few people toss out Mark Gerretsen, a Kingston city councillor and son of Liberal MPP John Gerresten as a possible candidate)

Out west, it looks like 2008 Edmonton-Sherwood candidate Rick Szostak will be taking another crack at it for the Liberals.
http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1670093
Sherwood Park is an interesting riding because due to conservative vote splitting (independent conservative James Ford nearly won the riding in 08, and is strongly considering running again) it is a potential if still long-shot pick up for the Liberals or NDP.

On the Tory side, businessperson and social club founder Rachel Greenfeld will be running for the Tory nomination in Vancouver Centre.
http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=2a6c96a5-747e-4ef9-ad45-45c575daeb69
Vancouver Centre was a 4 way fight last election, with the Liberals, NDP, Conservatives, and Greens all running credible campaigns and winning polls.

I was also at the Ottawa-Gatineau area Liberal candidate pub night last night, which was great. Despite currently only holding the ridings of Hull-Alymer, Ottawa South, and Ottawa-Vanier, the Ott/Gat area is ripe for Liberal growth, with the ridings of Ottawa Centre, Pontiac, Gatineau, Ottawa-Orleans, Ottawa West-Nepean, and Glengarry-Prescott-Russell all being ridings which the Liberals have a decent shot at winning, and must win if we wish to form the next government. The party has strong candidates for the nomination in all of the ridings, and I will be proud to support and help the eventual winners whenever the next election comes.