TORONTO - The vote to determine the fate of John Tory will be "undemocratic'' and will deny delegates the chance to openly debate the Conservative leader's merits, disgruntled party members said Tuesday as his detractors and supporters prepared for a weekend showdown.
Tory himself expressed confidence the vote would be fair and would preserve his leadership following last year's crushing election defeat, but critics alleged that some delegates keen on a leadership review were being left off preliminary official lists for the party's annual meeting.
"I don't know how this is happening,'' said former party president Rueben Devlin, who is leading the charge for a leadership review.
"It's a bit mystifying to me now why this is so difficult for them to compile an accurate list of those people who have been selected as delegates.''
Party officials say some delegates aren't on the official lists for the weekend meeting, which gets underway Friday in London, Ont., because their local riding hasn't yet sent their information to party headquarters.
But even those delegates who are allowed to attend the meeting won't have a chance to openly debate Tory's leadership, Devlin complained. Delegates won't be able to publicly question Tory until after the crucial vote on whether he should be subjected to a leadership review.
"There will be no opportunity for meaningful debate,'' Devlin said. "It's somewhat undemocratic.''
The complaints are the latest example of an increasingly nasty split within the Conservative party in the wake of the party's disastrous Oct. 10 election campaign, considered by some to be the party's worst ever.
While some say Tory's leadership should be reviewed in light of a "disorganized, unfocused and weak campaign,'' Tory's supporters say he has learned from his mistakes and remains the party's best and only chance to unseat the Liberals in 2011.
Tory was handed a resounding defeat in his first-ever provincial campaign, which was dominated by a controversial and roundly unpopular pledge to extend public funding to eligible private religious schools.
Most party members are looking toward the next election and don't want to get distracted by a leadership contest, Tory said.
He said he's travelled across the province talking to Conservatives in church basements and in restaurants, and remains confident delegates will give him a second chance now that he's "wiser and stronger'' after his election defeat.
"I take nothing for granted,'' he said.
"I've been making phone calls as recently as this morning to people . . . I'm going to try to earn the support that I need to carry on preparing for victory in 2011.''
There will always be some who are unhappy with the format but all the rules are being followed, Tory said. As for those who want a chance to grill him publicly before the vote, Tory said no one can accuse him of ducking party members.
"I don't think in the aftermath of any election or at any period of time in the party's history (have) more party members had more access to the leader than party members have had to me in the last four months,'' Tory said.
"I've met far more people probably in all of these visits than I would meet at any session at any convention.''
Tory is promising party members he won't revive the controversial promise to fund all religious schools in 2011 and vowed to consult grassroots members about the party's next election platform.
If members give him a second chance, Tory said the next Conservative election campaign will also be better organized and the party will get back to a firm financial footing by boosting fundraising efforts and imposing tighter spending controls.
